Summer CPD Art Teachers Conference on Architecture

The One Day Summer Conference this year was a valuable opportunity for teachers to spend the whole day working with David Scott who was Head of Art at Hardenhuish School for many years and has also taught Art and Design in the United States. He is currently working as an architect in public and private practice with numerous examples of his work available to see in Wiltshire. David is principal moderator for Eduqas - GCSE level in Art & Design.

The course was designed to enable teachers to explore fundamental concepts of form, space and light in three dimensions using simple, accessible materials (card, papers, fabrics, wire, fibres, meshes, acetate etc), in an experimental and developmental manner. These concepts have application, not only in architecture, but across the arts and the tasks undertaken are relevant across the disciplines.

 A selection of initial tasks encouraged teachers to work quickly and instinctively, reviewing and reflecting on each other’s work.

 A selection of more substantial tasks encouraged teachers to explore further concepts of pattern, texture, structure, transparency and depth and develop more individual work.

The tasks were accompanied by examples of students’ work, which reference examples of relevant architecture and included suggestions of progression and development in architecture and other disciplines.

The examples of students’ work spanned Key Stages 3-5 through differentiation.

The presentation included discussion of units of GCSE work with a specific focus on architecture.

This conference sponsored by TAS Wessex Area gave teachers the confidence to discuss a range of contemporary arts and crafts, jobs, and degree courses. They learned skills that increase pupil understanding of the art world.

TAS Wessex Area value legacy as one of the outcomes of our funding so this conference gave teachers access to individual outcomes can be used as classroom resources in their own right.  Also, the breadth of tasks available for study provided teachers with a wide range of ideas for project work, each with its own contextual references and exemplars of students’ work; a plethora of resources and ideas to deepen the students’ three-dimensional understanding.

Teachers will also learn about a range of useful strategies to make their teaching more effective with possible outcomes developed from the understanding of concepts and formal qualities.

To cement these activities teachers and support future lesson planning and development were provided with the PowerPoint to aid classroom teaching and they all received a bag of relevant art materials sponsored by Dryad/Specialist Crafts.