Art

Our aim

In art our aim is to create a department where students are engaged, happy, confident, and are able to succeed in the subject, both academically and in extra-curricular opportunities.

About the department

The art department is a popular subject within the school where students can learn in a positive, purposeful and creative atmosphere with strong teaching.

We run a broad art curriculum and students get to experience a variety of media including drawing, painting, design, clay, 3d sculpture, textiles, digital photography and black and white photography.

The art department is situated on the ground floor of the building and comprises a suite of three large purpose built art rooms. We have plenty of exhibition space to display student’s work, which you see covered with artwork from ceiling to floor all year round.

Staff

Hayley Lee (Head of Art)

Kara Wren (AST Art)

Deborah Savill

Deborah Batcock (Technician)

Courses on offer

Key Stage 3

Art and Design in year 7 and 8 is part of the curriculum and students have one lesson per fortnight. Students can also pick to have an extended art session as part of their EEL program, which is a two hour lesson every week. Projects in Key Stage are designed to develop students’ art skills in a variety of media, whilst at the same time extend their knowledge of artists, designers and cultures.

The main projects in Key Stage 3 are:

• Yr 7: 1) Introduction to Media, 2) African Art & Clay Masks, 3) 3D Food.
• Yr 8: 1) Illuminated Medieval Letters, 2) Gargoyles, 3) T-Shirt Designs.

Key Stage 4

Students can opt to take a variety of art courses at Key Stage 4

• GCSE Edexcel Fine Art
• GCSE Edexcel Photography
• GCSE Edexcel Textiles
• BTEC Edexcel Level 2 Extended Certificate in Art and Design.

Key Stage 5

If students choose to study an art course in the sixth form, the options are:

• GCE AS Level Edexcel Fine Art
• GCE AS Level Edexcel Photography
• GCE A2 Level Edexcel Fine Art
• GCE A2 Level Edexcel Photography

Photography

Ward-Hendry Photography Competition Winner

Ross Playle (Year 10) has been chosen as the winner for the Ward-Hendry Photography Competition 2009 in the Southern Region. There were a lot of entries for this region, and the competition was very high, so Ross deserves a big congratulations.

His photographs will now be featured in an exhibition at the Annual Academies Conference at Chelsea Football Club, London on 8 and 9 July 2009, and will also be printed in the conference programme. There will be about 350 people at the conference (mainly principals and sponsors) from academies across the country, so it will be a high-profile event! Ross and his teacher, Miss Mead, have been invited to the gala dinner where his photographs will be exhibited. Ross is now automatically entered into the second part of the competition, to find a National Winner, with an opportunity to win some amazing prizes for Maltings Academy. He gets to work with a professional photographer on a photo-shoot to develop some images for the storyboard panel he will create, as well as being awarded with his own digital camera.

Year 11 Fine Art and Photography Trip 2010

On Wednesday 6th October, the year 11 fine art and photography students went to Southend-on-Sea to gather first hand observations in preparation for their final major coursework and mock exam project. The theme of the project is ‘Surfaces’, and the students had tonnes of places to explore and visit during the trip, from the mile long pier, the town centre, the Kursaal building, different natural and man-made forms, arcades, the Central Museum, Focal Point Art Gallery, and crazy kitsch sea front shops.

The students were a credit to Maltings Academy, showing excellent an attitude during the day, even when it rained! They recorded some outstanding images, and we are sure this will help them to achieve the marks they deserve for their GCSE.

Extra Curricular Opportunities

Throughout the year we run a variety of different activities, clubs and trips in the art department for Maltings Academy students. These are just some of them:

• Art club – open every lunchtime for all students.
• Extension sessions and coursework sessions for all key stages.
• Gifted and talented art days.
• House competitions.
• Christmas card design competition.
• Annual art exhibition of students work.
• Trips to London galleries, including Tate Modern, Tate Britain and the Saatchi Gallery.
• Life drawing classes for A level students and gifted and talents GCSE students.
• World Cultures Art EEL day for year 7 students – exploring Mexican, Japanese, Egyptian and Indian art.
• Trip to Southend-on-Sea for exam preparation for year 11 students.

Community Cohesion

We feel it is very important to build links with the local and wider community wherever possible. In art we are always looking for ways in which students can develop their sense of community spirit, and feel proud of their surroundings and achievements.

Art Department Projects

These are a few of the art projects students have been involved in recently.

• Witham Carnival – students took part in a poster design competition open to all local schools to advertise Witham Carnival. Winner: Luke Wheeler (Maltings Academy, year9).
• Creating artwork with local artist Sarah Sabin for permanent display at Greenfield Housing Headquarters, Braintree.
• Designing and creating a mural for a reception class at All Saints Primary School, Maldon.
• Witham in Bloom – students can take part in the artwork competition as part of Witham Town Council’s ‘Witham in Bloom’.
• Art exhibition with NADFAS (The National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies), at Wickham Bishop Church Rooms.
• Making art banners and cheering on contestants for Tour of Britain 2010 cycle race.

NADFAS Exhibition

In May 2010 over forty students from Maltings Academy displayed their work as part of an exhibition that took place at Wickham Bishop Church Rooms. The exhibit was organised by Blackwater Decorative and Fine Arts Society as part of NADFAS and work was displayed by students from Maltings Academy and The Plume School.

There were prizes for the top three entries and we are pleased to say that we won all three prizes! Well done to everyone that took part, but special congratulations goes to:

• 1st Prize - £150 – Peter Robson (Year 13)
• 2nd Prize - £100 – Lilly Sage (Year 11)
• 3rd Prize - £50 – David Adams

Peter Robson now goes through to a National competition and has the chance of having his work exhibited in a London gallery next year. Fingers crossed!

Support Learning

Art and Design is a very independent subject and requires skill, patience, hardwork, motivation and above all, passion. Students studying Art need to be very self disciplined to work in their own time and make art work outside of structured lesson time. The Art Department feel that additional study is extremely beneficial to students and has a direct link to pupil progress and overall grades. We welcome and value any support that parents and carers can provide their child in encouraging them to undertake personal study at home.

Keystage 5

View useful support learning information - click here.

Useful Web Sites

• www.tate.org.uk
• www.nationalgallery.org.uk
• www.artchive.com