Creative Design enables JCA students to engage with an evolving world through a dynamic, inclusive curriculum. It fosters creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving by encouraging students to explore ideas, develop practical skills, and produce innovative outcomes. Learners gain confidence in self-expression while considering the needs and values of others, promoting empathy and social responsibility. This approach equips students with transferable skills, such as planning, collaboration, and resilience, preparing them for real-life challenges.
Students will:
Students will:
Brief overview of thinking behind KS3 curriculum and progression learning and deepening of knowledge
Each year, students build on prior knowledge while exploring new topics, skills, and concepts across Creative Design disciplines. Progression is achieved through a three-year spiral curriculum rather than individual projects. KS3 lessons are delivered as weekly double sessions of 100 minutes, with each rotation lasting 10 weeks. In Year 7, Art is taught separately for 50 minutes per week across 39 weeks.
| YEAR 7 | YEAR 8 | YEAR 9 | |
| Art | Terms 1-3
Natural Forms Starting with some key skills development in the first few lessons. Students will go on to investigate, analyse and explore the work of artists who have focused on nature and natural forms. Students will then create pieces inspired by these artists using a range of techniques and materials. Terms 4-6 Ethnology Look at how artists and craftspeople communicate cultural heritage through the arts. Focus on Day of the Dead festival. Students explore the history and symbolism of the festival. Students will develop drawing and design skills. They will experiment with a range of techniques and materials to create 2D and/or 3D outcomes taking inspiration from the above. |
Creatures & Characters
Students will further develop their art skills through mark making, tone, shade, scale and proportion as well as how to achieve fore and background. A variety of artists will be studied such as: John Ken Mortensen and Buff Monster. Their work will develop the students creative sketching techniques using pen and brush work. Students will then model their creative creatures using clay. |
Equality, Diversity, Inclusivity, Representation.
Protest art past and present. Students will look at and respond to artworks on the themes of war, peace, and protest. They will explore Guernica and the symbolism in this famous anti-war painting. The prints of Barack Obama by Shepard Fairey will be used as a starting point for students to create their own paintings of heroes and inspirational people. |
| Textiles | Not taught in year 7 | ‘Bugs and Bees’
Students continue to learn how to use tools and equipment to make a stuffed bug, pin cushion. The theme extends the environmental impact of global warming, and they look at the demise of insects and bees. Students make drawing studies of insects using pencil and block printing. They design a pin cushion inspired by their insect studies. Theory includes the classification of fibres. |
Future fashion & Textiles
Students complete a number of tasks to develop their visual research skills, presentation skills and textile construction skills. Students experiment with designing fashions for the future, using themes such as electronic motherboards. Techniques studied include designing repeat patterns by hand and CAD. Students produce a printed piece of fabric that they can construct into a bean bag phone stand. Theory learnt includes the different forms of fabric construction: knitted/woven/non-woven. |
| Cooking and Nutrition | Introduction to Cooking and Nutrition.
Students learn how to work safely and hygienically in a food environment and develop their skills to produce a variety of dishes. Students will have the opportunity to make a minimum of six dishes. The focus in year 7 is food choice and healthy eating, following the guidelines of the ‘Eatwell Plate’. Students learn how to: use the cooker safely; weigh and measure accurately; use basic tools and equipment with confidence. |
Embedding knowledge, understanding and skills
Students develop knowledge and understanding of nutrition including macronutrients and micronutrients. Students continue develop their practical skills, to develop their confidence and independence in this area. Students will have the opportunity to make a minimum of six savoury dishes that further deepen their skills to enable them to handle high-risk foods; use equipment safely and hygienically; use a range of different preparation techniques and methods of cooking. |
Deepening understanding
Students demonstrate effective and safe cooking skills by planning, preparing, and cooking a variety of food commodities whilst using different cooking techniques and equipment. Students will have the opportunity to make six dishes that incorporate international cuisine and special diets, including vegetarianism. Dishes can be adapted to suit dietary requirements such as intolerances and religion. Topics include personal hygiene; allergies and intolerances; common types of food poisoning; temperature control; food safety hazards and contamination and reducing risks. |
| Design and Technology | Game of Combinations
Students research, plan design and make an electronic game. They learn the key aspects of the design process, design brief, specification, and product analysis. They learn basic theory of wood and wood types and structure. Using new skills, students learn about simple electronics, soldering and woodworking skills in the workshops, including health and safety. Students also look at making quality products using assembling and finishing techniques. |
Not taught in year 8 | Graphic Design
Students complete research on different typography examples. Students learn the basics of typography design. They study different chocolate bar fonts and copy one. They then design their own chocolate bar. Students are introduced to 1 point and 2-point perspective drawing as well as orthographic drawing. |
All KS4 Creative Design lessons consist of 1 double lesson and 1 single lesson per week (2 ½ hours).
| YEAR TEN | YEAR ELEVEN | |
| AQA Art Craft and Design | Skills acquisition through the themes ‘FOOD & IDENTITY’
The use of acrylics, mono-printing, inks, photography, editing, photoshop, lino cutting. Drawing skills developed and refined through observations. Research and analysis of related artists that link to the themes. Presentation in sketchbooks/boards. T5/6 students select one theme to continue and develop into a comprehensive study with final outcomes. |
September to December
Completion of Unit 1 60% Coursework Portfolio based on Food or Identity. January – Unit 2 40% Exam preparation or continue to develop and create final outcomes to enhance the coursework. |
| AQA Photography | UNIT 1 Portfolio of work (Coursework) 60%
Skills developed:
Projects studied are – Shutter speed, Portraiture and Natural forms. |
September to December
Completion of coursework portfolio through an extended project – selecting from one of the themes studied in Y10 UNIT 1 Portfolio of work – Marked out of 4 assessment objectives – 96 marks UNIT 2 Externally Set Task 40% (Term 3 in Yr 11) Choice of starting points. Pupils respond to their chosen starting point to produce a project. 10 hours of focussed time in exam conditions. Marked out of 4 assessment objectives – 96 marks |
| Hospitality and Catering WJEC | Practical every week during term time. Students demonstrate effective and safe cooking skills by planning, preparing, and cooking a variety of food commodities to include poultry, meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, cereals, vegetables, fruit, soya products, whilst using different cooking techniques and equipment.
Unit 1 theory topics include: Structure of hospitality and catering industry
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Unit 2 – Coursework module
September – March
Revision for theory exam – Unit 1 – March onwards. |
