GCSE Art and Design
Edexcel GCSE Art and Design Unendorsed - this course enables students to explore a variety of approaches to art and design without limiting the media, processes and techniques they can use.
This course aims to |
- Encourage you to develop as a visually creative individual.
- Support you in developing your strengths and interests in and through Art and Design.
- Enable you to develop your skills, knowledge, understanding and ideas within Art and Design.
- Teach you how to develop a range of drawing techniques so you are able to communicate developing ideas clearly.
- Offer you opportunities to explore areas of personal interest and to direct your own learning.
- Develop your visual language skills in two and/or three-dimensions.
- Help you build a comprehensive portfolio of work to progress to further study in Art and Design.
- Introduce you to a wide range of artists, craftspeople and designers so that you are able to learn from the work of others and build analytical skills.
- Offer opportunities to experiment with different media, processes and techniques in order to extend your strengths and preferences.
Why study GCSE Art and Design? |
GCSE Art and Design Unendorsed offers you opportunities to express what you see, think, feel, imagine and believe, using visual language. The course aims to identify your strengths and to expand and challenge them whilst developing your skills and concepts. It is a great course for students who enjoy using a variety of 2D and 3D media. The course enables students to expand and deepen their own strengths and interests by scaffolding and nurturing increasingly self-directed approaches to learning.
Students are encouraged to take ownership of their ideas developing them from a range of starting points, which allows them to respond in a personal and meaningful way. Students will be introduced to suitable strategies and structures to ensure an effective personal learning process meets the assessment criteria. Students interested in various areas of Art and Design: fine art, graphics, photography, sculpture, ceramics etc. will have opportunities to explore these through a range of processes, techniques and materials. There is also the opportunity to learn beyond the classroom in a range of contexts such as museums and galleries in order to deepen and enrich critical learning.
What kind of student is suitable for this course? |
You would suit this course well if you enjoy:
- Developing your visual skills.
- Being creative.
- Visiting galleries, museums, workshops and studios.
- Learning about artists and gaining inspiration from the work of others.
- Experimenting and taking risks with your work.
- Being able to direct your own learning.
- Following up on your ideas through research and visual experimentation.
You will, ideally have some experience of using art materials and processes, together with some interest in contemporary and historical Art and Design. More importantly, you should have a commitment to and love of the subject, and feel motivated to develop your visual skills and express your ideas in working through projects and assignments.
What career options are opened by this course? |
On completion of your GCSE Art and Design course, you could progress to further education and Level 3 courses such as: GCE Art and Design and BTEC Nationals in Art and Design. Future career opportunities in the creative industries are broad and varied, including options which are hands-on creative to roles for which visual awareness is vital. Art and Design at GCSE is useful for careers in, art, architecture, interior design, fashion, advertising, media, film making, marketing, retail, theatre design and illustration. Many would argue that it is a vital course for everyone living in our image rich visual culture today. A GCSE in Art and Design is also a way to enrich your CV making you a more interesting varied and well-rounded candidate, not only in careers in the creative industries but in others too. Art experience is valued in unexpected rolls such as the police force where composite artists are used, archaeology where reconstruction drawings are important and even in the boardroom, where creative graduates are being employed more than ever before.
Course structure |
Content
During Year 10, students will learn key techniques and concepts through the first unit of their personal portfolio. This will culminate in a one day sustained focus towards the end of the Spring Term. During the Summer Term, Year 10 students will begin the second unit of their personal portfolio. This will continue into Year 11, culminating in two days of sustained focus in December. During the Spring and Summer Terms, students will work on Unit 2, the Externally Set Assignment, which is the theme set by the exam board and for which there is 30 hours of controlled assessment in class learning time.
| Component 1 Personal Portfolio in Art and Design | Component 2 Externally Set Assignment in Art and Design |
| Worth 60% of the GCSE grade | Worth 40% of the GCSE grade |
| Internally set and marked; assessed through controlled assessment. | Externally set theme and internally marked. |
| Each unit is assessed separately out of 72 marks. You will be assessed using four assessment objectives each worth 18 of the 72 marks | |
Key contact |
Laura Prime, Head of Art
Syllabus website |
You can find out more about the GCSE in Art and Design (syllabus from 2016) by:
• Edexcel GCSE Art and Design (2016) | Pearson qualifications