Queen Anne High School Crest Queen Anne High School Crest

Art & Design

6 teachers, 6 rooms, 12 computers, a giant stockroom, a courtyard, darkroom, jewellery room and clay annexe
- Welcome to the Department.

What do we do here?

Although the majority of work undertaken is Unit based and assessable our philosophy is to give young people the skills, techniques and learning experiences to enable them to be confident in expressing ,creating, problem solving , writing about their understanding and interpretation of the world in which they live, the ambitions and dreams they have, all this displayed in Art and Design terms.

The results of the pupils' work is to be seen in these 6 classrooms, the Art corridor and on view increasingly around the school. We have put up almost 100 frames with a huge variety of subject matter and this collection will continue to expand as time and funds permit.

Drawing is paramount in allowing us to talk and explain ourselves visually to others and all Unit work begins with this. Investigation and research followed by development of the original personal ideas and a choice for a fully worked final solution make up the Unit of work. All years follow this method with a greater emphasis on depth of research and development expected from S3 to S6 pupils. Unit content varies and is dependent on teacher expertise and choice, materials available and previous learning experiences of the pupils but all S1 and S2 will have 3D opportunities [clay, paper sculpture, metal work] problem solving design briefs [package, poster, carrier bag, clock, calendar] using a wide range of media [paint, inks, chalks, pastels, pens, pencils] tied in to experimenting with different techniques, evaluating and discussing their results and finally finding out about Artists and Designers linked to the Unit experiences.

IT materials and experiences are slowly becoming an important part of the learning experience as major difficulties have been encountered in the every day running of the machines not to mention the cost! Animation, the use of digital cameras and the soon to be purchased digital camcorder will enhance the opportunities on offer next year.

There are many ways in which the experiences and learning enjoyed in this Subject can benefit individuals, namely that each person is asked to think, produce work and have their opinions and ideas valued as an individual. So, building confidence with skills and techniques is important but not more important than encouraging creative thinking and working.

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