We have the privilege and responsibility to ensure that students from year 7 to year 13 continually develop and progress as creative practitioners as they move through each key stage in Carmel. Each key stage begins by pupils building their visual language skilfully in a range of materials, beginning with line and shape, adding tone, developing colour, texture, pattern and form. These building blocks are reinforced and become increasingly more challenging as each year progresses. The aim is that once the skills and processes are embedded and secure, pupils can then apply them to interpret their own ideas, observations and feelings.
The development of drawing using traditional and digital media underpins every unit and the pursuit of accuracy and confidence in observation is at the core of our ethos. Planned within schemes of work, pupils learn to make informed judgements and understand aesthetics and how art and design can shape their environment. We ensure that pupils explore diverse work from artists, craft people and designers from different times and cultures.
At all levels pupils demonstrate independence, this is evident in the challenging activities that students are required to complete for homework. Our excellent exam results demonstrate that when working unaided students have the confidence and skill to produce outstanding, challenging outcomes. In all art rooms students can be observed purposefully creating independent, personal and imaginative responses.