GCSE: We currently offer AQA Art, Craft and Design

This focuses on skills from two specialisms, Graphic Communication and Fine Art.

Students work on one Controlled Assessment (CA) project throughout Year 10 and the first term of Year 11. The project is currently a Cityscape project based on Birmingham. Students experiment with a wide range of materials such as acrylic paint, gouache and promarkers. Students also create beautiful pieces of artwork in different artist styles for example looking at Lizzie Mary Cullen and Shuichi Nakano. During the lessons there is a clear focus on how the task set links with a career opportunity or further/higher education course in both Art and other subject areas.

The final exam is an externally set question and students compile a folder of ‘prep-work’ before completing a 10 hour exam (over 2 days) to create a final interpretation (final piece) of their chosen exam question.

Students CA and Exam projects are divided into four Assessment objectives:

Assessment Objective 1: Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources.

Assessment Objective 2: Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media,
materials, techniques and processes.

Assessment Objective 3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses.

Assessment Objective 4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realizes intentions and demonstrates
understanding of visual language.

Homework Art KS4: GCSE students are required to spend 1.5 hours each week on their Art homework. This will include artist research activities and drawing tasks using a range of materials and techniques.