Here at The Park Academies Trust we use cookies to:
- improve our website performance;
- help you share our content across your social media networks; and
- personalise our advertisements to you.

To accept our cookies please click the button below, or for further details and the chance to specify your cookie preferences please click ‘more information’.

You can change your preferences at any time by visiting the "Cookies Preferences" page, which can be found via our footer. View our Cookie policy for full details.

Art and Design 

The Art and Design faculty delivers the following subjects for pupils and students to enjoy:

KS3 - Fine Art (one hour per week) and Textiles, Graphics & Photography, Food and Product Design (on rotation)
KS4 - Fine Art (GCSE), Hospitality and Catering (CNat), Photography (GCSE) and Textile Design (GCSE)
KS5 - Fine Art (A-level), Photography (A-level) and Textile Design (A-level)

If you would like any further information regarding the work we do in our faculty please do not hesitate to contact us. You can find members of the faculty team here.

Art (KS3)

Year 7 - Provides a general introduction to Art. Projects focus on core drawing skills, colour theory, painting, collage and ceramics. Artists will be studied and referenced throughout the course.

Year 8 - Builds on the skills introduced in year 7 with the addition of use of new media and processes. Projects focus on drawing in a range of media; Pop Art, Still life, Ceramics. Artists will be studied and referenced throughout the course.

Year 9 - A foundation course for GCSE. Projects will focus on developing ideas and making personal responses, experience and use of different media and processes. Artists will be studied and referenced throughout the course.

Design (KS3)

Hospitality and Catering

In Year 7, pupils are introduced to food safety and hygiene in the kitchen. They are also developing their understanding of the principles of nutrition and healthy for Toddlers. Through the practical elements of the subject, pupils will become competent in a range of cooking and preparation techniques. They will evaluate and test their ideas and products. Further to this, pupils will be taught the 4Cs to ensure that food is stored, cooked and prepared safely. Practical skills will be developed through the students' planning, preparing and cooking a range of dishes. 

In Year 8, pupils will deepen their knowledge and understanding of nutrition, linking this to the needs of teenagers. They will develop their cooking and preparation skills further, using some complex techniques as time progresses.  They will develop their knowledge of consumer food and drink choice and be able to make informed decisions for themselves and others.  Advancing their knowledge and understanding of food hygiene and safety. Pupils will evaluate practical tasks using sensory analysis.

In Year 9, pupils will recognise and evaluate a range of different dietary needs including personal choice and medical needs. They will use increasingly complex skills as they progress through the year. They will be able to identify the signs and symptoms of food poisoning and explain how some bacteria can be harmful. Pupils will investigate organic and intensive farming. Students will also analyse food packaging, so they are able to make informed decisions when purchasing food. Pupils will develop their sensory analysis skills. 

Graphics & Photography

Year 7 - City Advertising Project - Introduction to graphic design and Photoshop. Pupils will design an advertising poster and a paper nightlight for a city theme of their choice. They will research their chosen city and complete workshops on typography, advertising and poster layouts, before creating their finished poster.

Year 8 – Photo Box Project - Introduction to photography and building on Photoshop skills from year 7. Pupils will create a photo box of images that represent their identity. They will research portrait photographers and complete workshops on different editing techniques and how to use the studio lights before creating their series of best edits.

Year 9 -Eco Festivals Project - Building on previous knowledge of Photoshop and digital designing. Pupils will create a logo for a festival which will be printed on a tote bag and a poster advertising the festival. They will research types of festivals and analyses existing festival posters. Pupils will complete workshops based on digitally enhancing drawings, logo layouts and using Photoshop layers.

Product Design

Year 7 - Pencil Holder Project - Provides a general introduction to D+T; timber, Health and safety, and preparing for the workshop. The project introduces pupils to the design system and the theory lessons support decision making.  The main focuses are for pupils to research, investigate, design, develop, make and evaluate. Pupils each have a wooden letter pencil holder that they have design and made.

Year 8 – Clock/Mirror Project- An introduction into a new range of techniques and equipment that would be used for polymers. Alongside developing an understanding of wood joints and constructions. Pupil become more independent with personal research and solving problems. Pupils have a choice to design a clock or mirror based on chosen design era.

Year 9 – Passive Project - The project will focus on sustainable materials and finishes, personal research, exploring and developing ideas, testing ideas and prototype. Pupils will learn about two design eras and apply this aesthetic to their initial design concepts, final concept and the passive amplifier.

Textiles

Year 7 - Introduction to Textiles. The main focus is to design and construct a fabric wall hanging. Pupils study the work of John Burgerman to inspire their design work.  Pupils will learn about fabrics and how they are made.  Learning about surface embellishments through developing hand stitch and machine stitching skills.

Year 8 - Drawing inspiration from food items and logos to design and construct a draw string bag. Pupils will study appropriate textile artists and develop an understanding of new textile processes; tie dying, applique techniques and further develop their hand stitch and machine stitching skills.

Year 9 - Developing skills for GCSE. Pupils will extend their knowledge of textiles through: research, developing and refining ideas, exploring textile techniques working towards a final outcome of a cushion. Experience using different materials and textile techniques which include, dying, surface embellishment, applique and stencil printing.

Fine Art (GCSE)

GCSE Fine Art - Pupils will use a wide variety of media and techniques such as drawing, photography, painting, collage, mixed media and ceramics. They will develop and refine ideas, experiment with materials and processes and study different artist’s styles, techniques and intentions. Fine Art pupils will create personal responses to a range of different starting points. Pupils will complete at least two projects for their portfolio of work. A final task set by the exam board is completed in term 3 and 4 of year 11.

Hospitality and Catering (L1/2 Technical Award)

Level 1 / 2 Award Hospitality and Catering (Technical Specification) - A written examination of 1 hour 20 minutes in the summer of year 11. This forms 40% of the final mark.

The main areas of learning are, Hospitality and Catering Provision, How Hospitality and Catering Providers Operate, Health and Safety in Hospitality and Catering, Food Safety in Hospitality and Catering, Health, The Importance of Nutrition, Menu Planning, The Skills and Techniques of Preparation, Cooking and Presentation, Evaluating Cooking Skills. 

In Year 11, pupils will complete one Non-Exam Assessments (NEA) which forms 60% of their final mark.

NEA 1: Students will be given a scenario to analyse. They will discuss the nutritional content of their choice of menus and the impact of cooking on foods. They will then plan, prepare, cook and present two dishes within a single period of three hours. Finally, they will evaluate their work.

Photography (GCSE)

Pupils will learn a range of practical camera skills, lighting workshops and digital editing techniques. They will presentation and display their outcomes in a sketchbook. Pupils will gain analysing and critical evaluation skills while exploring a variety of traditional and contemporary photographers featuring a range of subjects and styles. Pupils will develop ideas by experimenting with of editing styles and refining their edits to produce final pieces.

Pupils follow the AQA syllabus where they will complete three projects for their portfolio of work ‘Natural Forms and Light’, ‘Identity and Portraiture’ and ‘Urban and Rural Landscapes’ (60%). A final task set by the exam board is completed in term 3 and 4 of Year 11 (40%).

Textiles (GCSE)

GCSE Textiles - Pupils follow the AQA syllabus. The syllabus is based on an externally set controlled examination (40%) starting in the spring term of year 11. In year 10 and part of year 11 they will build a portfolio of coursework containing at least one sustained project (60%) showing evidence of the four assessment objectives.

Pupils are required to develop work independently from teacher led starting points. Then develop ideas, skills and gain inspiration from a variety of textile artists and designers. Pupils will record ideas using a variety of textile techniques and media. Recording ideas in the form of Textile samples, mood boards, mind maps, drawings and photographs. Building a sketchbook which shows development of ideas, through experimentation, fully informed by their chosen area of study, through to a final piece.