What’s on in Art & Design at Valley Gardens?

Valley Gardens Middle School achieved the Artsmark Gold Award in 2022 and is now beginning a new Artsmark journey! The Arts, including Music, Art & Design and now Drama, have never been stronger and as always, there are opportunities for students to get involved with creative opportunities in school. We hope to be able to provide our families the chance to get involved in the creative and cultural journey of our school too!

Art & Design Curriculum

Welcome to Art & Design at Valley Gardens. Most of us process information based on what we see, we believe the visual arts and creativity are fundamental to innovation and the betterment of the human race.

The aim of the Art & Design department is for students to enjoy a four year visual and creative journey that develops self confidence, core fine motor skills, nurture good mental health, resilience and a lifelong love of creative, explorative learning.

We provide a high-quality, challenging program which engages and inspires all pupils. The curriculum encompasses a broad range of projects and all are underpinned with an ethos that endeavours to equip students with an open mind and the confidence to tackle life’s challenges and to find innovative solutions to succeed.

Kindness, flexibility, confidence, empathy, hard work and innovation in tackling the challenges of the modern, fluctuating world are all character traits we actively nurture and develop in the Art & Design Department at Valley Gardens. Our ambitious, high-quality program of study engages, inspires and challenges all pupils. 

Our Art & Design curriculum encompasses a broad range of 20 projects over 4 years and all are underpinned with an ethos that endeavours to equip students with an open mind, the confidence to tackle life’s challenges and to find innovative solutions to succeed.

Art & Design Careers

We focus on developing transferable skills which can be applied across the curriculum and ultimately form a strong foundation for future career paths for our young people. Each of our projects link to specific careers in Art and Design and we also discuss how developing fine motor skills and an open, explorative approach to learning are the basis for future career success in all fields.

Click the image here, it’s a fabulous resource to explore Art careers

 

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  Learning in Art & Design

• In Art & Design we complete 20 projects over 4 years.
• The curriculum map below outlines the project themes, skills focus and also shows an example piece of work.
  
• Students develop a solid foundation of knowledge and skills over the four years at Valley Gardens, a foundation they can draw upon in Year 9, KS4 and KS5; sketching, rendering, painting, selecting appropriate tools and the correct amounts of media, applying different pressures, observing, processing, transferring information, developing creativity, self expression and reflection are all areas developed in their Art & Design studies.
  
• Developing fine motor skills in the application of ink, graphite, paint and a range of other materials, learning to observe and transfer what they see with a given tool, researching and reading about the work of other artists, designers, craftspeople and producing personal, original outcomes based on their research all play a role in the development of self confidence and transferable lifelong skills.
  
• Our ultimate goal is for all students to become confident to use and try any media and tool, to be self reflective and enjoy the creative process, ultimately feeling confident they can take on any challenge knowing there is a solution at the end of an enjoyable learning journey.
• They will leave for high school ready to tackle challenges across all aspects of the curriculum because trial, error and reflection supports learning and this ethos is at the heart of our Art department.

 Curriculum Map – see below for further information

 

 

Our four year journey takes children through a broad array of memorable experiences, specific skills, cultural and art historic knowledge. Skills are revisited year on year to enable our children to feel their expertise develop over time, raising their confidence and self esteem. Opportunities to personalise work are embraced, nurturing the whole child and their creative character. Below is a brief breakdown of each year group project by project.

Year 5:

In year 5 children come to us from a variety of curriculum experiences, creative interests and aptitudes and we aim to give them the best possible foundation for success. The wide range of experiences enables children to all find their strengths and the positive supportive environment gives each child the confidence to succeed. 

The Drawing Lab

An introduction to the many forms and uses of drawing. Explore, learn and find your strengths through new ways of working, the work of others, as well as watercolour, ink, pen and more.

Knowledge: 

• Observational drawing
• Drawing to express
• Drawing to design
• Analytic drawing
• The formal elements in art

Fruit Sculpture:

Children create their first clay sculpture involving natural forms in dish form, learning to sculpt with tools, make joins and colour their work.

Knowledge: 

• Safe use of clay
• Working in 3D
• Clay making techniques
• The art of Kate Malone

Design from Nature:

Learn basic printmaking, illustration techniques and imaginative pattern making.

Knowledge: 

• Carbon printing
• Imaginative pattern making
• Inking
• The work of Rosalind Monks

Landscapes of Northumberland:

Explore our region’s coastline, historic artists and expression in art through the work of JMW Turner, watercolour and more.

Knowledge: 

• Watercolour painting 
• Expression of mood through colour, texture and mark making
• The art of JMW Turner

Architecture:

Discover the basics of architecture with a project developed with Newcastle University, where in past projects we have created an animal hotel through 3D modelling, responding to the needs of our animal clients!

Knowledge: 

• Making in 3D
• Addressing a client’s needs
• Working in collaboration
• Designing to a brief
• The work of existing architects

Year 6:

This year enables children to build on the foundation of year 5, revisiting key skills whilst work grows in complexity. Children gain more agency in work to personalise their projects.

Autumn:

We deepen our watercolour skills and create an expressive composition on the theme of Autumn; learning new techniques, how to use depth and perspective, to create a personal piece of work

Knowledge: 

• Watercolour and watercolour pencil skills
• Composition development
• Use of scale, texture, colour in art
• The work of artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe

Pop Culture:

Learn about the Pop artists and their influence on Art today, whilst creating a unique art piece. We revisit the importance of colour and composition with our design brief.

Knowledge: 

• History of Art and how to read and analyse art
• The work of Andy Warhol, Corita Kent and other pop artists
• Illustration techniques

Metamorphosis:

Develop more advanced drawing techniques morphing animals into new forms, including use of proportion, texture and tone for realism and mood.

Knowledge: 

• Use of artist’s pencils
• Use of texture, tone and fine detailing
• Creative problem solving

Ceramics and the Natural World:

Create a sophisticated sculpture inspired by natural forms inspired by Hosono Hitomi, through slab built embellished pieces!

Knowledge: 

• Slab building in clay
• Carving and embellishment 
• Drawing for design
• Clay building techniques
• The work of Hosono Hitomi

Superheroes:

Imagine and create your own unique superhero! We learn about comic book layout, how to create figures from basic forms, and how to create a unique hero or villain to save (or doom!) the world.

Knowledge: 

• Generating ideas with mind map
• Pencilling human form in comics
• Inking and detailing designs
• The work of comic book writers and artists such as Stan Lee

Year 7:

As children reach KS3 they are ready for a higher level of challenge and responsibility, exploring complex and stimulating art techniques, through painting, drawing, 3D collaborative architecture pieces, photography and more. This is an exciting time for students who are establishing their artistic identity.

Expression, Mark Making and Observation:

Unlock creativity through expressive artwork and photography drawn from life. We look at the powerful mark making and mood of the work of Kathe Kollwitz to inspire us, whilst drawing from life builds our drawing muscles and observational skills.

Knowledge: 

• Dip pen drawing
• Charcoal, chalk and acrylic paint mixed media
• DSLR photography including framing, composition and close up
• The work of Kathe Kollwitz and a range of photographers

Creature Design and Model Making:

Find out about the UK’s thriving creative film and game industry and create a unique creature design in clay, creating a fictional character imagined for the entertainment industry through imaginative drawing, then complex clay building. Your glazed pieces will go home with you at the end of the project!

Knowledge: 

• The film and TV industries career opportunities
• Creative drawing for design
• Clay techniques including thumb pots, slip and score, surface pattern and design

Coastal Plants and Animals:

Develop mastery of watercolour and mixed media to create a vibrant coastal scene, revisiting skills whilst learning to work in more complex layers, creatures and perspective. This project results in a beautiful double page panoramic piece.

Knowledge: 

• The work of artists including Thomas Bewick, Jina Gelder and Claude Monet
• Use of watercolour including watercolour wash, careful illustrative work, texture colour use and depth
• Creative problem solving

Sport and Culture:

Celebrate our passion for sport with a vibrant acrylic painting; using photography to document our personal sporting pursuits, we then learn to create a contemporary painting inspired by Michael Craig Martin with intense colours and atmosphere.

Knowledge: 

• Creating a composition which tells a story
• The work of Michael Craig Martin
• How to use acrylic paints effectively
• Expression through photography

Architecture and the Built Environment:

Design and build a model beach hut for a choice of clients in the local area, in a project designed between Valley Gardens and Newcastle University. Collaborate with a partner to problem solve and create a unique response to the brief.

Knowledge: 

• Analysing a site and client considerations
• Mixed media collage
• Creating a net to scale
• Application of 3D materials 
• Designing to a brief
• Creative problems solving and collaboration

Year 8:

In year 8 children are creating their best ever work in Valley Gardens, mastering the materials and subject matter confidently, to create self portraits, model houses, concept art, paintings, outdoor drawing and more. Children leave with their four year sketchbooks and a personal journey of developing their creativity, confidence, resilience and success.

Self Portrait:

Express yourself with a self portrait that is both highly accurate and detailed with expressive colour, pattern and symbols. We explore how to make a perfect studio portrait, use mirrors to learn how to draw features, draw inspiration from the work of existing artists, and undertake creative experiments in colour, collage and composition to unlock our creativity.

Knowledge: 

• Advanced pencil drawing
• Observational drawing
• Studio photography with DSLRs and lights
• Portraits in art history and contemporary art
• Watercolour , watercolour pencil
• Mixed media

Paint and Print:

Investigate fine art processes including painting and printmaking inspired by still life and art history; revisiting the landscape in acrylic, still life and more.

Knowledge: 

• Acrylic painting
• Mixed media
• Printmaking
• Observational drawing from real life
• Analysing the work of others and the history of art

Concept Art:

Explore the world of concept art with a brief developed with the Gateshead based international concept art company Atomhark; we develop mech designs, creature and character concepts to bring a new world to life!

Knowledge: 

• Concept art and the creative industry
• Iterative design and working to a brief
• Photobash collage
• Illustration techniques including liquid ink
• How to develop assets including characters, mechs and monsters!

A Home for Nature:

Create an outstanding glazed ceramic house to keep forever, inspired by nature. This popular project results in some really outstanding pieces. We draw concepts with initial sketching, learn to slab-build a house, then personalise the form, add surface pattern and details before we glaze our creations.

Knowledge: 

• Working imaginatively to a brief
• Drawing for design 
• Slab building in clay
• Embellishing surface pattern and decoration
• Applying glaze
• Understanding the ceramic process from raw clay to finished object

Urban Sketching:

Create an expressive, bold outdoor scene, drawn entirely from real life. Learning about perspective, light and mood we reflect on our time at Valley Gardens whilst working as real world artists do – by working in the real world!

Knowledge: 

• Working from observation
• Creating mood and expression in Art
• Working in perspective 
• Watercolour and watercolour pencil skills
• Creating depth, colour, tone and texture 
• Researching the work of urban sketch artists

Art & Design Clubs and Extra Curricular

We currently run a Tuesday lunchtime art club with Mr Hay and a year 5 Monday art club with Mrs Ferguson where you can bring any and all projects to life! Collect a pass first thing in the morning from the Art room to attend.

Art & Design Homework – an invitation to parents and carers

Home study opportunities in Art & Design are strategically planned to support project work being explored in the classroom. Students are expected to complete one home study each half term which supports their current area of study. This regular opportunity will develop key skills and support progress through the various projects we cover. Research and development tasks may also be given to support their classroom work.

As we know many children love to create at home and any special, extra special work produced can be brought in and added to the student sketchbooks at any point. At the end of Year 8 students bring their sketchbooks home; their books are four years of gathering and collating Art & Design and the sketchbooks are something we hope students and their families will treasure for a lifetime.

We would like to encourage parents and carers to get actively involved in supporting home study in Art & Design. Please help your children when they need it. Creating is a fantastic, fast track to relaxation and positive mental wellbeing and you are very welcome to do your own interpretation of the home study brief and send it in along with the student’s work, so they can add your work to their book too as a keepsake, we look forward to seeing your fantastic work!

We believe working together with a trusted adult supports student confidence! If we as adults model resilience while learning from and enjoying making mistakes, students will learn to feel this way too. We believe enjoying the process of trial and error with someone trusted, while developing an understanding of how to patiently problem-solve, reaps huge rewards for the students in all aspects of their school life and also beyond into their chosen career paths.

Please feel free to contact the Art department to speak with any of your children’s Art & Design teachers at any point in the year. Thank you for your continued input and support.

Richard Hay,

Head of Art.