Academic
Departments
Art & Design and History of Art
Head of Department: Mrs C E Mallett
Why study Art and Design?
If you are keen to broaden your creativity and your imagination and gain experience with a wide range of art media, you will enjoy GCSE Art and Design. In addition, you will find out about aspects of Art History and work in an increasingly independent way as the course progresses.
What will you study?
A wide range of projects designed to provide experience with processes such as painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture and ceramics. You will learn how to research and experiment with materials and how to develop the skills to form and communicate ideas.
Examination Board: Edexcel
How is GCSE Art and Design assessed?
There are two sections to the assessment. Unit 1 is the Personal Portfolio and consists of work produced during the two years. Unit 2 is the Externally Set Assignment (final exam) taken towards the end of Year 11.
How is the course structured?
In Year 10 a number of linked ideas and projects are presented and explored using a wide variety of media. Students will have an opportunity to acquire a range of skills and during Year 11 will work on a number of thematic projects.
What is the Personal Portfolio content?
This is worth 60% of the total marks for the course. Themes are selected for study that may be shorter, interconnected projects or may be a longer term's study. Students will submit finished pieces together with relevant supporting studies either in the form of a 'work journal' or design sheets. The work is internally marked and externally moderated.
What is the Externally Set Assignment?
It is a ten hour exam based upon a set theme, e.g. "Time". A period of up to eight weeks is allowed for preparation, during which time the theme is investigated in order to develop individual interpretations. This is worth 40% of the total marks for the course and is externally set and moderated, after internal marking.
Examination Board: OCR
You may choose to study Fine Art, which will allow you to work in a wide range of media, or you may choose to specialise in Photography.
What do I need to know, or be able to do, before taking this course?
You are likely to have taken GCSE Art, but this is not always essential. It is very important that you are interested in exploring and developing creative ideas. You will be expected to present work based on your own thoughts and interests. You should have an understanding of the basic elements of art - colour, tone, form, etc. - and also some understanding of the place of art, craft and design in the world - its history and its purpose. Above all you should have an interest in creating and understanding art and the determination to develop that interest.
What will I learn on this course?
This course is designed to extend your ability to appreciate the visual world, and to respond in a personal and creative way to it. The skills you will develop are varied. You will increase your knowledge of materials, practices and technology within art and also gain research skills, both in practical and academic ways. These skills will help you to interpret your findings and to convey your ideas and feelings. The development of your imaginative and creative powers and the acquisition of experimental, analytical and documenting skills are important. You will also learn a specialist vocabulary, and, through gallery visits gain some knowledge and understanding about the place of art, craft and design both in history and in contemporary society.
For what kind of student is this course suitable?
Any student who has an interest in, and an aptitude for, art and design should enjoy this course. Students who wish to take further studies in art or who are interested in careers for which an art background is relevant.
What could I go on to do at the end of my course?
There are many careers for which art is an invaluable subject. These might include advertising, marketing, architecture and interiors, publishing and the media, and the antique and auction market. Students wishing to take further courses in Art and Design will usually go on to do a one-year ‘Foundation’ course, before applying for degree courses in more specialist areas of Art and Design.
Year 12 AS Course
Unit 1: Coursework |
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| 60% of the total AS marks | 30% of the total A level marks | Assessment: Coursework Portfolio |
In this unit, students will have the opportunity to generate practical work, ideas and research from primary and contextual sources. They will experiment with media and processes and develop and refine their ideas, presenting their outcomes as finished pieces. Assessment is by the presentation of a coursework portfolio. This will show a selection of drawings or studies from observation. Work may be submitted from any of the following areas of study including Painting and Drawing, Mixed Media, Printmaking, Photography, Sculpture, Textiles, Ceramics and others.
Unit 2: Externally Set Assignment |
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| 40% of the total AS marks | 20% of the total A level marks | Assessment: 5 hour exam |
This unit tests your ability to work independently. You will be given a question paper and choosing one of the starting points within it you will plan and produce preparatory work in response to that topic. You will have a minimum of three weeks in which to complete this stage and then, during the 5 hour exam time, you will produce an appropriate realisation of ideas as a final outcome.
Year 13 A2 Course
Unit 3: Personal Investigation |
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| 30% of the total A level marks | Assessment: One major Project and supporting work | Related Personal Study of 3000 words maximum |
For this unit, you must return to one of the areas of study chosen in Unit 1. You may continue to develop ideas from the earlier unit, but this is not essential. You are expected to produce a final piece in your chosen medium, along with supporting work in sketchbooks and a portfolio. You also present a related personal study of between 1000 and 3000 words as a supporting project to your practical work. This should aim to place your work in an historical or contemporary context and ensures that you are demonstrating through text and imagery your understanding of the work of other artists, designers or craftspeople working in related fields.
Unit 4: Controlled Assignment |
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| 20% of the total A level marks | Assessment: 15 hour exam | |
This unit is designed to test your progress and learning throughout the course. As with Unit 2, you will be given an exam paper containing a number of starting-points. You choose one, and during the subsequent preparatory period, plan, make observational drawings and studies and develop ideas for a ‘final piece’. You will then have fifteen hours in which to produce, unaided, the proposed piece. Your preparatory work should include studies made from observation, compositional ideas and experiments with media and technique in addition to references to the work of other relevant artists and designers.
Examination Board: AQA
What do I need to know before taking this course?
You need to be interested in the History of Western art and culture, although you may not have had any prior experience of the subject. It is not necessary to have studied Art at GCSE level, but you should be interested in reading widely on the subject and enthusiastic about researching ideas. You also need to be able to write effectively. The course involves a number of visits to Art Galleries (please note that a charge will be made for visits).
What will I learn on this course?
The course will enable you to learn about the significance of art works from specific periods in the history of art, from Ancient Greece to the present day. You will develop your ideas and opinions about art historical issues and learn to use a specialist vocabulary to communicate your knowledge and understanding about architecture, sculpture, painting and design. You will gain an understanding of the principal methods of research and you will learn how art works have been interpreted in the past and how this has often been affected by the context in which the work was made.
For what kind of student is this course suitable?
Students who think they will enjoy discovering and investigating their cultural history. It should also appeal to those who want to learn more about contemporary art and modern design. It is a subject that often uses ideas from literature, history and philosophy and combines them in an exciting discipline that tries to make you think. It is a well-respected academic subject that can lead on to a wide range of courses and careers.
What could I go on to do at the end of my course?
There are History of Art degree courses at many universities. Some of these universities offer combined courses with Languages, History, Music and Literature; it is also possible to combine it with subjects like Psychology and with Science. It is, of course, a very good subject to take with Art and Design courses, providing a good basis from which to develop ideas and it has also been valuable for students intending to study architecture. The analytical skills that you develop and the ability you will have to research ideas and reach independent judgments are very useful in a variety of careers, but there are also openings in such specific areas as restoration, conservation and curatorial work as well as opportunities to work in the antique business and art galleries.
Year 12 AS Course
Unit 1: Visual Analysis and Interpretation |
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| 40% of the total AS marks - worth: 60 marks |
20% of the total A level marks | Assessment: 1 hour written paper |
This unit introduces the methods and terms used in art history. It surveys painting, sculpture, architecture and design from 500 BC to the present day. It will enable students to develop the visual skills of observation, description and analysis, as well as developing research skills and encouraging independent learning. The one hour exam paper contains questions based on photographs showing named works of art: painting, sculpture and architecture. Students answer questions on one photograph from each category.
Unit 2: Themes in History of Art |
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| 60% of the total AS marks - worth: 90 marks |
30% of the total A level marks | Assessment: 1 hour 30 minute written paper |
This unit investigates and presents background information about the western tradition of art and architecture from the Greeks to the Twentieth century. It focuses on topics such as materials and techniques; historical and social contexts; patronage; subjects and genres; and other broad themes. It is assessed by a written exam. The one hour and thirty minute exam requires students to answer three essay questions from a choice of six.
Year 13 A2 Course
Unit 3: Investigation and Interpretation (1) |
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| 25% of the total AS marks - worth: 60 marks |
Assessment: 1 hour 30 minute written paper | |
This unit requires a study of a prescribed period and location, the Art and Architecture in fifteenth century Europe. The module covers such aspects as the social and economic factors that led to Florence becoming the cradle of the Renaissance. It also looks in detail at the work of artists, architects and sculptors of the period in Europe. There are four essay questions set in the final exam, from which students choose two. There is some overlap with the topics covered in the AS course, and so it is a good opportunity to gain a greater depth of knowledge. The work is assessed by a written exam that is marked by AQA.
Unit 4: Investigation and Interpretation (2) |
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| 25% of the total A level marks - worth: 60 marks | Assessment: 1 hour 30 minute written paper | |
This unit requires a study of a prescribed period and location, the Art and Architecture in Europe and the United States of America between 1900 and 1945. The module covers such aspects as the social and economic factors; different styles, movements and artistic groups; materials and techniques and the ways their use has contributed to the development of art during this period. The unit looks in detail at the work of artists, architects and sculptors of the period in Europe and America. There are four essay questions set in the final exam, from which students choose two. There is some overlap with the topics covered in the AS course, and so it is a good opportunity to gain a greater depth of knowledge. The work is assessed by a written exam that is marked by AQA.
A charge is made for the use of certain materials, (canvas, silk etc.) and for visits to galleries. Intending photographers should note that it is necessary to charge for photographic paper and film.
