Art

The Art curriculum at Southend High School for Boys.

Art

Curriculum intent

The Art Department at Southend High School for Boys aims to develop creative, confident and reflective young artists who are able to communicate ideas, emotions and opinions visually. Through the study of art across cultures, periods and disciplines, students gain both practical artistic skills and a deeper understanding of the world around them.

Our curriculum is built around the department's core values of Draughtsmanship, Enjoyment, Creativity, Courage and Appreciation (DECCA). Students are encouraged to develop technical drawing skills, experiment with materials and processes, take creative risks and appreciate the work of artists, designers and craftspeople from a wide range of historical and contemporary contexts.

Art provides opportunities to explore identity, culture, history, society and personal expression. Through making, analysing and discussing art, students learn how visual communication shapes the world around them and develop the confidence to express their own ideas creatively.

The curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure students build knowledge and skills progressively throughout Key Stage 3 before moving into more independent and personalised artistic practice at GCSE and A Level. Students develop not only successful artistic outcomes but also the ability to critically analyse, evaluate and appreciate the role of art in society.

In the classroom

The student experience

Students experience a rich and varied curriculum that combines practical making with historical, cultural and critical understanding. Throughout Key Stage 3, students encounter significant artistic movements, cultures and ideas from across history, enabling them to understand how art reflects and influences society.

Students work with a wide range of media and techniques including drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, sculpture and digital processes. Each project is built around a big idea that combines practical skills with cultural understanding.

Students explore questions such as: What makes something art? How does art communicate meaning? How can artists express identity and emotion? How does art help us understand the world around us? Can art challenge society and our values?

Students become increasingly independent artists, capable of developing personal responses, analysing artwork critically and making informed creative decisions.

Year by year

Curriculum journey

Year 7 - Foundations of Art

· Cave paintings

· Egyptian art

Ancient Greek Pottery

Painting

Model-making

Ceramics

· Symbolism

· Colour theory

Year 8 - Art as Cultural (R)evolution

· The Byzantine

· The Renaissance

· The Baroque

Technical drawing

Anatomy

· Light and shadow

Perspective

Year 9 - Art Forces us to Question Our Values

· Impressionism

· Post-Impressionism

· Expressionism

· Pop Art

Painting 'en plein air'

Printmaking

Large scale sculptures

· Photorealism

GCSE Art

· Sustained Coursework portfolios "Identity" and "Love and Hate"

1 x exam project

· Artist and thematic investigation

Borrowing inspiration from a wide range of contextual sources.

· Experimentation with materials

· Ambitious, large-scale final outcomes

Starting to develop personal artistic style

A Level Art

· Coursework project - "Personal investigation" inc. Academic essay with Harvard Referencing

Exam Project

· Independent research

· Critical analysis

· Practical experimentation

· Focus on students' preferred media and techniques.

Refinement of students' personal artistic language.

Murals and oversized paintings

Installations, video, animation and multi-sensory art

How pupils are assessed

Assessment

Assessment focuses on technical skill development, creative experimentation, recording and observation, analysis and evaluation, development of ideas and final outcomes. Students receive regular feedback that encourages reflection, refinement and independence.

Beyond lessons