Art teacher Sally Rees on the joys of learning art at our online school
Online art lessons turn out to be a joyful and rewarding experience for both students and teachers at Wendover Online School! Far from it being difficult to study such a practical subject online, Art Teacher Sally Rees explains how much students enjoy learning GCSE and A-level art as part of their online education.
Getting my hands dirty with clay!
“I’ve just finished an A-level taster lesson in clay,” beams Sally, energised by an hour with a current GCSE Art student who would like to take the subject further. They’ve both been working on their own pottery designs, following Sally’s spoken and visual instructions.
“This sort of art class actually works brilliantly online, because our cameras allow us to see exactly what is happening and I can give instant help and feedback. My student thoroughly enjoyed the taster, so I’m hoping she’ll join us for an online Art A level in September!”
Art supplies for online art lessons
Traditional art rooms in school have supplies at hand, so how does this work online? It’s easy, says Sally. “We are thorough in our lesson planning and send full lists including links to suppliers so that our students can source art supplies well in advance. Primary students need more basic supplies, but even young artists benefit from having the right drawing pencil and good watercolours.”
The same applies to art lessons at all levels – for the pottery A-level art taster lesson, Sally simply specified the material and tools needed, so teacher and pupil could work together. There’s none of the fighting over materials that can happen in larger classrooms at bricks and mortar schools, and students can use their materials to continue their artwork at home whenever inspiration grabs them.
Inspirational art teachers
Like all our teachers, Sally Rees is passionate about her subject. She has a BA in Textiles Design, an MA in Jewellery Design, and is an experienced Head of Art at an Outer London high school. Sally set up the GCSE and A-Level Art programmes at Wendover and finds immense fulfilment in helping students develop their passion and talent for art.
“I especially love teaching art online, as it gives me more flexibility to focus on each student. We really see our students developing their artistic skills quickly, and they are much more confident to try new things in these small groups. It’s a great way to learn art!”
A full art curriculum
The art curriculum at Wendover spans all age groups, with Primary and Key Stage 3 students having one 40-minute lesson a week, increasing to three 40-minute lessons for Key Stage 4 and four hours for A-level art.
At each level, Wendover’s small class sizes mean that Sally can tailor her lessons to the abilities and interests of her students. For example, her current Primary class of 5 children are quite advanced, so Sally has taught them some more advanced Year 7 techniques.
Art teachers at Wendover make full use of available digital tools alongside online resources to explore areas such as colour composition and theory, famous artists and techniques. They are able to enrich the curriculum to explore areas of interest to individual students, so helping develop each individual’s artistic passion and talent.
Taking art exams at an online school
As with other examinations, online art students take their formal practical assessments at an examination centre. They supply all their own materials and take the exams (as they would at a normal school) over the course of two days. Sally works with the online assessment tutor and helps ensure that Wendover students are well organised in advance and well prepared to do their best.
Art Lessons enhancing life
As an art teacher, Sally values the sense of quiet enjoyment that comes from online art lessons. “We create a calm environment which encourages students to explore and experiment. I see pupils come out of their shells in art lessons: recently a student who was severely lacking in confidence in their subjects really blossomed as we went along, and we were all super proud of their achievements!”
Student artwork is shared with their online groups for constructive feedback, and with their Heads of Year, who will often feature sample work in school assemblies. There is plenty of opportunity for individual students to enjoy pride in their work and share ideas with others.
Clearly, Sally loves her job as an online art teacher, and parents are full of praise for how she helps her students develop. If you would like to find out more about GCSE and A-level Art lessons online, please get in touch via email at enquiries@wendoverschool.com or by phone on 01604 213 477.
