GCSE Art and Design

Exam Board: Edexcel

This exciting and fast paced course is designed to allow you to explore a wide range of skills, processes and techniques within the widest scope of Art and Design. You will also investigate the work of artists, crafts people and illustrators as you begin to create a more independent and personal body of work. This is a fantastic course if you enjoy creating art work, want to develop your skills and are a hardworking and self-motivated person.

Course break down:

• In Year 9 you will deepen your understanding of types of art specifically researching into specialist techniques to explore and understand a range of practices such as 2D drawing and painting skills; researching and responding to an artist; photography skills; as well as learning mixed media techniques. You will also begin to examine how to present work effectively and how to write eloquently about others’ and your own art work.
• In Year 10 you will begin the coursework which would be submitted for your GCSE. The overall theme is selected to be broad and allow personalised sub themes and interpretations. You will build on the skills learned in Year 9 focusing on your areas of strengths but still including workshops skills in drawing, painting, photography, and mixed media as well as artist research, responses and developmental studies.
• In Year 11 you will continue your body of work from Year 10. You will develop your ideas to create independent, personal work. In order to gain examination experience you will complete a 10 hour mock exam and produce a final outcome. This will count towards 60% of your final coursework grade.

• Year 11 Externally Set Assignment: This project, which is worth 40%, is directed by the examination board but will be similar, in structure, to the sketchbook completed in Year 10 and 11. At the end of this, you will produce a final piece in examination conditions, you are given 10 hours for this assessment.

Assessment

60% coursework, 40% examination. Both coursework and exam work will be assessed through the Edexcel board’s assessment criteria over four key assessment objectives: recording, experimenting, developing and producing an outcome.

Where can it lead?

Possible career paths include: artist, graphic designer, illustrator, print maker, art gallery manager, art teacher, art therapist, interior designer, stylist, fashion designer, museum curator, art director, film and video editor, graphic designer, marketing manager, animator and web designer.

You will develop a range of transferable skills including creativity, confidence, independence, project management, teamwork, communication and independent research.

Find out where studies in Art and Design can take you on Unifrog:

Fine Art Subject Profile

Graphic Design Subject Profile