Art & Design

Art and Design equips students with the skills to enjoy, produce and engage with the visual arts throughout their lives, and it has immense value as a GCSE subject.

GCSE Art and Design provides the opportunity for students to explore both contemporary and historical sources of art, craft and design first-hand through, for example: 

- visiting museums, galleries, art shows and fairs,

- experiencing audio-visual productions, including still and moving imagery their surroundings and environments.

- take an individual approach to their art, craft and design making

- develop the skill of selecting their best and most appropriate work for presentation.

Develops transferable skills – students will learn to:

- apply a creative approach to problem solving

- consider and develop original ideas from initiation to realisation

- analyse critically their own work and the work of others 

- express individual thoughts and choices confidently

- take risks, experiment and learn from mistakes.

Knowledge and understanding - Students will be required to know and understand:

- how sources inspire the development of ideas,

- the work and approaches of artists, crafts people or designers from contemporary and/or historical contexts, periods, societies and cultures

- contemporary and/or historical environments, situations or issues using the formal elements colour line, form, tone, texture

Skills - Students will be required to demonstrate the ability to:

- develop their ideas through investigations informed by selecting and critically analysing sources

- apply an understanding of relevant practices in the creative and cultural industries to their work

- refine their ideas as work progresses through experimenting with media, materials, techniques and processes

- record their ideas, observations, insights and independent judgements, visually and through written annotation, using appropriate specialist vocabulary, as work progresses

- use visual language critically as appropriate to their own creative intentions and chosen     area(s) of study through effective and safe use of: Media, materials, techniques, processes, technologies

Annotation—Students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to record their ideas, observations, insights and independent judgements visually and through informative written annotation, using suitable specialist vocabulary. Written annotation should be purposeful, not descriptive.

Assessment

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

Course structure - Students can expect a range of media explored including ceramics, painting, drawing and printing over the two years. The course is divided into two projects, the first as an introduction and a foundation to design GCSE, encouraging students to develop their sketchbook skills called Cultural maps for just over a term. This prepares students for the advance unit ‘Natural forms’ which includes drawing from observation, a visit to Kew gardens and exploratory work in Clay, painting and printing, for two terms. They then complete the Exam unit in an unseen topic at the start of February in Year 11.

Projects for coursework:

Students are expected to complete 2 pages a week during lessons and finish it for homework during term time only, with catch-up weeks at the end of each unit of work if they need it.

Personal portfolio 60% (45 weeks):

Part 1—Cultural maps (15 weeks)- is designed to explore sketchbook skills with experimentation on a chosen country including images for colour, texture and interests. There chosen country is divided in to 12 subtopics which could include population, towns and cities, animals etc. The project culminates in a painting/collage created by editing some of the images together to make a final piece.

Part 2 - Natural Forms project (26 weeks) – is designed to look at nature through three disciplines: painting and drawing from observation, ceramics and printing. We encourage students to go out and to have a look at the world around them and explore observational drawing. From the start of the project, they are asked to create links between the media as the project develops. Students are encouraged to find their own creative paths in disciplines and also prepare for advanced level course of A-level art/textiles /photography and BTECs in Art based subjects. 

Visits - to support their learning and develop context to making. Students are taken on two visits with their teachers to the Tate Modern in the Exam unit and Kew Gardens to see the Marianne North exhibition and botanical gardens at Kew in Natural forms project.

The externally set assignment 40 % (10 weeks): is set by the exam board EDEXCEL who devises a topic title and students are given roughly 10 weeks to explore this idea and come up with a outcome or final piece, which is realised in 10 hour timed tests.

Don’t worry! All students who want to study art are welcome and are encourage to find their own path in this subject, the skills you have now are no different to previous years who went on to become some of the most creative minds working in the field of fashion design, graphics, architecture, fine art, photography, make-up and film, 3-D design, Textiles, English, science, teaching, blog creators, interior design and painting.

See Ms Cummings for more information.