GCSE Art & Design is a subject that is 100% practical. There are no written, hall based exams and all the work you produce over the two years is counted towards your qualification. Over the two year course you will produce two projects: A Coursework Portfolio worth 60% and an Externally Set Assessment unit which makes up the final 40% of your GCSE grade. Both projects are marked by your teachers who will have offered you guidance and support throughout the course.
Why study Art & Design?
First and foremost you should opt for Art & Design if you enjoy the subject! Art is a great subject that will allow you to learn new skills and express your individuality. No two Art GCSE projects are the same! Art will give balance to your academic studies whilst equipping you with essential skills. You won’t just learn to draw, paint and sculpt; you will learn to think critically and work independently. You will have time to explore, experiment and develop your own ideas imaginatively.
The GCSE Course: Coursework Portfolio (60%) Externally Set Assignment (40%)
Year 10: At the start of Year 10 we will help you develop your confidence and core skills. By having more dedicated art lessons than in Key Stage 3 you will be able to experiment and produce lots more ambitious work. You will have the chance to work with lots of different materials to find what you enjoy most! You can expect to explore drawing, painting, sculpture, clay, photography, printmaking, digital and mixed media. Once you have mastered the materials you will develop your own personal project based on YOUR interests. Projects vary from exploring pollution and global warming to exploring emotions through portraits. The possibilities are endless and allow you to EXPRESS YOURSELF! This unit is called the Coursework portfolio. It continues into the first term of Year 11.
Year 11: The first term of Year 11 is used to conclude your personal project. You will have completed sketchbook pages, prep sheets, artist research and developed ideas towards a final piece which brings all your research and ideas together in an imaginative way.
Year 11: Externally set assessment (40%). In January of Year 11 the WJEC release a paper which gives a choice of 15 topics in the externally set assessment. You will need to pick the ONE title that most interests you & produce a short project on this. This project follows the same mark scheme & format as your coursework portfolio so there are no surprises! You will work for approximately 10 weeks on this and conclude the project with a 10 hour practical exam. That’s two whole days of creating in the art room uninterrupted! For a keen artist this isn’t as daunting as it sounds, in fact it is quite an enjoyable experience where you can produce something to be proud of. You will experiment with ideas before the exam days and work closely with your teachers to ensure you can produce a really impressive outcome on the day. If you work hard throughout the preparation period you will do well. You also sit this practical exam slightly earlier than other subjects, relieving a bit of pressure in the summer.
Gallery Visits
GCSE Art Packs
At the start of year 10 you will be given the opportunity to purchase an art pack which includes lots of materials to allow you to experiment and create work at home as well as in school. Buying art materials can sometimes be expensive and we manage to get products at a greatly reduced price to take that worry away. Art packs usually cost around £25 and include:
An A2 Folder, an A4 180gsm hardcover sketchbook, shading pencils, putty rubber, premium coloured pencils, watercolours, Koh-i-noor anilinky paints and a set of artist brushes.
If you are an art student that receives free school meals, we will supply this pack free of charge.
‘I don’t think I’m good enough to study Art ...’
Look at Daisy’s progress from Year 8 to Year 11! With hard work and more lessons dedicated to art at GCSE you will see a huge jump in your skills. Speak to your teacher and ask their opinion! Remember the work you see here is the result of a two year journey, don’t be put off, be inspired!
“I’ve heard there’s a lot of work ...”
All of your GCSE courses will be demanding! You need to think about the type of work you WANT to be doing. If you are creative your school days could be very different if you don’t opt for a creative subject. In Art, you produce 2 projects over two years, the course is very manageable. You will be guided every step of the way and won’t have any more homework than in other subject areas.
“I want to be a Doctor (or other jobs). Art is no use to me!”
Think about the skills you are learning when producing Art. You are learning to think, not just to draw! Art GCSE will not limit your future options. Creativity & imagination are essential skills needed to excel in any walk of life. We have A level students who go on to varied careers, including medicine. Did you know trainee doctors attend life drawing classes to hone their observational skills and understand anatomy? Furthermore, many of the jobs you may end up doing in your lifetime don't even exist yet! Develop your creative thinking to be able to adapt for the future.
Careers & the creative industries
The possibilities in the creative industries are huge! Careers stemming from studying Art & Design are varied and exciting as illustrated below.
Studying Art will teach you the following valuable transferable skills which are applicable to all pathways:
Critical thinking - Communication - Technical skills, Problem solving - Analytical skills - Creativity - Collaboration - Innovation - Digital technology skills - Productivity - Adaptability - Independence
Join us to become the next generation of Caerleon Artists!
Credits:
Created with images by SergeyKatyshkin - "Abstract photography in the style of light painting. rainbow color " • mrallen - "School Art Materials"