AQA GCSE

Art, Craft & Design

Key Contact: Mr Ledster

CAREER OPTIONS

Architect, Art Therapist, Artist, Animator, Photographer, Graphic Designer, Visual Merchandiser,

Tattooist, Make Up Artist, Museum Curator, Illustrator, Fashion Designer, Florist.

Students will follow a course which focuses on Art and Design in a work-related context. It is a strong foundation for further progression to Art and Design related courses such as A-level Art and Design or Fine Art and enhances vocational and career pathways.

The course provides students with a wide range of creative, exciting and stimulating opportunities to explore their interests in ways that are both personally relevant and developmental in nature.

Students develop skills in

Creativity
Imagination
Research
Investigation and experimentation
The development of ideas from first-hand study and secondary source materials.
Drawing
Mixed media
Printing
Painting
Sculpture

The course offers a broad skills base including design, graphics, 3d design, fine art and textiles which equips students to go on to creative courses in the future.

Assessment throughout the two-year course is by:

Component 1: Coursework Portfolio

96 marks

60% of GCSE

A series of sustained projects developed in response to a subject, theme, task or brief and selection of further work from the course.

Component 2: Externally Set Assignment

96 marks

40% of GCSE

The exam board will provide a separate externally set assignment for each title, each with seven different starting points. Students must select and respond to one starting point from their chosen title.

Marks are awarded across four key areas for both units:

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.

AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language.

Students are actively encouraged to work independently on their projects both at home and by attending the after school sessions.

GCSE Art and Design is suited to students who enjoy Art and want to develop their skills further.

Students will have the opportunity to be creative, realise exciting ideas and express themselves through a range of art medium. The ability to think creatively is highly valued in today's employment market.

The GCSE examination courses offered in Years 10 and 11 follows the Art, Craft and Design course, specialist areas such as painting and drawing, ceramics, textiles, graphics and digital photography.

Students are offered a wide experience of aspects of art education, including printmaking and a variety of 3D work, as well as painting and drawing.

The aim of the courses is to provide as thorough an art education as possible, with the eventual aim of gaining the highest possible GCSE grade or grades that the student is capable of achieving.