KS3 Art and Design Report Comments (Years 7-9)

Art and design covers recording observations in a sketchbook, exploring media and techniques, researching and responding to artists, designers and craftspeople, developing and refining ideas, presenting a personal final outcome, and using the formal elements to analyse work.

Below are 13 sample sentences for KS3 (Years 7-9): two strengths and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Excellent / Good / Developing / Needs support), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 288 art and design sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.

Jump to: Excellent · Good · Developing · Needs support · Writing tips

Student name Pronouns

Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Excellent E

Strengths

In homework research tasks, [Name] goes well beyond the brief, presenting detailed and perceptive studies of artists and art movements.
Sketchbook pages show [Name] recording ideas in many ways, combining detailed drawing, photography and thoughtful annotation.

Next step

To build on strong foundations, [Name] could experiment with tints, shades and tones in paint to achieve more subtle colour harmonies.

Good G

Strengths

Homework research on artists is well presented, with [Name] including relevant images and clear comments on style and technique.
[Name] is able to choose suitable materials for a task, and [his/her/their] brushwork and blending are generally smooth and controlled.

Next step

Using the knowledge organiser to learn key art terms will help [Name] write clearer evaluations of [his/her/their] own projects.

Developing D

Strengths

Homework projects on artists show [Name] collecting suitable images, and [his/her/their] written comments are growing in detail.
Sketchbook work by [Name] includes some careful studies, and the basics of recording ideas are in place.

Next step

A useful step is to practise colour mixing in the sketchbook, painting a simple chart of tints and shades from one colour.

Needs support N

Strengths

Working alongside the teacher, [Name] can point to the primary colours on the colour wheel and is beginning to mix secondary colours.
First steps in sketchbook work are in place, with [Name] adding drawings and short labels when given a checklist.

Next step

With the knowledge organiser beside [him/her/them], [Name] could learn two new art words each week and use them when describing work.

Support at home

Asking your child to tell you about the artist they are studying, and what they think of the work, helps fix new knowledge and vocabulary.

How to write art and design comments for KS3 (Years 7-9)

Name the formal element and the medium: building tone with pencil, mixing secondary colours in paint or creating texture in clay. This gives a younger student a technique to practise rather than a verdict on talent.
Describe how the student responds to an artist: copying a style closely, or taking an idea and making it their own. A next step can be annotating what they borrowed from the artist and why.
Mention observational drawing habits, such as looking more than drawing or checking proportions. Families can support this simply, with the student drawing an object from home for ten minutes.

Watch out: Avoid describing work as simply beautiful, neat or messy. Name the decisions and skills behind it, such as controlled shading or a bold composition, so the comment rewards learning rather than taste.

The four levels describe how secure, accurate and independent the learning is, never a grade. Excellent suits precise, perceptive work that applies ideas to unfamiliar contexts; Good suits usually accurate with occasional guidance; Developing suits sometimes, or with a worked example; Needs support names what is emerging and the help that works. Show the level through the work rather than writing the level word.

What Art and Design covers

In these comments, art and design covers these behaviours:

records observations and ideas through drawing and annotation in a sketchbook
explores and experiments with a range of media, materials, techniques and processes
researches and responds to the work of artists, designers and craftspeople
develops and refines ideas through experimentation and review
presents a personal, meaningful final outcome
uses the formal elements and art vocabulary to analyse and evaluate work

More UK secondary subjects comments

How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.