Art (GCSE Option - Fine Art)

Belong   

In alignment with Altus Education Partnership’s vision, the Art and Photography curriculum provides an inclusive and cohesive education that improves lives through creativity, expression and connection. It advances education so that young people lead fulfilling lives and make positive contributions to their communities and society through artistic understanding and cultural awareness.   

The curriculum is designed to build knowledge and skill progressively, enabling students to master a wide range of artistic techniques and photographic processes. Learners explore formal elements such as line, colour, tone and composition while studying the work of Artists, Designers and Photographers from diverse cultures and periods. The intent is to foster both discipline and freedom - teaching technical precision alongside imaginative exploration. Students are encouraged to reflect, evaluate and take creative risks, understanding that art is a process of continuous learning and discovery.   

Resilience is developed through experimentation and refinement, responsibility through independent project work, empathy through interpreting and representing diverse perspectives, and respect through valuing originality, critique and cultural diversity.   

Thrive 

Informed by the Science of Learning, Art and Photography teaching incorporates retrieval practice to reinforce key techniques, vocabulary and compositional principles. Schema-building helps students connect media, processes and contextual understanding across different units and years. Spaced practice supports long-term retention of practical and theoretical knowledge, while cognitive load theory informs the gradual introduction of complex techniques and creative concepts. Teachers model, scaffold and gradually release responsibility, enabling learners to develop independence and confidence in their artistic practice.   

Lessons balance exploration and rigour, combining observational drawing, experimentation and analytical study of contextual sources. Students engage in critique and reflection to refine their practice and articulate their creative intent. Assessment focuses on developing, refining, recording, and presenting ideas to communicate a personal artistic intention. Enrichment opportunities - such as gallery visits, workshops and competitions - extend learning beyond the classroom and promote cultural capital.   

Resilience is strengthened through iteration and critique; Responsibility through independent portfolios; Empathy through visual storytelling and collaboration; and Respect through appreciation of artistic traditions and contemporary practice.   

Achieve 

Students leave Edgar Wood Academy as confident, reflective and skilled visual communicators. They demonstrate technical competence, creative thinking and critical awareness. Their work shows evidence of originality, refinement and contextual understanding. Assessment evidence confirms that students know more, remember more and can do more - applying artistic principles with increasing fluency and sophistication.   

The Art and Photography curriculum embodies the Academy’s values of Resilience, Responsibility, Empathy and Respect, and reflects the Trust’s mission to advance education that empowers young people to lead fulfilling lives and contribute positively to society. It enables students to see, interpret and shape the world creatively - developing not only as Artists and Photographers but as thoughtful, expressive individuals.

GCSE Fine Art

GCSE Fine Art allows you to work in a number of different media (materials) such as drawing, painting, 3D (sculpture) and printmaking.

Over the course of two years students are required to work in one or more area(s) of Fine Art, such as those listed here:

Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Photography & The Moving Image, Print Making, and Mixed Media.

For more information on what will be studied and how it will be assessed in Fine Art in years 10 and 11, please refer to our Year 9 GCSE Options Booklet.

Learning Journeys in Art and GCSE Fine Art