


The Visual Arts faculty at Prairiewood High School promotes a positive learning environment and curriculum that encourages and nurtures critical and creative thinking skills, coupled with individual and artistic expression. Encompassing a teaching faculty skilled in diverse areas, high expectations in the pursuit of student excellence are supported by a focus on strong conceptual and technical skill development to maximise outcomes for each student.
The CAPA faculty offers a wide range of subjects and courses that vary depending on which year the student is in at school.
The Visual Arts faculty offers a range of courses across Year 7-12. These include Visual Arts, Visual Design, and Photography.
Visual Arts is mandatory in Years 7 and 8, and an elective in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12.
In Year 7 or Year 8, all students study Visual Arts for three periods a week. The course comprises the practical component of artmaking, along with critical and historical studies where students are introduced to the concepts of practice, the conceptual framework and the frames. Students learn to use practical media in at least two of the 2D, 3D and 4D expressive forms.
Topics currently explored in Stage 4 include:
Students are required to keep a Visual Arts Process Diary (VAPD), to record and plan ideas as part of their artmaking practice relating to development of a Body of Work. Students are expected to include all documentation, sketches, planning, experimentation and work samples from all artmaking tasks. VAPDs must also include the completion of all classwork, including theory and literacy activities. VAPD must be neatly maintained, in sequential order, with all handouts secured neatly. VAPDs will be regularly monitored and marked.
Students will participate in Critical and Historical Studies, leading to an increase of knowledge of the art world. They will learn how to interpret and communicate concepts of the art world using specific art metalanguage.
Student evaluation comprises a series of formative and summative assessment tasks throughout the year. These assessments comprise both practical and theoretical tasks linked to the three units of work. Students will sit a formal written examination in Term 4.
Visual Arts (100 or 200 hour elective)
Photographic and Digital Media (100 hour elective)
Visual Design (100 or 200 hour elective)
Students will follow the visual arts curriculum designated to best suit them and their year level.
What will students learn about?
Our students excel when demonstrating their creative side through the visual arts. They learn about the pleasure and enjoyment of making different kinds of artworks in 2D, 3D and 4D forms. They learn to represent their ideas and interests with reference to contemporary trends and they explore how their own lives and experiences can influence their art making and critical and historical studies. They learn how painters, sculptors, architects, designers, photographers and ceramists make artworks and explore how art is shaped by different beliefs, values and meanings. They will examine artists and artworks from different times and places and the relationships between the artist, the artwork, the world and their audience.
address
203-215 Restwell Road,
Prairiewood NSW 2176
telephone 02 9725 5444
We, as the whole community of Prairiewood High School, would like to pay our respects and acknowledge the custodians of the land; the Cabrigal Clan of the Darug Nation. While we learn and share knowledge through effort we will also care and look after this great land called Australia.
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