Art

ART, CRAFT and DESIGN                      Edexcel          1AD0 or 1FA0

Why study Art, Craft and Design?

Art, Craft and Design develops your ability to appreciate the visual world, and helps you to respond to this world in a personal and imaginative way.  Taking GCSE Art, Craft & Design prepares you for further study at A Level, degree or foundation level and is a good foundation for a career in the Arts. If a student is considering doing both Art and Textiles GCSE they must speak to both Mrs Hartwell and Mrs Taylor before completing their options due to the significant similarity of these two subject specifications and the workload demands that both require. We recommend you have GCSE Art if you wish to pursue this at A Level. 

We encourage personal, creative and imaginative approaches and you learn how to communicate and express original ideas, feelings and meanings.  You will also develop your investigative, analytical and enquiring minds, and learn to understand past and contemporary Art, Craft and Design practice.  

How is the course organised?

In Year 10 you learn about Art processes and build on skills from Key Stage 3.  At the start of the course you will be given a starting point, such as Growth and Decay. You will explore and make images, experiment with ideas and processes, media, materials and techniques, develop critical understanding through your investigations, and develop and refine ideas and create exciting imaginative responses. 

In Year 11 you will develop your work with much more independence, utilising skills learnt earlier on in the course. You will have the option to continue with your first project, developing your ideas showing more refined skill and risk taking or you can start a new project based on a new theme.  This work will be lead to your mock examination and the final outcome for this component. 

How is it assessed?

Personal Portfolio (60%): Unit 1AD01 / 1AF01

Two units of coursework are internally set and assessed, and externally moderated.

Externally Set Assignment (40%): Unit 1AD02/ 1AF02

The ESA paper is released in January of Year 11 and consists of preparatory studies, based on the thematic starting point, followed by a ten-hour timed test under examination conditions where you will work unaided to produce personal responses.

In accordance with JCQ guidance, students cannot further revise work for their NEA after any marks have been shared.  This includes the Year 11 mock exam piece.

What are the special features of the course?

All projects begin with research and recording ideas and observations, and require you to make reference to artists and designers from a variety of periods and cultures, with the possibility of visiting artists enhancing the course. We try to enrich your learning with trips  such as going to the Oxford Museum and Botanical Gardens or London or a visiting artist’s workshop. 

You are encouraged to express yourselves in 2D and 3D.  You will be taught to develop ideas in the form of drawings, paintings, photography, sculptures and constructions, digital and mixed media pieces.  All work produced will be displayed at a special end-of-course GCSE Summer exhibition, where family and friends will get the opportunity to appreciate and view all of your hard work!

How can I find out more?

See Mrs Hartwell (Head of Art) or the Art Subject Ambassadors. Have a look at the Edexcel website where you will find the specification: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/art-and-design-2016.html 

Please note that you should probably not take Art if you are taking Textiles GCSE.  If you are considering this combination, we will want a meeting in school with parents to discuss the implications.