Art and Design

You will follow a dynamically planned course that involves a range of 2D and 3D media work. This will allow you to create a portfolio of personal and creative responses on a specific theme. It will build on the skills and knowledge gained in Year 9 and earlier years. In Year 10 you will begin with media and technique-based workshops to develop confidence that enables you to work more freely. 

Our projects are broad and designed to be tackled independently. Over two years, you will be given help and advice, but you must be prepared to take ownership and responsibility for your work. Personal research is an important part of Art and you will be encouraged to bring your own ideas and interests to the project. We have two very experienced Art teachers at New College Leicester with a strong track record of achieving good results that will support your development. 

What the course involves

From Year 10 to the start of Year 11 you will complete a coursework portfolio based on a school set brief project. From the start of spring term in Year 11 you will complete a second project based on a choice of themes set by the exam board. Both sets of work will include exploration, research, development of techniques, skills and final outcomes. The folders must contain: 

• Evidence of work that charts the progress of a theme from the initial idea to its conclusion
• Links with the work of other artists showing that their work has inspired/influenced the project’s development
• Increasing practical skills and confidence in the use of a wide range of materials and styles
• Experimentation with materials to expand knowledge, understanding and skill
• Self-evaluation to focus aims and objectives
• A practical exam under controlled conditions in Year 11

Assessment

The coursework project (component 1) will form 60% of the overall marks for GCSE. The externally set exam project (component 2) will form 40% of the overall marks. The coursework and exam project are marked internally and a sample will be moderated by the examination board.

Both projects use the same 4 assessment objectives which are all equally weighted (25%), these are:

• AO1 — Develop ideas through investigations, showing critical understanding of selected sources.
• AO2 — Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes.
• AO3 — Record ideas, observations relevant to intentions as work progresses.
• AO4 — Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language.

Requirements

An A2 portfolio/folder will be supplied along with most of the media but students often like to have their own equipment. This could include a range of graded pencils, colour pencils, paints and any other preferred media. 

Where can it lead?

Career Opportunities

• Advertising and Marketing
• Fashion Design
• Graphic Design
• Film Industry
• Architecture
• Desktop Publishing
• Illustration
• Website Design
• Animation
• Ceramics
• Teaching
• Media
• Photography
• Museums and Galleries
• Theatre/Performing Arts
• Video Game Design

Post-16 opportunities

GCSE Art and Design will help you to develop your creative, technical, verbal and visual communication, analytical and problem solving skills. Skills that are essential in these or highly regarded in any industry not just the Arts. There is a huge rang of career opportunities and the creative industries are one of UK’s biggest strengths . You can progress on to a range of other Art based courses including AS/A2 Art and Design or BTEC Nationals in Art and  Design and can also con-tinue to a degree level.