An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department of Education and Science
Subject Inspection of Art
REPORT
Saint Dominic’s Secondary School
Ballyfermot, Dublin 10
Roll number: 60720A
Date of inspection: 27 November, 2007
Subject provision and whole school support
Summary of main findings and recommendations
Report on the Quality of Learning and Teaching in Art
Subject inspection report
This report has been written following a subject inspection in St Dominic’s Secondary School, Ballyfermot. It presents the findings of an evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning in Art and makes recommendations for the further development of the teaching of this subject in the school. The evaluation was conducted over one day during which the inspector visited classrooms and observed teaching and learning. The inspector interacted with students and teachers, examined students’ work, and had discussions with the teachers. The inspector reviewed school planning documentation and teachers’ written preparation. Following the evaluation visit, the inspector provided oral feedback on the outcomes of the evaluation to the principal and subject teachers.
Subject provision and whole school support
The art department provides artistic education for a good proportion of the school’s population and management is both aware and appreciative of the large and effective contribution it makes to the personal and academic development of the students, and to the life of the school. The subject is well catered for in terms of space and budget.
There are two temporary whole-time teachers employed. There are two art rooms, one with a kiln, which is accommodated in the former chapel of the Dominican Community. These two rooms are in different parts of the school. Nonetheless, there is a sense of a cohesive art department through collaboration and co-operation between the personnel involved in bringing the art and design programmes to the students.
Good conditions prevail in the art department. Management, when resources and opportunity allow, should seek to further enhance the work being executed there by further developing ICT and promoting its integration into teaching and learning of art and design. Support studies in junior cycle and the delivery of classes particularly in the history and appreciation of art in senior cycle should also be supported by management. Self-directed learning by students in these areas would be enhanced by increased use of computers.
Students’ work is displayed throughout the public areas of the school and is a good indication of the art department’s high profile in the whole-school context.
Planning and preparation
The two art teachers collaborate as joint co-ordinators of art and design. A documented plan has been developed for the subject. Useful though it is, it needs to be developed further. The current planning document is a good foundation for an elaborated development which has a fuller breadth and balance of learning activities accommodated within it.
In this plan topics recur from year to year. This is to facilitate students whose learning style needs reinforcement and review, and is a good strategy to accommodate their learning needs. However students of higher aptitude and motivation should be given greater variety and an incrementally increasing challenge from year to year.
A further development of the current planning document would be that learning aims and desired student outcomes should be added to all the planned activities, and that these be differentiated for students of high aptitude and motivation and for their peers who might be challenged by the work and lack motivation as a result. As the class groupings are mixed ability, some planning for differentiated learning could valuably be integrated into the documentation. Information related to differentiation teaching techniques is available on the NCCA website www.ncca.ie
Learning aims and student outcomes should be made the basis of assessment for learning during the school year. By attending to the learning outcomes aspects of planning, the current and good approaches to course delivery will be enhanced. More use should also be made of primary sources in planning.
Teaching and learning
Pupil-teacher relations were relaxed and cordial, and work in all classes proceeded effectively, making optimum use of time and opportunities for learning.
Artefacts on display and stored in portfolios demonstrate that students have opportunities to develop skills in varied media and crafts, and that the approach to basic skills in drawing and composition is good in the art department of St Dominic’s.
Transition Year (TY) students worked from art books as a source of ideas and inspiration on the day of the inspection. These books have been quite recently acquired by the school and represent a new opportunity for students to appreciate art. It is recommended that, where funds permit, these books be added to year by year. TY had recently completed a block of drawing classes. It is important that TY work extends beyond the standard classroom experiences, and some efforts have commendably been made to ensure that this was the case. The school is enviably close to the galleries and museums of the capital, and despite the difficulties of co-ordinating visits, some use is made of these. The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) is located close by in Kilmainham, and it is recommended that the art department contact the education facility there to see how it could provide TY and Leaving Certificate programmes with an input to their courses. Links could perhaps be developed that allow IMMA artists-in-residence to give short PowerPoint presentations on their work to students. Also close by is the Memorial Garden designed by Edwin Lutchens for the Irish soldiers who fell in The Great War (1914-18), and this might valuably be used as a resource for the art department. A visit to the Botanic gardens has been a source of a drawing project for some senior cycle students and represents very good art education practice. Building on what has been achieved should now be a priority for art and design in St. Dominic’s. Part of this should be a drive to raise student aspirations, both for self-development through art and design and in aiming to achieve higher grades in the state examinations.
Some reproductions of art and design artefacts were displayed in the classrooms. This practice is very helpful to the process of introducing different visual approaches and styles to the students and should be increased and incorporated into teaching and learning at all levels, to enrich the practical components of the courses. The use of reproductions could also be developed through computer mediated CD-ROMs and by presenting art history and appreciation, and support studies using a multi-media projector. These ICT tools afford more variety, with greater ease. It is recommended that the art department plan to include more ICT mediated presentations in the current and future academic years.
Many of the more highly motivated and high aptitude students are able to produce individualistic and creative artefacts, with less reliance on what is conventional or formulaic. Aims and objectives should be formulated in the medium-term to promote enhanced personal engagement with projects by all the students, but particularly for those who have good aptitudes for art and design and are motivated to work independently.
There is evidence that the development of good basic skills in drawing and in art elements is given due importance in the teaching and learning process. A further development or elaboration of the good work that goes into this would be that first and second years should be shown how to use “Paint” type computer programmes, with a view to getting them to reiterate topics such as line, shape and texture. Programmes such as these should be delivered in class sessions and through homework assignments using conventional art materials and digital formats. Lessons using IT approaches should be delivered on a regular enough basis to allow the students to become comfortable with art and design on computers, and to assist them to become fully fluent with this media.
The art rooms’ spaces are well appointed and organised effectively, and are put to advantageous use for students’ learning activities. Storage of the materials, tools and students’ current and portfolio work is ordered and efficient. High standards of cleanliness are apparent, and rooms are laudably dust free, particularly in relation to pottery clay dust and ceramic dust.
Key basic art vocabulary was displayed on posters in the art rooms. This is good practice. It is recommended that teaching and learning of vocabulary and technical language particular to the history and appreciation of art be developed through this method. New words used should be added daily to the list and frequent review of these should be undertaken to ensure that students who might find this aspect of the Leaving Certificate challenging become practised with the language and concepts involved.
During the inspection, different classes of students were seen learning pottery, painting, and life drawing, and, in the case of third years, continuing work on their Junior Certificate project. In all these classes, instruction techniques were good and students received individual attention. First years were well-managed in their practical pottery class and achieved a level of skill appropriate to their experience of this craft. The classrooms were all well organised and the pace of the classes were good. There is good natural light in the classrooms and space for lots of display, all of which add to the learning conditions for visual art.
Encouraging students to engage with art and design in general has a beneficial effect on the specifics of students’ coursework, and can be motivating for students whether or not their natural aptitudes lie in visual arts. Ways of developing the specific interests of individuals are now easier than ever before due to the ease with which art, design and architecture material can be accessed on the World Wide Web. In the near future time and thought could usefully be given to the enrichment of students’ engagement with the visual arts.
Third year project work was well underway at the time of the inspection and it was clear in the class visited that a wide rang of ability and motivation was present amongst students in the group. This project work always presents particular problems and challenges for teaching and learning. It is important that students are directed in ways that allow them to achieve their potential. It was clear that this was receiving attention. It is recommended that enabling students who have the ability to self generate imagery and ideas should be facilitated to do so by reducing to a bare minimum, or eliminating totally, the secondary sources that are used in Junior Certificate projects.
Ways of stitching the cultural and aesthetic into the practical work on a daily basis should be further considered, explored and planned. The cultural and aesthetic aspects of learning about art and design should continue to be given a functional role in the students’ day-to-day experiences. To this end, it is recommended that a small dedicated budget be given to the art department to start buying art-postcards, posters and inexpensive picture books which can be cut up and displayed on a frequently changed basis on the classroom walls.
There were examples of students’ ceramic artefacts displayed around the art department. These were of an excellent standard, both technically and creatively. Furthermore, the glazing of these artefacts was technically accomplished, and this is evidence of very good practice in the delivery of skills instruction. There were exemplars of ceramic artefacts made by the art department personnel on display also as a teaching and learning aid and this is most commendable also. It is recommended that the art department develop its apparent strength in ceramics further, perhaps into the area of fired and glazed modelled sculptures. This could be linked with life drawing for both junior and senior cycle students, and to the appreciation of art for TY. With such strength in the area of ceramics, some new applications could be initiated and furthered with some planning.
Assessment
In the medium to long term, learning aims and objectives should be further developed and documented as part of assessment for learning in the art department. Information on assessment for learning is available on the NCCA website. Learning aims for class assignments should be communicated to the students and strategies for getting students to appraise how successful they have been in attaining these aims, in whole or in part, should be developed and tested.
Assessment criteria for TY should very consciously reflect the non-examination spirit of this course and the self-motivated and personal development aspects of it should be given due emphasis.
A combination of assessment procedures are in use in the art department including continuous assessment based on class work, and examinations. There are written examinations for the history and appreciation of art component of the Leaving Certificate programme. The students are closely observed, monitored and advised whilst working on their Junior Certificate project and Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) and TY assignments. A strong consciousness of State Examinations Commission (SEC) assessment criteria, and of the associated practical requirements, informs the work of the art department. There are systematic records of students’ during-term, end-of-term, and end-of-year assessment and examination results maintained. End-of-term and end-of-year results are communicated to parents and guardians. Regular parent-teacher meetings are held and the art department provides discussion, feedback and advice for parents at these.
Homework is set and corrected: this is desirable practice, as it reinforces learning and creates continuity between classes.
Summary of main findings and recommendations
The following are the main strengths identified in the evaluation:
- Art is valued and well supported in the school and has a good profile in the whole school context.
- There is a good learning atmosphere in the art department. Excellent pupil-teacher relationships, and a purposeful sense of work and progress is evident.
- Ceramics viewed on the day of the inspection were of a high standard.
- Efforts have been made to engage students by organising visits to galleries and museums.
- Planning has been instigated in a practical and positive way, and co-operation and support between staff is strong.
As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:
- ICT should be further developed as a tool for teaching and learning in the art department.
- Planning should be enhanced by developing aims and objectives for learning, and by attention to differentiated learning techniques.
- Further development of the strengths of the art department as outlined in the main body of this report should be undertaken through planning in the short and medium term.
Post-evaluation meetings were held with the teachers of Art and with the principal at the conclusion of the evaluation when the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.
Published June 2008