Art & Design
Curriculum Leader: Mr T. Rigg
We have a lively and successful Art & Design department at Fulford. Students enjoy their art lessons and create a multitude of outcomes from exciting starting points and themes. The majority of our students, who study the subject at ‘A’ level, continue to further and higher education and to careers in the creative industry.
The Art department has now moved into the new and exciting Frida Kahlo block (k-Block) and we are lucky to have 4 large, specialist art rooms on the first floor. The space in the K-block is amazing and the corridors provide ample room to show the stunning artwork that our students produce. We also have use of a computer room, a digital photo studio, a sixth form work area and a kiln for ceramics.
Each teacher brings their own interests and experience to provide a rich and varied experience for our students. We offer a wide range of expertise, including painting, printmaking, 2D and 3D design, ceramics, photography and art history. We encourage all students to use the art rooms at lunch times and to work on their art and design at home. We also plan for them to visit galleries and exhibitions and we invite artists into school to work directly with our students.
KS3
At Fulford School we aim to teach a multitude of specialist techniques which will allow pupils to develop their artistic ability and make an informed decision about their preferred option choices. We endeavour to develop programmes of study which are relevant to young people and provide themes and starting points which allow for structured teaching and pupil creativity.
We have put together a format for each year group within the key stage which provides variety and diversity through the different techniques and processes we teach. By the end of year 9 students will have learnt skills in painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, design, collage, group work and 3D work. Pupils will also develop skills in Literacy, Numeracy, analysis, critique, description and evaluation.
Examples themes include Portraiture, Robotics, Landscape, Architecture, Graffiti, Africa, Circus, Construction and Pattern.
Please take the time to view some examples of students work:
KS4 – GCSE Fine Art
GCSE Art at Fulford is an opportunity to flourish in a department full of inspiration and challenges. It is also a chance to build on skills learnt at key stage 3. Students are encouraged to develop their own personal approach within a framework set out to best respond to the assessment objectives. Students will learn skills in Drawing, Painting, Printing, Collage, Composition, Evaluation, Analysis, Photography, Stencil, Projection, Research and 3D work.
Year 10 Fine Art – We teach more specialist skills to students who’ve opted to pursue Art as one of their chosen GCSE subjects. Students begin the year with an induction period which focusses on specific skills to help them flourish within our department and develop their skills further. Sketchbook work is held in high regard and all pupils develop one which documents their work as it progresses.
The end of the induction period then evolves into the start of the students Major Project, students personalise their work and focus on a theme chosen independently. Students observe, research and experiment with their idea towards the end of Y10 in preparation for further refinement in Y11.
Year 11 Fine Art – Having started their Major Project in year 10, Students can hit the group running in year 11. Y11 is about refinement through experimentation, final piece planning and then making their independent final outcome for their Major Project. The Major project’s deadline is Christmas and is worth 60% of the overall GCSE.
From January to May students work on an externally set assignment, this comprises of a controlled unit of work based on a theme set by the exam board. Students put together preparatory work covering all four assessment objectives in a sketchbook and then complete a 10hr exam (over two days) in which they produce their final outcome.
Coursework is worth 60% of the course and the externally set assignment is worth 40%.
Exam board: AQA https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/art-and-design/gcse/art-and-design-8201-8206/subject-content/fine-art
Please take the time to view some examples of students work here:
KS5 – A Level Fine Art
Fine Art is a challenging and rewarding opportunity to explore media, materials and creativity. It is a personal course which explores students’ skills, ideas and understanding of Fine Art, this could be realist, abstract or conceptual. The course develops a whole range of skills and techniques including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography and collage. Year 12 go to a major city to see exhibitions at internationally renowned galleries, this acts as a stimulus for their own art work and they are encouraged to see as much ‘live’ art as they can throughout the course. The course is continually modernised by rethinking centre set themes and the consistent replenishment of contemporary artists and craftspeople.
Y12 Fine Art – In year 12 students are taught through a series of workshop style sessions which develop a range of skills. They have scope to develop their own work independently whilst learning new ways of working and approaches.
The beginning of the A-level course aims to broaden student’s skills base by leading them through an induction period which visits a range of specialist skills. Students are actively encouraged to be expressive, experimental and independent. Towards the end of the induction phase students begin to arrive at a personal line of enquiry, arrived at through tutorials and focussed research. They develop their own theme to pursue for their Major project.
Y13 Fine Art – Year 13 students are expected to work with heightened independence and are facilitated through this process. They will develop their chosen idea further using techniques and process they’ve learnt during the induction phase and their experiences to date. One to one tutorials are our preferred way of working with students at this level. Students complete their Major Project along with a final piece by February. The Major project is worth 60% of their A-level. This is an in-depth investigation into a relevant area of Fine Art which helps develop their personal artwork further.
The other 40% of the qualification is the externally set assignment where the students have 12 weeks to put together a unit of work based on the theme set by the exam board, this ends with the production of a final piece in 15 hours.
The exam board we use is AQA – https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/art-and-design/as-and-a-level/art-and-design-7201
Please take the time to view some examples of students work here:
Fulford Art department is always open to students. We run drop-in sessions every day of the week, before school, after school and at break times. In the sixth form we have a designated space for students to work in their own time.
We have close links with the Art Foundation Course at York College and every year the majority of our Year 13 artists go on to further study, most often to York, but also to Leeds. Over the past few year there is a growing trend to apply further afield to prestigious institutions such as Chelsea, Camberwell, Wimbledon, St Martin’s and Glasgow School of Art and Architecture.
We alert our students to all the opportunities for Art & Design experience in York and, in particular, encourage the Sixth Form to attend life- drawing classes to challenge them and to build up their drawing skills.
Every year we invite students back to speak to current students about their experiences on foundation and degree level courses and subsequent employment. We have also maintained contact with Fulford students who are now successful practitioners; as artists, graphic and interior designers, fashion designers, filmmakers and many more.
At the end of each year we celebrate the work of all year groups in a large Arts Festival paired with the other two subjects within the Arts Festival, Music and Drama. This includes a large scale art exhibition, Drama performances and live music. We also run workshops during the two weeks period making different artwork to exhibit in the show.