Creative Arts

Creative Arts

Nurturing creativity and talent in Art, Food, and Design Technology

Vision and Aims

At Notton House Academy, our Creative Arts Department aims to provide an environment which nurtures and actively encourages creativity and talent in Art, Food and Design. Practical work is developed through an ethos of praise and constructive dialogue between pupil and teacher, striving to develop resilience and intrinsic motivation.

Our approach embodies the school's core values of Safety, Kindness, and Respect by creating supportive creative environments where pupils feel secure to express themselves and take creative risks. We understand that many of our pupils may have experienced trauma or challenges that affect their confidence, so we focus on building self-esteem through creative achievement, celebrating individual ideas and encouraging ownership of creative work.

How We Teach Creative Arts: Pupils are exposed to a range of creative media and techniques to develop their appreciation of creativity through the generation of their own work and through the opportunity to see other creative outcomes. All pupils are encouraged to have ownership of their ideas and work, developing work with guidance from the teacher rather than instruction whenever possible. Choice is an important aspect of the curriculum and pupils are encouraged to develop work based on their own ideas where possible.

Lesson Structure: Our Creative Arts lessons follow the EPIBA model to maximise learning:

Engage - Hook pupils into creative activities with inspiring examples and techniques
Prior learning/Retrieval - Check understanding from previous creative skills and concepts
Introduce new knowledge - Present new techniques, artists, processes or design concepts clearly
Build knowledge - Develop understanding through practical exploration and skill refinement
Apply knowledge - Use learning in personal creative projects and portfolio development

Each lesson also includes reflection time and opportunities to evaluate creative work and artistic development.

Challenge and Differentiation: To ensure all pupils are appropriately challenged, we provide varied and engaging schemes of work that recognise different creative abilities and interests. Tasks are clearly labelled as "prior learning", "core learning" and "extend and challenge" to help pupils extend their knowledge beyond the standard curriculum expectations whilst celebrating individual creative expression.

Our commitment is to ensure that all pupils:

Develop creativity, resilience and intrinsic motivation through practical creative work
Experience a wide range of creative media and techniques to discover their talents
Build confidence and ownership of their creative ideas and artistic development
Understand the links between creativity and career opportunities from Year 7 onwards
Feel inspired and engaged through educational, challenging and enjoyable creative experiences

What Creative Opportunities are Available?

We provide comprehensive creative education covering Art, Food and Design:

Lower and Middle School Creativity

Educational, challenging, varied and enjoyable schemes of work
A wide range of media choices with new techniques regularly introduced
Cross-curricular links including STEM-based creative projects
Regular gallery trips and visits from professional artists and craftspeople

Arts Award Programme We offer the nationally recognised Arts Award qualification which recognises how young people develop as artists and arts leaders. Arts Award is a personal learning programme that develops both arts-related and transferable skills such as creativity, communication, planning and leadership.

Arts Award Levels Available:

Discover - Non-regulated introductory level
Explore - Entry Level Award in the Arts (Entry 3)
Bronze - Level 1 Award in the Arts (comparable to GCSE grade D-G)
Silver - Level 2 Award in the Arts (comparable to GCSE grade A*-C)
Gold - Level 3 Certificate in the Arts (A-Level standard, worth 16 UCAS points)

The Arts Award is regulated by Ofqual and awarded by Trinity College London in association with Arts Council England.

Creative Displays and Exhibitions

Regularly changing displays to raise the profile of creativity within school
Whole-school environment enhancement through creative work
Celebration of pupil achievements and creative development

GCSE Creative Arts

GCSE Art qualification available for suitable pupils
Gallery visits and guest artist workshops for GCSE pupils
Detailed information provided to Year 9 pupils about GCSE options
Focus on building portfolios and developing artistic skills

Career and Cross-Curricular Links

Connections between Art, Food, Design and career pathways were highlighted from Year 7
Links to other subject areas explored through creative projects
Understanding of creative industries and employment opportunities

All creative opportunities are designed to build confidence, encourage individual expression and develop practical skills.

How are Pupils Assessed?

Our assessment approach is designed to celebrate creative development rather than simply measure it, reflecting our trauma-informed practice and commitment to individual artistic growth.

Ongoing Assessment for Learning:

Constructive dialogue between pupil and teacher during practical work
Celebration of creative progress and individual artistic development
Focus on effort, creativity and personal expression rather than comparison with others

Progress Tracking:

Individual creative journeys are celebrated, recognising different starting points and artistic interests
Progress measured through skill development, creative confidence and portfolio building
Regular review of marking schemes and individual target setting

Creative Development Assessment:

Recognition of resilience, intrinsic motivation and creative problem-solving
Assessment of practical skills, creative thinking and artistic appreciation
Celebration of individual ownership of ideas and creative independence

Pathways and Life Opportunities

Creative Arts education at Notton House Academy develops essential creative and practical skills that open doors to various opportunities, directly supporting our mission to improve life opportunities for all pupils.

Recent Year 11 Destinations: Our pupils have successfully progressed to:

Further education courses with creative and design components
Apprenticeships in creative industries and practical trades
Employment requiring creative problem-solving and practical skills
Specialist SEMH provisions with continued creative development opportunities

Creative Arts experience develops:

Creative confidence and self-expression abilities
Practical skills and attention to detail
Problem-solving and innovative thinking

Creative skills provide pathways to:

Art, design and creative industry careers
Food technology and hospitality opportunities
Craft and making professions
Enhanced creativity and practical abilities for all future endeavours

Creative education develops confidence, self-expression and practical skills that benefit pupils throughout their lives, particularly supporting wellbeing and providing alternative ways to communicate and achieve success.

How Can You Support Your Child?

Encourage your child's creative interests and celebrate their artistic achievements. Visit galleries, museums and creative spaces together to inspire their artistic development. Provide opportunities for creative expression at home and show interest in their creative projects and ideas.

Notton House Academy is part of Midsomer Norton Schools' Partnership