The attainment target in art and design at KS3 sets out the knowledge, skills and understanding that students of different abilities and maturities are expected to have by the end of each Key Stage. These targets consist of eight level descriptions of increasing difficulty, and a description of exceptional performance above Level 8. Each level's description describes the type and range of performance that students working at that level should characteristically demonstrate.

The level descriptions provide the basis for making judgements about students' performance at the end of Key Stages 1, 2 and 3. The majority of students are expected to work at:

Levels 1-3 in Key Stage 1 and attain level 2 at the end of the Key Stage

Levels 2-5 in Key Stage 2 and attain level 4 at the end of the Key Stage

Levels 3-7 in Key Stage 3 and attain level 5/6 at the end of the Key Stage


In art and design, the level descriptions show progression in exploring and developing ideas, investigating and making art, craft and design, and evaluating and developing work. Knowledge and understanding supports attainment in all three aspects.

Planning to help students progress at art and design involves:

increasing the breadth of content by providing opportunities for students to:

respond to personal, social, cultural and environmental issues within the broad themes of 'themselves and their experiences' and 'natural and made objects' and 'environments' participate in an increasing range of practical experiences of art, craft and design

engage with contemporary art, craft and design and work with a variety of genres, styles and traditions

increasing students' depth of knowledge and understanding of:

visual and tactile elements of line, shape, pattern, texture, colour, tone, form and space

the materials and processes used by artists, craftspeople and designers

the role and function of art, craft and design in different times and cultures.

improving the quality of students' responses and the outcomes through the development of:

practical and technical skills

the ability to reflect on, adapt and improve their work and make independent choices and decisions about its purpose and meanings

the ability to critically evaluate the work of artists, craftspeople and designers and to apply their learning in the context of their own ideas, methods and approaches.

Teachers of Art

Ms S Arkorful - Subject Team Leader

Ms R Clements-Gander

Ms G Turner - Art Technician

Progression in the aspects of art and design

1. Exploring and developing ideas

By the end of Key Stage 3, students:

assess visual and other information including images and artefacts from different historical, social and cultural contexts

use this information to develop their own ideas, taking account of purpose and audience.

2. Investigating and making art, craft and design

By the end of Key Stage 3, students:

manipulate materials and processes and analyse outcomes

interpret visual and tactile qualities to communicate ideas and meanings and realise their intentions.

3. Evaluating and developing work

By the end of Key Stage 3, students:

analyse and comment on how ideas and meanings are conveyed in their own and other's work

explain how their understanding of the context affects their views and practice.

4. Knowledge and understanding

By the end of Key Stage 3, students will have knowledge and understanding of:

visual and tactile qualities and how these can be manipulated and matched to ideas, purpose and audiences codes and conventions in art, craft and design and how these are used to represent ideas, beliefs and values continuity and change in the purposes of artists, craftspeople and designers from western Europe and the wider world.


Year 7:

MARK MAKING/ Tone, line, contrast – drawing, recreating marks and describing surface, texture and mood through mark making.

SELF-IMAGE AND EMOTIONS / Colour – Colour families including exploring primary, secondary, complimentary, hot and cold colours through painting.

FLORA & FAUNA / Pattern and Space - Printmaking techniques using a variety of materials to make block prints.

Year 8:

INVESTIGATE, DESIGN AND MAKE/ Shape - Clay introduction module involves a project where students investigate shape and form and use a range of modelling / building techniques such as thumb pots, coiling and slab making.

CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND CONTEXTUAL/colour, pattern and shape - printmaking

The art and design from a range of cultures form the stimulation for a series of activities including printmaking. Colour, pattern and shape are used to develop personal and creative outcomes. Critical work gives a greater understanding of the beliefs and concepts behind cultural artefacts and artwork.

Year 9:


OBSERVATION - Drawing in a wide variety of materials.This unit gives students an understanding of visual recording and the development of a visual language. A series of observed pieces focusing on specific visual elements: line, texture, tone and colour are undertaken. The techniques studied enable students to observe with accuracy and to use a wide range of recording media assuredly and with skill.

Within this framework the following formal elements are covered:

Tone Shape Texture Line Colour Pattern Space Form

ICT is used wherever possible within projects.

RESEARCH AND ANALYSE – artist/crafts person/designer The work of artists from different times and cultures are introduced and studied, analysing and interpreting their work/techniques/processes.


– technique and process

In response to the work of artists studied, pupils demonstrate an understanding of the context and key features of the artists’ work through personal response.


Year 10 and Year 11:

We currently offer and deliver GCSE art and design, a two-year course, following the AQA Syllabus which has four main objectives:

1. Recording from observation.

2. Analysing the work of artists.

3. Exploring techniques and processes.

4. Producing a final outcome.

These are a natural progression from KS1, 2 and 3 and aim to build on the basic concepts of exploring and developing ideas, investigating and making art, craft and design, and evaluating and developing work, underpinned by knowledge and understanding gained in the preceding Key Stages.