Why AQA Art and Design? Have you ever wondered why so many creative people are successful in many different walks of life?
Creativity isn’t only about pursuing artistic interests; it can also open the door to exciting career opportunities.
Our Art and Design courses are flexible and stimulate creativity, offering a high degree of choice and a range of different media, processes and techniques. All our courses give students the opportunity to produce a portfolio of work that they can show to prospective employers or use to help secure a place in higher education.
The Arts allow pupils to develop their own ideas, creativity and expression through a number of different disciplines. Here at the UET Pathfinder Academy pupils study art and design in KS3 as a distinct subject and as part of a nurturing project based programme.
Pupils have the opportunity to learn experiment and explore a variety of drawing, painting, and printmaking and sculpture techniques using a variety of different materials.
Our KS3 art & design curriculum encourages pupils to develop their own ideas within a structured project. We cover topics such drawing and painting inspired by the natural world, 2D media, Pop Art, junk modelling and an indepth study of an artist. Each project includes skills for each objective Develop, Refine, Record and Present. These four areas are used to organise work at GCSE level so our KS3 pupils are learning how to structure a project in readiness for a GCSE course.
At KS4 years 10 & 11, GCSE art courses are offered with the AQA board and across the UET Pathfinder Academy, we offer three different disciplines: Art & Design, Photography and Textile Design. Each subject has two parts a personal portfolio, which is worth 60% of the marks and an externally set exam, which is worth 40% of the marks.
Each project is assessed on four areas:
- AO1: Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources.
- AO2: Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes.
- AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses.
- AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language
GCSE in Art & Design at KS4
GCSE Art & Design is a general art course where pupils have the chance to experiment and use a variety of new materials and techniques to create their own work, in drawing, painting, sculpture and printmaking. Most of the work is practical but the course also includes some written work, interpreting the work of other artists, craftspeople and designers. Pupils keep a personal sketchbook to develop their ideas and artwork, alongside their main finished paintings, prints and sculptures. All their work is put into a coursework portfolio that is awarded 60% of the total marks for GCSE.
In the spring term pupils receive an exam paper from the board with several themes to choose from for their exam project. Candidates have four months to produce a project based on their chosen theme before using the ten hour exam time to make a final piece of work in the art rooms. The exam portfolio is awarded 40% of the total marks.
Art offers pupils the chance to develop their own ideas through hard work and enjoyment.
GCSE in Photography at KS4
In Photography pupils use light and lens based media to capture and create images. They look at the work of other photographers, artists, craftspeople and designers to inform their practice. Image manipulation is taught using Adobe Photoshop and pupils learn to alter and change their images. Drawing is included in the portfolios as part of the recording, planning and refining process and final pieces are created from the developing ideas. Written elements of the coursework show how a pupil’s work relates to their chosen photographer or artist. Coursework is again portfolio based and this makes up 60% of the final marks.
In the spring term pupils choose a project from the themes offered on the AQA exam paper and create a personal project. They develop their ideas and produce final images within a ten hour period under exam conditions; this usually runs over two days. Written work is included as part of the analysis of other photographer’s work. 40% of the marks are awarded for the exam project
GCSE in Textile Design at KS4
In Component 1 (portfolio) students develop responses to initial starting points, project briefs or specified tasks and realise intentions informed by research, the development and refinement of ideas and meaningful engagement with selected sources. Responses will include evidence of drawing for different purposes and needs and written annotation.
In Component 2 (externally set assignment) students respond to a starting point provided by AQA. This response provides evidence of the student’s ability to work independently within specified time constraints, realise intentions that are personal and meaningful and explicitly address the requirements of all four assessment objectives.