Course Overview

GCSE ART AND DESIGN (9-1) J170

Exam Board: OCR

Course Content and Skill Development:

This  course  is  about  having  an  adventurous  and  enquiring  approach  to  art  and  design,  and  developing  the  skills  to  express  it.  You  will  gain  an  understanding  of  past  and  contemporary  art  and  design  and  produce  personal  responses,  embracing  a  range  of  ideas.  You  will  also gain  a  working  knowledge  of  the  materials,  practices  and  technology  of  art  and  design.  You  will  follow a  course  that teaches  fine  art,  graphic  design,  photography  and  3D  design, and you will then select your specialism from these disciplines.

Method of Study:

You  will  be  taught  through  teacher-led  exercises,  and  independent  research  and  experimentation  in  a  range  of  media  and  processes,  including  painting,  sculpture,  printmaking,  photography  and  digital  media.  Short  projects  will  enable  you  to  build  a  portfolio  of  your  strongest  work.  You  will  be  encouraged  to  keep  a  homework  sketchbook  to  research,  record  and  experiment.  From  this  book  you  will  develop  and  realise  ideas  in  class, through presentation, planning sheets and final outcomes. 

Assessment Structure:

This is a two-component qualification: 

Component 1:   Portfolio (60%). You will be given scenarios or stimuli as starting points to develop a portfolio of work.
Component 2:   OCR Set Task (40%). You formulate a personal response to a set question, chosen from an early-release paper, followed by a ten-hour practical test. 

Opportunities Beyond Year 11:

You could go on to take an AS or A Level in Art & Design or a related subject. If you know the area of art, craft or design you want to specialise in, you could study for a National Certificate or National Diploma in Art & Design.

You may wish to do a GCSE in Art & Design for its own sake, perhaps to form the basis of a future interest. Or you might wish to go into a job where it is useful to have had experience of art, craft and design, or where you will need to use some of the skills developed during this course. Such jobs are numerous and might be in fields such as advertising, marketing, design (particularly fashion and graphics), architecture and media. There is a growing demand in the creative sector, particularly in the successful UK games industry, for employees who have a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, ART and Maths) background. Careers in the creative sector have the benefit of requiring lateral thinking and creativity, meaning skilled artists and designers will be in demand long after automation has transformed other jobs.  Whichever path you choose, the study of Art and Design can help you develop transferable skills, such as inventiveness, visual presentation and cultural awareness, which are valued in any career or field of study.