The mission of the Art department at Thornhill Community Academy is to inspire, educate and develop confidence. The Art department seeks to ensure that the arts are accessible, inclusive and meaningful through diverse approaches to creative innovation, integrated with visual, oral and written communication. Students are encouraged to take risks with their art, experiment with new mediums and to think "outside the box" in new and creative ways. This type of thinking encourages students to relate visual knowledge to other core subjects and to respond with originality, appreciation, flexibility and imagination.

Key Stage 3
Students will begin their artistic journey in year 7, where they will begin to develop key skills needed to become confident artists such as drawing methods, colour theory and tonal work. They will continue to strengthen these skills throughout KS3, which will be incorporated into Birds and Feathers’ and ‘Ceramic Sea Creatures’ in year 8, and taster projects in year 9 looking at ‘Food’ and ‘Architecture’ as a starting point.

Students will build upon skills and knowledge each year of KS3 with a focus on embedding challenge through tasks, metacognition and self-reflection, and literacy into the departmental curriculum. This enables students to build on what works, learn from mistakes, and get better at what they do.

Why study this subject at GCSE?
To develop creative thinking and artistic ability in all students.

Studying Art & Design at Thornhill Community Academy can offer you a stimulating, exciting and challenging practical GCSE course. Our results at GCSE are consistently excellent and our past students have thoroughly enjoyed their time spent in the Art department during Years 10 and 11.

Description of the course
GCSE Art & Design is a general course, it has no specialist area.  Students will study drawing, painting, ceramics, art history plus illustration, and other facets of the course may involve printing, photography and computer based work.

The course will consist of one sustained project which will be developed in response to a subject, theme, task or brief, and a series of mini projects ranging from skill based workshops, trials, experiments and responses to artists work.

Although the course is largely practical in nature, there is a written element, both investigative and creative.
In year 11 they will be given an externally set assignment which will lead into producing their final exam piece.

How the course is assessed
60% coursework - All work produced in Years 10 and 11 will be entered for assessment.
40% examination - A ten hour controlled examination (two days) is taken late in Year 11.

Other information

Future careers
Interior design / Film / Photography / Television / Teaching / Graphics / Book Illustrator / Advertising / Fashion / Theatre

Interesting fact
On average, over the last 6 years over 80% of students have achieved a grade ‘4’ or above.

Curriculum Plans
Curriculum plans for Art & Design can be viewed from the links below.