St Dunstan's College - Discover Art

ST DUNSTAN’S COLLEGE

DISCOVER ART

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ST DUNSTAN’S COLLEGE

DISCOVER ART INTRODUCTION

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he St Dunstan’s Art Department is vibrant and overflowing with creativity and enthusiasm. Students are supported and encouraged to value and develop their voice and style as artists, from starting their journey in Year 7, right through to GCSE, A Level and beyond.

It is no coincidence that many of our students have great success gaining places on competitive Art Foundation and Art degree courses.

Our ambitious teachers, dedicated staff, and studio classrooms promote student independence and freedom of expression.

The curricular and co-curricular offering is broad, forwardthinking and ambitious, moulding traditional conventions with contemporary art forms and concepts. Our department celebrates and promotes diversity and representation at its core. Supporting students in their development as artists and conscientious individuals though the course of their studies is hugely rewarding, and something that our team is passionate about.

A holistic approach is taken in curriculum planning, assessment and teaching, which allows students to access and express learning in a wide variety of ways. From the outset, students experiment with and develop technical skills in a wide variety of media. We favour longer, exploratory, theme-based projects in which students are encouraged to develop the chosen topic, by drawing on individual concepts and research. Shorter and looser technique workshops supplement their learning,

promoting experimentation and giving access to different art forms. These have included batik, digital drawing and abstract photography. As students continue to develop confidence on their artistic journey, projects that were teacher-led, become more individual and student-directed.

This gives students the confidence they need to approach contemporary issues with skilful techniques and exciting ideas.

Small classes facilitate individualised support, student choice and freedom of expression, not just in the curriculum but as a part of our extensive Forder offering .

As a subject, Art is a significant priority at St Dunstan’s and student work isn’t confined to our studio-style classrooms.

Each year, students work towards regular exhibitions, with the academic year culminating at the St Dunstan’s Festival.

This gives our students a high profile platform to share their work, thoughts and ideas with the wider community.

Mrs Jamie Restivo Head of Art S T D U N S TA N ’ S CO L L EG E

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‘I love learning about new artists and their work because it inspires me to create my own pieces’ Year 8 Student

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A CONTEMPORARY APPROACH At St Dunstan’s we have a forward thinking, contemporary curriculum that puts the students’ needs at its heart. We create and study art that is applicable to contemporary society and has an underlining drive for social awareness. Students build a sense of ownership over their conversations, skills and ideas.

From as early as Year 7, student work is conceptually drive, with ‘meaning making’ emphasised over rote learning. We have a truly diverse and inclusive curriculum which empowers all students to feel represented. We recognise that art can be hugely personal, emotive and individual. We foster students’ individuality through student-led ideas and holistic approaches to curriculum and assessment.

It is imperative for art education to reflect the outside world and for students to understand their role in society. Across all year groups, the curriculum engages students in contemporary social issues, spanning the environment, cultural identity and the political. Through frequent critical discussions and reflection upon a wide range of global artists, students build

confidence in expressing their own opinions, and create work which is personal and meaningful.

Examples include the KS3 projects, designed to raise awareness of themes relevant to Black History Month.

Cultural, conceptual and artistic practices come together to celebrate diversity and representation. These projects culminate in a vibrant and often emotional exhibition in October.

Students are also able to combine their cross-curricular passions with their art. Sixth Formers have explored social media culture through religious archetypes, the objectification of women through a performative activation of sculpture, and themes of cultural duality through oil painting, to name a few.

The social wider awareness of students at St Dunstan’s is a source of great pride , evident not just in their exhibited work, but through the buzz of conversations in lessons.

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JOURNEY OF SELF DISCOVERY Students’ learning journey builds on technical skills, conceptual development, personal voice and creativity. It is a road of selfdiscovery through art. It is our aim to guide students in their development to becoming unique artists with a unique voice.

We strive for each individual to build their own creative voice and to make work which is personal, meaningful to who they are and to the society in which they live.

Our schemes of learning and teaching prioritise individual discovery and expression. Small class sizes mean teaching is tailored to each individual, with support allowing each student to fully embrace different modes of making and learning.

Students are able to discover who they are and what they might yet become. You will not see a full class of students at St Dunstan’s making the same artwork. Instead, students are given themes and encouraged to develop their own unique concepts and visual language.

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Our broad curriculum combines traditional art forms with contemporary approaches, ranging from photography, performance art to ceramics. We encourage students to explore and test the possibilities of making and materials.

Curiosity is key in engaging with new mediums and processes that enable students to discover their own creative strengths and authentic style. Our students learn through making, and by doing, becoming leaders and authorities in their own right.

We pride ourselves on our bespoke and individually tailored provision, that supports students with exposure to different styles of art, building their own techniques and methods of self-expression.

‘Throughout my GCSE art course, I loved depicting a topic I was passionate about with a lot of freedom. I also appreciated the encouragement and support from all of the teachers. I have always felt prepared in art’ Year 11 Student

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‘I have had the opportunity to learn about new sculptural techniques in clay club’ Year 8 Student

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IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE Small class sizes allow us to engage and support each student individually. We have seen the immense benefit of have smaller classes to support, guide and hear each individual fully.

in emotive self-portraits. This developmental process allows students to hone their technique and creativity in preparation for GCSE and A Level study.

Art at St Dunstan’s is a collaboration between the teachers and the students, with time spent in small, focused classes, learning the history and techniques of different artists across the world. We are constantly adapting and innovating in methods of teaching, so that students benefit from individual learning experiences with the support of a team of dedicated artistteachers.

The Forder Programme offers a broad range of creative clubs, from sculpture, photography to environmental art. Our co-curricular clubs are always popular amongst the student body with consistently high demand. This has allowed us to expand our offer to meet the interests of students. Working with other departments, we have successfully led STEM activities and Set-Design workshops with Drama. Clubs create an exciting opportunity for students to explore and extend their creative skills beyond the classroom.

Art lessons build on prior knowledge and always challenge.

Some examples of this developmental learning can be seen with Year 7 creating clay sculpture to promote environmental awareness, Year 8 designing eye catching and powerful pop style posters that investigate contemporary social issues, and Year 9 comparing and contrasting realism and abstraction

Our programme of visiting professional artists and designers prepare our students for higher education and give valuable insight into these rapidly evolving creative fields.

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A PALETTE OF MEDIUMS Our contemporary curriculum and teaching provision helps students be engaged, eager, creative and daring.

Students are given opportunities to experiment with a broad range of media, materials and techniques. They are guided and helped on their artistic journey by an exciting, passionate and talented team of teachers. Students benefit from the Art Department’s large, studio-style classrooms which allow them, for example, to make large scale acrylic paintings alongside their classmate’s installation project. All materials used are of excellent quality allowing students to develop strong technical control.

The course develops both traditional and contemporary skills, across a broad range of disciplines and approaches. St Dunstan’s Art embraces both fine art, craftsmanship and the latest digital technologies.

Across set projects and exercises, students will learn key skills in conceptual thinking, technique and creativity.

‘I was surprised with the wide variety of resources the art department provides us with.

This allowed me to experiment with a lot of mediums and styles’ Year 11 Student 10

DISCOVER ART I S T D U N S TA N ’ S CO L L EG E

All of our students have access to specialist facilities like a ceramics kiln, a printing press, digital photography equipment, computers and tablets equipped with industry standard software for editing and design, as well as a vast array of drawing, painting and sculpture media. Our excellent modern and contemporary art reference library encourages further research and awareness. Small class sizes, large classrooms and vast array of media, allow for flexibility and exciting mixed-media approaches. At KS3, all students complete projects in drawing, painting, sculpture, textiles and digital media. This prepares them for further possibilities at GCSE and A Level.

Students are encouraged to invest time developing their skills independently and are frequently found working in the art classrooms at lunchtimes, afterschool or during Forder time with support and guidance from our dedicated teachers when required.

‘We have opportunities such as learning to use professional cameras’ Year 8 Student

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‘What surprised me the most is the independence and individuality you can bring to the subject’ Year 12 Student

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BRIDGING THE GAP - THE RIGHT FOUNDATION At St Dunstan’s, A Level Art is designed to bridge the gap between school art and higher education. Students leave Year 13 with the confidence, skills and knowledge to succeed in further study and with a career in the arts. Modes of study and the artists and concepts explored reflect the booming art industry and diverse artistic contemporary practice.

classrooms are always available for Sixth Formers during their study periods and then outside of the school day. A Level students regularly take trips to museums and galleries to inform their learning and to be exposed to new ways of working. Teachers facilitate curatorial experiences to exhibit student work throughout the year.

The two-year study runs like a foundation course. Year 12 focuses on technique-based workshops giving students access to diverse media and ways of making. Workshops include performance art, video work, digital photography, drawing and painting, printmaking, ceramics and mixed media sculpture.

This mode of study sees students working in groups and coming together as a real team, conversing and helping each other through critiques and decision making. Students develop independence, critical thinking skills and creative flexibility to approach wider issues and learning.

With this rigorous and freeing approach to meaning making, students are then well versed to develop individual themes and ideas, to explore both theoretically and technically in their Component One Personal Investigation. Teachers are facilitators and mentors throughout this process. The

Many of our students develop art as a true passion during this course of study. We offer extensive university support by helping students develop an exciting portfolio of work and through question and essay prep. Our university and career program sees students going to UCAS events tailored to the arts, open days and meeting industry professionals.

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CREATIVE HIGHLIGHTS AT ST DUNSTAN’S COLLEGE

100% A*-B A Level Results 2021

100% 9-7 GCSE Results 2021

Permanent exhibition spaces around the College

5 Regular trips to galleries and museums throughout the year

Daily Forder Club activities, including Sculpture Club and Digital Photography

3 Large art studio classrooms with a kiln and printmaking facilities

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100% Annual Art & Design exhibition at St Dunstan’s Festival

Successful applications to Art Foundation courses

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St an s te a d Ro a d , Lo n d o n S E 6 4 T Y A co -ed u c at io na l , i n d e p e n d e nt Co l l e ge fo r a ge s 3 to 1 8 www. s t d u n s t a n s . o rg . u k 020 8516 7200 Charity number: 312747

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