OVERVIEW

We offer a broad range of opportunities for students within the 'Visual Arts'. These courses develop a student's personal and creative ideas based on independent investigations. 

• Examination board: AQA

• Course titles: GCSE Art & Design, GCSE Photography and GCSE Graphic Communication

• Each course is assessed through a portfolio (60%) and an examination unit/externally set assignment (40%).

• Units are untiered

THE DETAILS

Students explore a balanced range of materials and techniques in order to develop personal ideas and outcomes based on a theme. A range of stimuli and artist work is used to inform this process. Skills-based lessons are used to teach students a range of useful artistic skills with the intention that as the year progresses, students will become more independent and will be able to better choose the techniques that will demonstrate their main strengths. Students have the opportunity to conduct primary research by attending trips and visits to galleries or places of interest. Current projects include ‘Everyday Objects’ within which students are encouraged to personalise their outcomes by using items that represent themselves. 

ASSESSMENT

All work is assessed using four equally weighted assessment objectives:

• Developing ideas through investigating artists and analysing artwork

• Defining ideas through experimentation with different media

• Recording ideas and observations

• Presenting a personal response

These combine to give a total mark out of 96. 

• Formative assessment takes place throughout each project with feedback given in portfolio books.

• Summative assessment takes place at the end of each portfolio project and the set task unit.