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Art
Art and Design is always a popular subject at Shapwick. Students enjoy excellent facilities with a beautifully light art studio, where everyone has the opportunity to work at the correct angle with plenty of space to lay out work and materials. The studio has a finishing and presentation area where all can learn to mount their work for display, and downstairs, there is a fully equipped ceramics studio and a dark room for the processing of silver print photography.
The main aim of the department is to ensure that every student has the chance to experience the delights of success, and the opportunity to develop skills and understanding at their own pace.
Art produced by students is exhibited throughout the school and much of it is outstanding.
Year 10 pupils follow the OCR GCSE syllabus. This starts with an extensive research project to be completed during the summer recess so pupils have plenty of reference material for the first term. The subject for this first research project is to collect as much information as possible on the subject of ‘Natural Flight’. Pupils collect pictures, photos, sketches, models, actual objects and written material concerning the animals, birds and insects that fly.
Year 10 is devoted to learning new techniques and discovering new materials, while developing drawing skills and an awareness of art and design. A strong commitment to the subject is essential, and many find the work demanding, but also highly rewarding.
From original drawing the students produce simplified designs which are then used as stencils and a basis for silk painting. The same stimulus is carried over into the ceramics area where two and three dimensional work is carried out. Still on the subject of flight, paintings, graphic design and illustration evolve from our research. Later in Year 10 the students are introduced to the delights of soap stone sculpture, jewellery, and other 3D work.
By the end of Year 10, most pupils will have found a preference on which to concentrate during Year 11.
Shapwick students can specialise in Fine Art, 3D sculpture and ceramics, Graphic design which includes advertising, cartooning and illustration, textiles, or general art and design where several working methods can be followed at once.
The GCSE assessment involves all pupils producing a portfolio of work on their own chosen theme. This can take up to 45 hours of supervised work. This is followed by a ten hour exam chosen from a list of set subjects.
In Year 11, pupils have the opportunity to study photography as an extra GCSE subject. This is done as a privately funded after school activity. There is a maximum of eight places and these are eagerly sought, but pupils wishing to pursue this engaging and rewarding subject must be aware of the considerable extra work load. Shapwick is particularly proud of its pupils photography success and during 2007-08 one Year 9 pupil gained a GCSE grade A* for photography – an amazing achievement for a pupil taking the qualification two years early.
The Shapwick Art department has, over the years, enjoyed an excellent success rate at GCSE, AS and A level, with many students going on to study A levels and BTEC qualification at sixth form college. Many have gone on to study Art and Design subjects at Art School and University and we are very proud of our excellent record of success.
The Art Department regularly runs Art Trips to London and abroad. Recent trips include Sketching and Art History holidays to the Greek Islands, Rome and Pompeii, and water colour painting on the River Nile.
All pupils at Shapwick attend Art Day at the end of the Summer Term and art students often help with jobs associated with this event. They are also expected to add interest and colour around the school and use their special skills to enhance the enjoyment of everyone in the school.
At the bottom of this page you can view some of the fantastic sculptures that Year 10 pupils created (Spring 2010) as part of their GCSE Art coursework. Simply click on one of the images, and the gallery will enlarge and you can flick between the various creations!
