Subject Title: Art & Design

Lead Teacher: Miss S Tiernan

Examining Body: AQA

Level: GCSE

Why should I study this subject?
Art & Design has a vital role to play in a world increasingly reliant on visual communication. Students of all standards and capabilities are involved in activities which promote such essential skills as the ability to record and describe the appearance of things accurately and with sensitivity; to analyse and compare the structure and appearance of the natural and manmade world; to convey factual information through images and to express ideas that have personal meaning.

Young people’s involvement in the making of images and artefacts is important in developing their abilities to criticise and appraise things that are an important part of the social and cultural environment.

What use will a qualification in this subject be to me when I leave school?

• Art improves skills in many areas, especially observation, coordination and presentation.
• For students considering further education, a GCSE in Art counts equally with other subjects.
• Many people pursue careers in the visual arts. Such a career is possible with commitment and hard work and many Art students pursue the following careers or paths of advanced study: Graphic Design, Furniture Design, Set Design, Art Teacher, Fashion Design, Textiles Design, Illustrator, Graphic Design in Advertising, Museum/Art Gallery Curator, Costume Design for film and TV.

How will this subject be taught and what will be expected from me?
You will draw, paint and produce work using a variety of craft skills including sculpture, printmaking, textiles and computer-aided design, as well as researching and writing about the work of artists.

Important aspects of each unit are to demonstrate an understanding of process based work and sensitivity when dealing with different media. Homework is set regularly and forms an essential part of the coursework and examination preparation.

How will the work be marked and assessed?
GCSE Art & Design is made up of two parts which together give you your GCSE grade.
Coursework – between two and four units of work must be submitted and will involve Fine Art (Drawing and Painting), 3D Design and other craft skills, as well as some History of Art and ICT, worth 60% of the total.
Controlled Test – the examination board will provide a question paper and you must respond to one starting point on it. You will be given four weeks to prepare your work and 10 hours of supervised time to produce a final piece, worth 40% of the total.
There are four assessment objectives you will need to work towards. In each part of these objectives you will need to demonstrate the highest level of ability you can achieve.