GCSE Art and Design – The Radclyffe School (2024)

You are here: Home / GCSE Art and Design

Introduction

This broad and balanced course will allow you to explore a range of Fine Art media, techniques and processes, including both traditional and new technologies within the Art industry.

You will cover practical work, along with a study of artists, allowing you to develop personal and creative work in at least two Fine Art media such as:

DrawingDigital Media
PaintingMixed Media
Sculpture

Course Structure

As part of the course, you will produce a portfolio of Art work which will allow you to study particular themes in relation to the work of a range of past and contemporary artists, crafts persons and designers.

You will demonstrate skills in composition and design, making appropriate use of colour, line, tone, texture, shape and form, in response to an idea, theme or brief. The use and development of a personal sketchbook will be a crucial part of the course. You will need to explain and critically review your work, through written annotations, as this will form a crucial part of the assessment.

Assessment

Component 1: Coursework 60% – This consists of a portfolio of selected work from a series of assignments.

Component 2: Final Test Exam 40% – You need to produce your own assignment in response to an externally set Exam paper. You will have nine weeks preparatory time and 10 hours of supervised work, conducted under exam conditions. The test will form part of the exhibition which will be assessed both internally by school staff and by a moderator from the AQA board.

Is it for me?

An interest in the subject and a willingness to work hard are as important as any natural ability when choosing this subject. Home Learning will be set each half-term, and will be an important part of any course. Students will therefore need a sketch book, HB and 2B pencils, colour pencil crayons and an A3 folder or portfolio – all of which are available from the Art department as an Art Pack.

Future Pathways

Art can be used as a stepping stone to further courses and careers in Art and Design. Careers where Art and Design is important include Interior, 3D, Product and Graphic Design, Animation, Architecture, Children’s Book Illustration, Textiles & Fashion Design, Gallery Education, Art Therapy, Set or Costume Design.

GCSE Art and Design – The Radclyffe School (2024)

FAQs

Is art and design a good GCSE? ›

If you enjoy being creative, want to increase your practical skills and improve your analytical, communication and research abilities, art and design or photography are great choices. The skills you gain make them a great complement to other subjects.

What level is GCSE art and design? ›

GCSE (9-1) reform

GCSEs are offered across Levels 1 and 2 of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and they are primarily targeted at secondary school pupils, but are also suitable for adult returners.

How hard is art GCSE? ›

Art is demanding, requires hard work and sometimes the teachers base the marks on the quantity and not the quality of your work. If you are willing to put in at least 4-6 hours of Artwork a week, I'd say you can get a pretty decent grade.

What is the GCSE art theme in 2024? ›

The new art themes for 2024 sheets are available as a bundle of seven for both Fine Art and Art, Craft and Design. Including… Portrait, Transport, Places and Spaces, Entwined, Fragments, Boundaries Borders and Edges, and Celebration.

Is it hard to get a 9 in art GCSE? ›

Anyone who teaches (or has done GCSE art) will know it is REALLY difficult to get the top grades and takes a lot of hard work. There are five Grade 9 full project examples on the presentation, including sheets of student's secondary and primary research and artist research.

Is GCSE art worth it? ›

Studying art and design helps to create a broad and balanced curriculum, which is an excellent foundation for whatever you want to do afterwards. The transferable skills you'll gain, such as creativity, analysis and problem solving, complement a range of other subjects and careers.

What does GCSE stand for? ›

What GCSEs are. GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education. They are highly valued by schools, colleges and employers. The qualification mainly involves studying the theory of a subject, together with some investigative work, while some subjects also involve practical work.

What is the pass rate for art and design GCSE? ›

Across the UK, a greater proportion of students achieved good passes in art and design subjects in 2023 compared to all GCSE subjects. A total of 76.4% of pupils achieved grade 4/C or higher in art and design subjects compared to 68.2% for all subjects.

What does art GCSE get you? ›

Art can be used as a stepping stone to further courses and careers in Art and Design. Careers where Art and Design is important include Interior, 3D, Product and Graphic Design, Animation, Architecture, Children's Book Illustration, Textiles & Fashion Design, Gallery Education, Art Therapy, Set or Costume Design.

What is the hardest subject in GCSE? ›

According to the statistics from Ofqual, these are the hardest GCSE subjects:
  1. 1 - GCSE Maths.
  2. 2 - GCSE Art & Design (3D Design)
  3. 3 - GCSE English Language.
  4. 4 - GCSE Citizenship Studies.
  5. 5 - GCSE Geography.
  6. 6 - GCSE Design and Technology.
  7. 7 - GCSE History.
  8. 8 - GCSE Psychology.
Apr 15, 2024

How many people get a 9 in GCSE art? ›

Here are the trends in the latest art and design GCSE results for summer 2021. The proportion of grade 9 results achieved by art and design subject students, equivalent to a high A* under the old GCSE system, rose to 7 per cent, compared to 6.5 per cent in 2020 and 4.7 per cent in 2019.

Is art GCSE stressful? ›

Generally GCSE Art is a real shock to the system and, by Christmas, a handful of students can feel overwhelmed by the amount of work and others fall behind very quickly.

How many hours is art GCSE? ›

The exam is 10 hours long (2 days) and during this time you must complete your final piece, in 'controlled conditions'. The question paper consists of approximately 7 'questions', each of which are themed starting points for a project. Every question will contain named artists to help you get started.

How long is the art GCSE exam? ›

The timed GCSE externally set task is 10 hours and is 40% of the total GCSE. centre. At least one session should be at least 2 hours in duration. Centres should ensure that short sessions are avoided.

Does art GCSE have an exam? ›

Externally set assessment - AQAThe ten-hour supervised time. There is no written exam for GCSE Art & Design – instead there is a portfolio and an externally set assignment.

What can you do with art and design in GCSE? ›

What specific roles are available in art and design?
  • Fine artist. Fine artists create and sell their original artwork, often specialising in mediums such as painting, drawing or sculpture. ...
  • Illustrator. ...
  • Graphic designer. ...
  • Photographer. ...
  • Interior designer. ...
  • Furniture designer. ...
  • Art teacher or lecturer. ...
  • Curator.
Jan 25, 2023

Why choose GCSE art and design? ›

Studying art and design provides the opportunity to acquire new skills. As well as knowledge of different art forms, media and techniques you can also gain specialist skills in areas such as photography and digital technologies.

Is art and design worth it? ›

And as well as giving you the chance to develop your skills, studying art and design at university will also help you to build up a strong portfolio of work, which will be essential when it comes to finding jobs in the industry after graduation.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Rubie Ullrich

Last Updated:

Views: 5938

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (72 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Rubie Ullrich

Birthday: 1998-02-02

Address: 743 Stoltenberg Center, Genovevaville, NJ 59925-3119

Phone: +2202978377583

Job: Administration Engineer

Hobby: Surfing, Sailing, Listening to music, Web surfing, Kitesurfing, Geocaching, Backpacking

Introduction: My name is Rubie Ullrich, I am a enthusiastic, perfect, tender, vivacious, talented, famous, delightful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.