Art & Design
Art & Design
The fundamental essence of the Fine Art GCSE course is creativity and originality, which is an essential element in careers such as architecture, graphic design, illustration, film production design, animation, interior design, Fine Art and more. The UK’s creative industries are among the fastest growing sectors of the economy and one of our biggest exports, offering exciting opportunities for future careers. In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, the ability to think creatively and independently has never been more valuable. Even if you do not choose to pursue Art further, a GCSE in Fine Art illustrates a creative mind, which is an important aspect in all areas of academic study.
Throughout the course, you will experiment with a wide range of materials and techniques, including expressive mark-making, painting, print-making, drawing, mixed media and sculpture. Research into contemporary artists will play an important role in informing your work, as well as creating a foundation for experimentation and creative development. The entire course has three to four projects. There is an umbrella theme for the year and then you as students choose and investigate different elements of that theme. These 2-3 projects make up the Portfolio/Coursework (60% of overall mark), and the final project is the Externally Set Task/Examination Project (40% of overall mark).
In Year 10 we start working towards our overall 60%. The first project under the umbrella theme is quite structured to give you a fundamental understanding of how to put a project together. We will explore different techniques and ways of thinking in this first project. Your subject matter will be your choice.
The second project is a shorter based project which is still under the same umbrella theme but looking from an alternative view point. This project is designed to help you develop your construction of a project under tighter time constraints.
The final project of your coursework could be a development of the previous two or again a different view point under the same theme. By repeating the process with similar start points we aim to gather as much evidence as possible to fulfil the assessment criteria.
The Externally Set Task/Examination Project will begin on February 1st - the Spring Term of Year 11. It is structured in the same way as the previous projects and the assessment objectives remain the same.
The GCSE will be assessed by means of two units:
Unit 1 is the Portfolio/Coursework - 60% of the overall grade. This is compiled of all work from year 10 onwards.
Unit 2 is the Externally Set Task/Examination Project - 40% of the overall grade. At the end of this project you will be required to create a piece of work - usually the final piece - over a period of 10 hours, set across two days.
The examination board is AQA and the specification code is 8202. You can see the full specification here.
The assessment objectives are listed below:
AO1: Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources
AO2: Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes
AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses
AO3: Presenting a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language.
If you have any queries about this curriculum, please contact: Mr James Suret, Head of Art, on jxs@farlingtonschool.com