Overview

A GCSE in Art & Design can lead towards many careers: from architecture to fashion design, product design, illustration and graphic design, artwork for computer games, set and costume design to TV and film production or advertising... the list is endless. A creative mindset is also a desirable if not essential attribute for any successful career. There is no written exam. You will produce coursework projects and accompanying sketch books which will be made up of at least two extended projects (this is called Portfolio of Work) and you will produce a separate project (Externally Set Assessment) based on a selection of starting points that the exam board gives you.

The course allows and encourages you to be creative, imaginative, expressive and hardworking.

Topics covered

Assessments

Component 1 - Portfolio of work worth 60% of final grade - Internally Assessed and moderated as well as externally moderated by the exam board.

Must include a sustained project evidencing the journey from initial engagement to the realisation of intentions and a selection of further work undertaken during the student’s course.

• AO1 : develop your ideas through investigation informed by artists work demonstrating analytical understanding

• AO2 : refine your ideas through experimentation and selection of appropriate resources, materials and techniques

• AO3 : Quality recording skills of ideas, observations, insights relevant to your intentions

• AO4 : Present a personal response that is thoughtful and original – demonstrate your understanding and realise your intentions

Component 2 - Externally Set Assessment (ESA) – - Internally Assessed and moderated as well as externally moderated by the exam board.

Preparatory period (January through to April) followed by 10 hours of supervised time under exam conditions. Students respond to their chosen starting point from an externally set assignment paper. Students produce artwork (sketch book/s and final outcome/s) that in turn provides evidence of all four assessment objectives.

• AO1 : develop your ideas through investigation informed by artists work demonstrating analytical understanding

• AO2 : refine your ideas through experimentation and selection of appropriate resources, materials and techniques

• AO3 : Quality recording skills of ideas, observations, insights relevant to your intentions

• AO4 : Present a personal response that is thoughtful and original – demonstrate your understanding and realise your intentions

FAQs

Do I have to be good at Art ?

• No. The most important thing is that you have to enjoy Art. Enjoy being creative, enjoy looking at the work of artists, enjoy experimenting and coming up with ideas. Secondly - not minding making mistakes - actually enjoying being able to see the possibilities in the mistakes. Finally … being prepared to work hard…. Do homework !!

• Do all of that… and you will get better at art whatever your starting point.

Do I have to have art materials of my own ?

• Yes, eventually. Part way through Yr9 before we start the first GCSE project you will have the opportunity to buy an Art Pack.

• You can of course get your own materials.

Why ?

• So that you can finish work started in class… and produce art work at home.

How much coursework is there ? Is there an exam ?

• It’s all  coursework, there is no revision, no sitting in the hall doing an exam.

• There are 2 parts:

  • Portfolio of evidence -  it is worth 60% of your final grade

  • Externally set Assessment - it is worth 40% of your final grade

What is the portfolio of evidence ?

• ’Portfolio of evidence’…. This is made up of one very thorough unit of work and a subsidiary unit. It is worth 60% of your final grade

• We cover 2 units starting with abstract/structures, beginning half way through year 9 and then we move onto an Independent project based on portraiture. 

• During the Autumn term of yr11 you will extend one of your previous projects to make one of them more developed and more thorough.  

Externally Set Assessment – what’s that ?

• The ESA is worth 40% of your final grade.

• You are given a choice of 7 starting points by the exam board (AQA) in the January of Yr11.

• You choose 1 starting point and produce a project, during lesson times and for homework.

• At the end of April you produce or finish a final outcome during 10 hours (over 2 days) in our Art rooms in ‘exam’ conditions.

How is my work marked ?

• Work is marked according to 4 assessment objectives (AO’s)

1. AO1 : develop your ideas through investigation informed by artists work demonstrating analytical understanding

2. AO2 : refine your ideas through experimentation and selection of appropriate resources, materials and techniques

3. AO3 : Quality recording skills of ideas, observations, insights relevant to your intentions

4. AO4 : Present a personal response that is thoughtful and original – demonstrate your understanding and realise your intentions

• Work is marked as a whole - all coursework projects as a collective, not individual pieces of work. We mark and moderate  your work internally, both the Portfolio of evidence and the ESA. We then send off the marks and an external moderator from the the exam board (AQA) comes and checks the accuracy of our marking.

Students can only take Art OR Art textiles OR Photography due to coursework load.