Creating an enterprise pathway
Aim
To develop pupils’ understanding of art and design in an enterprise context.
Action
Adapting the curriculum to take an enterprise approach where possible.
Impact
Pupils connect art and design to life beyond school and the world of work.
How can you modify the key stage 3 art and design curriculum to reflect a particular specialism – in this case, business and enterprise?
Pupils gain experience of working collaboratively in a team, taking on different roles, pooling ideas and expertise and designing to meet a need
As a business and enterprise specialist school, Brighouse High is always looking for opportunities to raise standards across the curriculum through its specialism. Pleased to see the potential offered by the revised programme of study to adapt the curriculum to meet local needs, the art department decided to take the opportunity to develop art, craft and design at key stage 3 in an enterprise context.
A new take on the curriculum
The new focus on enterprise demanded a major rethink of the curriculum. The art teachers spent time reviewing all the existing units of work and amending them to build in enterprise where possible. They then decided to take this a step further by reshaping three units (one in each year) as enterprise units. These explicitly develop pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding of working in enterprise and work-related contexts and have assessment criteria that relate to enterprise.
The year 7 enterprise unit, ‘Pattern in Nature’, challenges pupils to design products – from wallpaper and furnishings to a sensory garden – for a specific client. Pupils gain experience of working collaboratively in a team, taking on different roles, pooling ideas and expertise and designing to meet a need. They then hone these skills in year 8 through an architecture unit leading to work in ceramics. This unit has a particularly strong focus on meeting and working with creative professionals from the world of architecture, construction, interior design, town planning, project management and property development. Finally, in year 9 the pupils create, illustrate, market, promote and sell an A3 storybook. To extend the work, some will develop and paint large murals based on their illustrations for the dining hall, working to a commission from the school’s senior management team.
Corridors of connection
Staff feel that establishing a clear enterprise pathway through key stage 3 will support progression and provide continuity. In the words of one teacher: ‘The development of enterprise and applied learning at key stage 3 will help pupils to consider better the ways in which we learn and will create 'corridors of connection' to the world around them, the world of work and the applications of art, craft and design. It may make them more resourceful, change opinions and perhaps have an effect on their future lives.’ Fired up by the success of their approach, the department is now on the lookout for opportunities to develop new ‘live’ projects.
