"Art and design is not just a subject to learn, but an activity that you can practice: with your hands, your eyes, your whole personality."

- Quentin Blake, Children's Laureate

The Art room is an exciting place where pupils come to experience a broad range of media and approaches. We endeavour to instil in each pupil that they can develop their skills and make individual progress and achieve personal goals.

Pupils are encouraged to develop their own ideas from a variety of sources, being inspired by artworks from a broad array of artists, styles and cultures. Work is carried out in 2D and 3D practices, creatively utilising all manner of media and processes from slab and coil pot building in a variety of clays; foam, lino and screen printing and textiles - printing, batik and weaving; drawing, painting and collage using pencils, different paints and mixed media. Pupils work on various scales, from A6 to A1 and A2, as appropriate. Personal sketchbooks are used to gather resources, to make preliminary sketches and to develop ideas. Holiday projects and competitions ensure that the high profile of the department is maintained.

Pupils are encouraged to work imaginatively and also from direct observation. Pupils play a valuable part in their own learning, discovering aspects about themselves, being ambitious, taking risks and enjoying new challenges as they play, experiment and create works of art.

Each pupil from Year 3 to 8 spend a double lesson each week (two x 35 min lessons) in the Art room being taught by the Head of Art. An Art Club takes place each Monday and Friday lunch time, pupils may finish off work or create new works of Art. Thursday activity is where passionate and committed Year 7 and 8 pupils come to develop their skills further, some of these pupils may pursue Art Scholarships to their senior school at the end of Year 8. Guidance and support is given to these pupils and they are prepared for scholarship, encouraging them to produce a sound body of work over the two years towards their portfolio.

Cross-curricular and other links are made with many departments at Ranby and our senior school, Worksop College. The Art department plays an important part in the creation of props and scenery painting for the termly drama extravaganzas. Where possible and appropriate pupils work is sometimes developed and used as props.  Art is used in many cross-curriculur activities.  In Year 3 Art and History come together in Egyptian Art.  In Year 7 Skellig (David Almond) is used to create imaginative work and in Year 4 Indian Art is covered as is the Hindu religion in Religious Studies.  Art history talks and workshops have also been welcomed by members of the Art department from Worksop College.

The Art Department at Ranby is a thriving department that is celebrated through regular displays in and around the site, as well as the exciting exhibition of pupils’ work at the end of each year with Design Technology. Every pupil from Nursery to Year 8 are given the opportunity to have at least one piece of work displayed, on purpose built display boards.

The success of the department is ensured through having achievable yet high expectations of each pupil, where the teacher shows enthusiasm and passion for the subject and a real interest in the development and progress of every pupil.

Miss A Khan, Head of Art