Create

• Qualified and enthusiastic staff

• Quality first teaching designed to inspire, challenge and support progress

• A curriculum that is designed to foster independence through differentiated and self-directed work

The Create Department at Darwen Vale High School believe that education is inclusive and strive to provide an exciting and challenging curriculum which reflect the needs of all our pupils; unlocking their creative potential and making them feel supported. We are committed to our students and their learning and wellbeing, offering a subject that teaches core skills in a variety of materials, techniques and processes. We engage pupils making them want to learn, be successful and enthusiastic about their creative work.

What can pupils expect from the department?

• Qualified and enthusiastic staff

• Quality first teaching designed to inspire, challenge and support progress

• A curriculum that is designed to foster independence through differentiated and self-directed work

Our students will:

• Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences

• Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques

• Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design

• Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms

• The Create department is dedicated to nurturing critical thinking and visual literacy through an engaging and supportive environment.

• The arts teach children that problems can have more than one solution and that questions can have more than one answer

• We want to develop a lifelong aptitude and desire to learn, explore, create and invent.

• We promote the visual arts by fostering critical and creative thinking, artistic expression, effective communication and cultural awareness

Through a rich variety of project themes, students are given the opportunity to experience different approaches to Art, Craft, Design. There is a balance in the programme of study between investigating and making, which are the practical aspects of creating Art, and knowledge and understanding in which students are introduced to and study the work of artists from our own culture and other cultures both past and present.

Students have the opportunity to make both two dimensional and three-dimensional work including painting and drawing, photography, textiles and ceramics. Students are taught to use materials, tools, techniques and technology to develop their creative, imaginative and practical skills to enable them to express ideas and feelings, record observations and design and make images and artefacts. Through their own work and the study of other artists, students will develop visual perception and literacy so enabling them to express ideas and opinions using an Art, Craft and Design vocabulary. Years 7 and 8 are the building blocks for further study in Year 9 and at GCSE level. Students in Year 9 begin their GCSE Art Foundation course and if they choose to study a Create at GCSE level this work can be used to support and enhance their overall grade.

Sequenced learning is evident and shows progress over time. A full range of skills such as observational drawing skills, colour theory and editing techniques are all taught in year 7 and revisited in year 8 and 9 in order for pupils to further develop and refine them and understand when and how to apply them at GCSE level.

GCSE Art, craft and design is a 2 year qualification that consists of two components: Component 1, a portfolio of work worth 60% of the overall marks and component 2, the practical exam worth 40% of overall marks.

The course offers learning across a variety of experience’s and through various processes, tools, technique and materials which include:

• Drawing & painting

• Sculpture

• Photography

• Mixed media

GCSE Photography is a 2 year qualification that consists of two components: Component 1, a portfolio of work worth 60% of the overall marks and component 2, the practical exam worth 40% of overall marks.

The course offers learning across a variety of experiences and through various processes, tools, techniques and materials. Areas of study include:

• Documentary photography

• Photo-journalism

• Studio photography

• Experimental imagery

• Location photography

• Moving image: film, video and animation