Course Outline:
The GCSE Art, Craft and Design course is for pupils who enjoy creative work and who wish to develop their visual language skills, using them to explore and express their creative ideas. The course is largely practical and includes recording from observation through drawing and taking photographs, investigating and developing visual ideas by experimenting with different processes and techniques and making artwork in a range of two and three-dimensional media. To support and inspire their practical work, pupils will research and analyse the work of artists, both historical and contemporary, gaining a broader understanding of the significance of Art, Craft and Design in society. During the course, pupils will be taken to visit galleries to view and respond to original artworks first hand.
In addition to the practical element, the Art, Craft and Design course encourages the development of a range of valuable personal attributes and study skills, including the ability to conduct independent research, to critically reflect on their own work, to be self-motivated and well-organised and to exercise critical and analytical thinking.
| Head of Department | Miss A M Healy BA (Hons), PGCE (Luton) |
| Subject Lead in Art | Mrs S Applegate BA (Hons), MA, PGCE (Herts) |
| Syllabus | GCSE C650QS Art, Craft and Design (9-1) |
You will complete a number of practical projects over the first four terms of the course, covering a range of themes, styles and media, and building up your personal portfolio with sketchbooks and completed pieces of artwork.
All work completed in class and for prep contributes marks towards this component and must be kept safely for final assessment at the end of the course.
Gallery visits take place during the first and fourth terms.
In this unit, you will be given a choice of fifteen starting points by the examination board, which is open to broad personal interpretation.
You will produce a body of “examination preparation” work over approximately one term, investigating visual ideas and exploring and developing them in different media.
You will be working towards a resolved idea for a final piece of artwork, which you will complete over two days in a formal examination.
Both the preparation work and the final piece contribute marks towards this component.
A gallery visit to London takes place at the start of this project.
Assessment:
Coursework Unit 1 60%
Examination Unit 2 40%
All work is internally assessed and externally moderated.
The UK creative sector has approx. 1.5 million jobs and is one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy. UK artistic talent and expertise are sought worldwide.
This GCSE offers essential preparation for many of these roles, and is a pathway to A Level Art, Craft and Design and higher education.
A GCSE art portfolio evidences your ability to pursue a two-year course of study, covering different assignments and culminating in a diverse range of work. Skills and attributes gained through this GCSE course are well-recognised by universities and employers.
