The Gateway Learning Community
Trust (The GLC) passionately believe that every young person in our community deserves the right to an outstanding education. The GLC is a partnership of schools in Tilbury and Chadwell St. Mary that are working together with our sponsor, the Ormiston Trust, to achieve this.

As a school, The Gateway Academy has a thriving performing arts department which consistently achieves excellent results in art, photography, music, drama and dance.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

We currently deliver mastery classes in art and design to our Gateway Learning Community (GLC) primary schools and have a passion for curriculum design, delivery, and for supporting other schools. On site we have well equipped facilities for ceramics including our own firing kiln and ceramics classroom. This has inspired our educational offer.

CERAMIC TECHNIQUES WORKSHOP

This is an ideal workshop for primary or secondary schools looking to enhance their art curriculum and try something new.

Clay is an exciting material to work with in the classroom once you have the know-how. This is an excellent opportunity for teachers, who may or may not be art specialists, to refine their practical skills and enhance their creative curriculum offer.

In this single-day workshop, attendees will DESIGN and CREATE a ceramic sculpture. Workshops can be tailored to students' needs and individual abilities by using templates and differentiated approaches to this inclusive medium.

DESIGN focuses on the design and make process, allowing students to plan and create a fully formed clay sculpture, and experiment with texture and surface pattern. Teachers can link this workshop to a specific part of their curriculum topic, through architecture and sculpture.

Students will then CREATE their own sculptures, firstly sketching their ideas and then forming them in clay. They will learn about the ceramic techniques of cutting, slabbing and building. During the practical process students will stop periodically to discuss their own and others' work, in order to enhance oracy and critical thinking skills.

Once the students’ work has been fired and is returned to schools, we recommend that teachers deliver a final group critique on the work back in the classroom.

SUITABILITY

The project is suitable for students in KS2 and KS3. This workshop would also be suitable for SEND pupils as clay is a very tactile and sensory medium. We have found that our own Curriculum Plus and Building Futures students have hugely enjoyed working with this material.

DATES, LOCATION AND FORMAT

Workshops can be offered throughout the school year except for April and May, and will take place on site at The Gateway Academy, Tilbury. A maximum of 20 students can attend the sessions. A minimum of two staff must support. The staff leading the workshop will be specialist art teachers at the Gateway Academy. These staff members have successfully delivered ceramics to KS3 and KS4 students for several years. They will also be supported by an art technician.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Improved knowledge of and experience working with ceramics and ceramic equipment

• Understanding of a wider range of art/design and technology techniques such as: cutting, sculpting, building, shaping and finishing

• Improved hand-eye coordination, visual skills and fine motor skills as students develop sculpting skills

• Improved oracy skills through student critique and presentation of their work

• Improved use of technical language and key vocabulary based on the art and design curriculum

CROSS-CURRICULAR LINKS

During this workshop students will have to measure their work carefully to ensure that pieces of clay slab fit together to create the desired outcome. Therefore, students will have to practice their numeracy skills, as well as honing their design skills.

Cross-curricular links can also be made with maths, history, geography and the wider arts curriculum. Notes on this will be included in the teacher resources for further use.

TEACHER COMMITMENT AND TRAINING

Teachers must assist on workshop days, but no previous ceramics experience is necessary. Teachers will be asked to actively take part in the workshop and can create their own pieces and exemplar material.

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END?

Over the course, all students will have a finished piece which they can use to create a school display or alternatively bring home upon completion.

RESOURCES AND SUPPORT

All materials and equipment will be supplied on the day. A lunch room is also available.

COST £300