DIGITAL AND CREATIVE STUDIES

OUR CURRICULUM

CURRICULUM VISION

Within an ever-changing and technological world, there is a need to understand the importance of Creative and Digital skills in subjects such as Digital iMedia, Art, Photography, and Music. At Walker Riverside, these subjects are driven entirely by what is best for our students.

There is a continuous reliance on creative confidence and digital proficiency in the future. With the Creative and Digital Faculty, we enhance the life and career chances of the children and young people in our care.

Our curriculum aims to provide our students with the knowledge, skills, and understanding they need to thrive in the digital world of today. To this end, we offer a curriculum that places importance on the following:

A broad and balanced approach to knowledge & application.
A sequenced and interleaved curriculum model (content taught in order to aid retention).
Identified links with expected national curriculum outcomes.
Content that is adaptable for all learners - shared high-quality lessons from subject specialists.
Links to prior and future learning to help staff understand the links between the topic they are teaching, and what pupils have been taught previously.
Reading opportunities are interspersed.
Revisit key concepts across key stages through embedded retrieval practice.

CURRICULUM INTENT

KS4 INTENT

Art and Design

The GCSE Art and Design curriculum covers 3 projects across 2 years. Students will be introduced to 2 ‘Coursework’ projects in Year 10 led by specialist staff and a final ‘Examination’ project in year 11, where students have the chance to demonstrate all the creative knowledge and skills acquired across their creative Academy journey.

Students work towards 4 main creative ‘Assessment Objectives’ focusing on project research, artist samples, Ideas development, and a final outcome each worth 25% of their final grade.

Coursework projects are worth 60% of the final GCSE grade.

Photography

The GCSE Photography curriculum covers 3 projects across 2 years, which are very similar in style and assessment to the GCSE Art and Design course except that all experiments are carried out digitally or lens-based. Students will be introduced to 2 ‘Coursework’ projects in year 10 led by specialist staff and to a final ‘Examination’ project in year 11, which will be an externally set topic, where students have the chance to digitally explore new creative skills.

Students work towards 4 main creative ‘Assessment Objectives’ focusing on project research, artist samples, Ideas development, and a final outcome each worth 25% of their final grade.

Coursework projects are worth 60% of the final GCSE grade.

iMedia

OCR Creative iMedia offers a curriculum that will provide opportunities for students to think creatively, innovatively and develop independence and confidence in the planning and development of digital media. Building on skills developed in Key Stage 3 but also in their own personal development becoming more self, culturally and globally aware.

Course components:

2 internal assessed controlled assessments
1 externally assessed exam
120 GLH - 4 lessons per fortnight in Year 10 and Year 11

In the first year of implementation R094 (Visual Identity) and R097 (Interactive Digital Media).

R094: In this unit students will learn how to develop visual identities for clients. They will learn to apply the concepts of graphic design to create original digital graphics that incorporate a visual identity to engage a target audience. Completing this unit will introduce the foundations for further study or a wide range of job roles within the media industry.

R097: In this unit students will learn to design and create interactive digital media products for chosen platforms. They will learn to select, edit and repurpose multimedia content of different kinds and create the structure and interactive elements necessary for an effective user experience. Completing this unit will provide students with the basic skills for further study or a range of creative and technical job roles within the media industry.

R093: A written exam 1 hour and 30 minutes. Worth 70 Marks. 40% of the Qualification

Specification coverage:

Topic 1 - The Media Industry
Topic 2 - Factors influencing product design
Topic 3 - Pre-production planning
Topic 4 - Distribution considerations

BTEC Media

The Level 2 BTEC Tech Award in Creative Media Production curriculum covers 2 internally assessed components completed across 2 years and an externally assessed component that students will complete in Y11. The course develops students’ ability to analyse different media products and put their understanding into practice by creating their own whilst developing a range of technical media production skills.

Internally Assessed Components 1 & 2 are worth 60% of the final grade.

Externally Assessed Component 3 is worth 40% of the final grade.

Music

This course allows learners to develop knowledge and technical skills in a practical learning environment; developing skills in performance, technology, instruments, and developing an understanding of the music industry.

The course consists of three components:

Exploring Music Production Styles
Music Skills Development
Responding to a Music Brief

Students will have two internal assessments.

TERMLY INTENT

Details of the termly intent of each term, for each of our year goups, is available in the drop-down options below.

Year 7:

Art and Design

Music

ICT

Year 8:

Art and Design

Music

ICT

Year 9:

Art and Design

Music

ICT

Year 10:

Art and Design

Photography

iMedia

Year 11:

Art and Design

Photography

BTEC Media

ICT

KNOWLEDGE ORGANISERS

Our Knowledge Organisers are 'learning mats' that have been designed to contain all of the key learning for that subject's topic. Our students will use these within their lessons but are also encouraged to use them to support their own learning, homework, and for revision.

Our Digital and Creative Arts KOs are available below; separated into year group/key stage.