Subject Intent

The Art, Craft and Design department team has created a broad, creative curriculum for students at Holyhead to study. The experience covers personal expression, cultural understanding and creative responses to our world. Art, craft and design is a vital part of our Teach What Matters mission as it develops the character of our students through practical experiences, working independently and collaboratively. We do this by teaching students to become visually literate so they are able to read, interpret and find meaning in signs, symbols, codes and conventions, exploring and re-shaping them in their own artwork. Visual literacy skills are essential for children to learn, especially in today's climate of constant change and development in technology. Art supports all the other subjects at Holyhead and builds crucial life skills. Art also supports students with their mental health in terms of relocation and creative expression. In addition to understanding our world through dual coding, drawing can be an essential element of this. Useful for revising or learning to break down larger chunks of knowledge.

What are the key skills of an artist or designer?

• Art nurtures an intellectual curiosity and contributes to intellectual development, practical knowledge and emotional intelligence.
• Art enables us to engage with and understand the world, to explore our relationship with it, to think about it, to express ideas about it.
• Art fosters aesthetic awareness, artistic abilities, understanding and practical skills.
• An ability to contribute to our visual literacy so we are able to read, interpret and construct meaning from the environment and in works of art.
• To learn from the past and engage with contemporary practice and current issues.
• An ability to anticipate the future and deal with change.
• Embody cultural values and develop our personal and social skills exploring and understanding a wider range of issues including how to embrace our own wellbeing and develop skills to take care of our own mental health.
• To be prepared for work and leisure in the 21st century. Including skills such as problem solving, making career choices and lifelong learning.