Art and Photography

 Staff

The Art Department has 3 full members of staff.  Mr Jessop is Head of Department.  Miss Foy and Mrs Banks are full time members of staff.  Each member of staff teaches from S1 to S6.

BGE Art and Design

In the BGE, students who take Art and Design are learning the practical and theoretical skills they will need for SQA courses they will take in S4.  They will learn key drawing, painting, ceramic and printmaking skills they will use for National 4 and 5 but also the key visual elements they will need to know for the written paper in S4.  Each term, students will learn about artists and designers, and they will analyse their work using terms, vocabulary, and the point, explain and evaluate exam technique they will use in S4.

BGE Photography and Fashion and Textiles

In S3, students also have the opportunity to take an NPA award in Photography as well as a National 4 in Fashion and Textiles.  Both are introductory courses and give the chance for students to learn new practical and theoretical skills.  They are portfolio-based courses where students will research, develop and produce a final piece on topics outlined in the course.

Senior Phase

In S4-S6 students undertake National 3 to 5 Art and Design courses which lead on to the Higher and Advanced Higher courses.  All these courses are portfolio based and encompass an Expressive portfolio (traditional drawing and painting) as well as a Design portfolio (graphics and ceramics).  As well as this, students will do a written exam where they will show their knowledge of artists and designers as well as commenting on artwork they have never seen before.

We also run a Higher Photography course where students build a portfolio of photographs based on a topic that is discussed with their teacher.  The course means that students must research, develop and write critically about the photographs they have taken.

Useful links

National 5 Art and Design www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/47388.html

Higher Art and Design www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/47892.html

Advanced Higher Art and Design www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/48495.html

Higher Photography www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/47896.html

Extra-Curricular

The Art Department run trips and visits every year and have visited Edinburgh Printmakers, Perth Museum, Jupiter Artland events and the Victoria and Albert Museum in Dundee.  We also enter students’ work into local and national competitions where we have been very successful.  We run many lunch and after school activities, as well as holding an Art exhibition of Senior Phase work.

Recent successes and department development

The Art department implemented NPA level 5 Drawing qualification into 3rd year course this academic year. If students pass all assessment criteria, they will gain a level 5 qualification which will help boost attainment for students and department.

Implementation of a BGE learning ladder with visual benchmarks of level 2, 3, and 4 outcomes across all Art classrooms has helped students know standards of each level. Additionally, implementation of self-assessment grid for BGE students helps students assess their own work to national standards and helps them to realise the next steps required to attain next level.

The Art department helps students’ wellbeing by putting on 3 study support sessions a week for S4-S6 students. This gives them the chance to have more personalised support to ease the pressure of SQA deadlines.

The Art exhibition was very successful. Students in 3rd year displayed their Perth Museum posters and we also displayed senior phase work as well.

Visit to Rachel Maclean’s exhibition in Perth city centre for S4-S6 students was successful. The visit was tailored so that the students analysed Maclean’s work in terms of the visual elements (the artistic vocabulary used to describe artwork). This was extremely helpful as this helped H and AH students with their written paper exam and critical essay.

Rosie O’ Faherty won a runner up prize for the best BGE artwork in Perth as part of the Rotary Young Artist Competition held in The Ferguson Gallery. Her picture appeared in the Perth Courier local paper.

Introduction of NPA Photography in 3rd year has been successful. 83% of students who undertook the course, gained the full level 4 award. This course has helped to increase attainment for students as well as giving them an introduction into Photography which is now an option at Higher level.

Art packs were bought for students helping reduce the cost, ensuring all students have access to the same equipment and materials.

N5 Art and Design 2022 attainment for was extremely positive. The average result for students who took Art was an 'A' compared to a 'B' in the other subjects they undertook.