Intent:

To develop students’ skills and confidence in drawing and in experimenting with a range of different artistic techniques and media, in order to foster independent work and to help students develop a sense of pride and ownership over their artwork. 

To develop students’ research skills, enabling them to choose appropriate artworks or other sources as a starting point of their project. 

To develop students’ skills in evaluating and analysing others’ and their own artwork. 

To develop an individualized coursework portfolio for each student based on sustained theme and leading to a final piece or pieces,  in order to fulfil the requirements for the 60% coursework and the 40%  element of the GCSE specification. 

Implementation:  

Students will be guided to develop their observational drawing skills and be enabled to experiment with a wide variety of different media, including printmaking and 3D.  Students will be taught how to evaluate their own work in order to improve and refine it. They will be guided through how to research a visual artist, with a view to enabling them to move towards more independent research. 

Each student will develop a portfolio which includes the same basic elements-drawing, research, experimentation, refinement of work and a final piece-for both the 60% coursework and the 40% examination component of the AQA specification. Over the final term, students will be guided towards planning a final artwork in order to complete it over 10 hours of focussed work under examination conditions. 

Impact: 

By the end of the course, students will have produced a portfolio for the two GCSE components, which will show the coherent development over time based on specific themes, and which include drawing, experimentation using different techniques and media, and research; these elements will contribute towards a final piece for each component. Students will have the ability to evaluate and refine their work and to make independent and appropriate decisions about the direction of their project. Students will have developed their critical understanding of others’ artwork, so they can articulate how their final piece relates to their own research and experimentation. Students will be able to feel pride in their work and a sense of ownership over their own project, which will enable them to progress to further Art and Design qualifications.