Art & Design
Our Aim
The study of Art & Design provides pupils with opportunities to enrich their sensory experiences and develop aesthetic sensitivity and awareness by making personal visual and tactile responses to feelings ideas and environments.
Our aims are to educate pupils to recognise the importance of Art & Design in relation to society and their environment. A well-balanced Art & Design education can be a relaxing, enjoyable, creative and confidence building experience which could have a fulfilling end result in GCSE, AS and A2 levels.
Curriculum
-
Key Stage 3
Art & Design is compulsory in Forms one, two and three, but no formal examinations take place.
-
GCSE
Pupils follow the CCEA specification which entails 60% coursework (two projects each of which include preparatory drawings and final outcomes. The final outcome for one unit must be three-dimensional and the final outcome for the other unit must be two-dimensional) and 40% for an externally assessed project.
-
AS
The changes for AS Art are: Pupils follow the CCEA specification which entails 50% coursework which is one unit of work (Portfolio) and 50% an externally set assignment.
-
A2
Pupils follow the CCEA specification which entails 60% coursework (two units of work, one of which is a four thousand word dissertation and the other a practical unit) and 40% an externally assessed unit of work.
Facilities and Resources
Art & Design is taught in the Pollin Building, which was officially opened in 1982. It is a purpose built building which allows for work in many different areas, such as fashion design, ceramics, painting, sculpture, jewellery, graphic design and product design.
The Department has three full-time teachers, one part-time teacher and a technician.
Additional Information
The wide variety of work produced by the pupils studying art can be viewed at the annual Art & Design exhibition, which is held in June every year. All the GCSE, AS, A2 level examination work and a selection of work from the junior forms will be on display throughout the Pollin Building. This provides a good opportunity for family and friends to enjoy the wide variety of very creative work produced during the year. The work of many of our pupils has, in past years, been on show at the True Colours exhibition at the CCEA building in Clarendon Dock, Belfast.
School News
SPRING CONCERT
23rd Mar 2010
Ulster Hall - 23rd March - 7.30pm
THE ACADEMY THROUGH TO SCHOOLS’ CUP FINAL
17th Mar 2010
16 - 12 win against Wallace High School
MUSIC NEWS
9th Mar 2010
Ballymena Music Festival
SHOWJUMPING NEWS
8th Mar 2010
Meadows Equestrian Centre Championships