GCSE ART & DESIGN

GCSE ART & DESIGN

WHAT IS GCSE ART?
This course is for students who want to study Art and Design, but have little or no previous experience of the subject. Students who come onto this course may not have studied Art and Design at school or, you may be a student who wants to improve your grade from school.
During the course we will look at a number of different Art and Design practices from Fine Art (drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture) to Applied Arts such as Textiles and Graphics. You will develop your creative skills and learn how to communicate ideas visually. You will also study important work from other artists and designers.

What is the structure of the course, and how will I be assessed?
The GCSE course lasts one year, and is split into 2 units, or projects. Unit 1 is coursework and Unit 2 is an 'exam'. Your coursework will be made up of a number of small projects exploring all the areas mentioned above. The 'exam' project gives you four weeks to prepare your ideas followed by 10 hrs in which you need to make your final piece. The only difference is that the exam board (AQA) set the projects and you must make your final piece without help from your teacher.

Will I have homework?
Yes. You should expect to spend about 4 hours each week on your work outside of lessons. Your lessons will total 4 ½ hours, the same as an AS/A2 subject. Homework can be done in college during workshop times and Personal Study Periods.

Will the course cost me anything?
Art and Design can be an expensive subject to study. At Prior Pursglove College you will be given lots of materials free of charge, including materials such as charcoal and pastels, acrylic paint, oil paint, water based and oil based printing inks, paper, photographic chemicals, sewing threads, calico, silk, batik wax, fabric dyes and inks. We ask students to contribute £25 towards the cost of materials as you begin your course in September, this enables us to cover some of the costs of the materials we supply to you. You will also have free access to SLR and digital cameras, computers, sewing machines, darkroom equipment and printing facilities.

Progression
If you wish, on successful completion of this course you can then progress onto any of the Art and Design A' level course.