GCSE Art and Design (Fine Art)

Introduction

In year 10 students are able to choose GCSE Fine Art as one of their options.

The 2 year course will develop the art and design abilities students have gained in Years 7, 8 and 9 and give students the opportunity to demonstrate how they can apply these to a project brief meeting the assessment criteria.

The course provides students with creative and exciting opportunities to continue their exploration of Art and Design. Students will be encouraged to explore a wide range of techniques and processes, which will aim to identify their strengths.

The course is designed to provide a secure foundation for students who may wish to study Fine Art or other creative courses beyond GCSE and will aim to:

•broaden and deepen students’ knowledge and understanding;

•encourage independence; and

•develop problem solving skills.

How is the course examined?

Component 1 – Portfolio (internally set coursework) = 60%

Component 2 – Externally Set Assignment (set by exam board) = 40%

All work is assessed against 4 Assessment Objectives (AO): AO1 – Develop ideas, A02 – Refine ideas, A03 – Record A04 – Personal response.

Component 1 Portfolio (60% of final grade marked out of 96)

• Cake Fest – The first weeks consist of a project design to readdress and further develop traditional art skills. Using cakes as a theme, students will practice, explore and experiment with a number of painting, drawing, mixed media and sculptural techniques. Students will study the artists Claes Oldenburg and Wayne Theibaud as sources of inspiration. At the first progress review, students will be assessed against assessment objectives 1 & 3 only.
• Organic Sculpture – using contemporary ceramicists and the natural world for inspiration, students will develop a range of drawing, designs, research pages, samples sculptures with clay and a final clay sculpture.
• Hybrids – students are given a range of contemporary artists which explore the theme of Hybrids. Drawings, paintings, mixed media and low relief materials can be used to develop a body of work culminating in a final outcome.

Component 2 Externally set assignment (40% of final grade marked out of 96)

Students will receive the AQA exam paper from which they will select a starting point. They will develop a body of work which will culminate in a 10 hour exam. All preparation work must be handed in at the start of the exam and cannot be added to.

Students will receive their final grade at the end of the 2 year course in August.

How is the course graded?

The course is graded with GCSE grades 1 to 9.

Equipment

Students can purchase the following equipment listed below from the parent pay shop. We would strongly recommend that everyone is equipped with a sketchbook.

Fine Art students

Carry folder, sketchbook, paint brushes, pencils, watercolour paints, oil pastels & chalk pastels

Homework

Students are set regular deadlines for completing tasks. To ensure these deadlines are met, we expect students to work outside of school time on a regular and consistent basis. If deadlines are not met, students will be required to attend Study Support the following week.

Learning outside of the classroom

Study Support: Fine Art - Wed and Thurs 3pm - 4 pm

External competitions and workshops often shared in lessons and on our Instagram page (allertonhighart)