Art & Design

8200| GCSE

Overview

Vibrant and dynamic, this course will give you the freedom to learn about Art and Design in ways that inspire and take a skills based approach, whilst equipping you with the skills to continue the subject with confidence at A-level and beyond.

GCSE Art and Design provides opportunities for you to engage in a personal and independent study. This should allow you to develop a wide range of skills, and a critical understanding of art. The syllabus will encourage you to explore, through practical work as well as experience, new media and technologies alongside traditional media and processes.

GCSE Art & Design.mov

Course Content

This qualification is linear. Linear means that students will sit all their exams and submit all their non-exam assessment at the end of the course.


Students choose one or more of the titles below for study.

  1. Art, craft and design

  2. Fine art

  3. Graphic communication

  4. Textile design

  5. Three-dimensional design

  6. Photography

Assessments

Student must complete both components.


Component 1: Portfolio

A portfolio that in total shows explicit coverage of the four assessment objectives. It 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 of study.


How it's assessed

  • No time limit

  • 96 marks

  • 60% of GCSE


Component 2: Externally Set Assignment

Students respond to their chosen starting point from an externally set assignment paper relating to their subject title, evidencing coverage of all four assessment objectives.

How it's assessed

  • Preparatory period followed by 10 hours of supervised time

  • 96 marks

  • 40% of GCSE

Progression

The combination of knowledge and skills in GCSE Art & Design gives learners a solid foundation for further study and future employment. Candidates who achieve grades A* to C are well prepared to follow a wide range of courses including A Level Art & Design.

If you don’t want to take your art and design studies any further, the transferable skills you gain will still be valuable. You’ll develop problem solving, creative thinking, investigation, research, communication and teamwork skills, and gain the ability to develop, refine and present ideas. Employers and universities regard all of these highly.


Art and design opens the door to lots of exciting careers such as:

• Fashion design • Graphic design • Theatre designer • Animator • Video game designer • Illustrator • Museum curator • Photographer • Architecture • Product design • Textiles design • Ceramics • Advertising • Publishing • Interior design • Fashion and media journalism • Hair and make-up design • Retail design • Exhibition design • Jewellery design • Artist • Visual media • Teaching

New technologies are creating a whole new range of courses where art is being used in innovative ways.

More information and practitioner case studies

AQA-GCSE-ART-STUDENT-GUIDE.pdf