Art, Design & Graphics

Curriculum Journey

Year 7 students will learn about the following:

Natural Forms Formal Elements - Drawing Projects
Water Colour 'Elizabeth Blackadder'
Colour and Collage - 'Mark Herald'
Our Houses - ' David Gentleman'
Scrap Sculpture People - 'Alexander Calder'

Year 8 students will learn about the following:

Monsters & Imagination - Experimenting with materials (including creating Monster Eyes and Clay Monsters)
German Art during The First and Second World Wars
Comparing British and German War Artists

Year 9 students will learn about the following:

Experimental Drawing
Natural Forms - 'Sage Vaughn'
Lino Printing
Animal Cardboard Sculpture - 'Laurence Valliers'

Teaching Hours: 2 hours per fortnight

Exam Board – Edexcel

What is the course?

The GCSE in Art and Design is designed to be a general course, encompassing art, craft and design and to enable students to explore a wide range of two and three dimensional approaches to their studies.

What will I be taught?

You will be taught specialist skills and techniques in a wide range of media to explore and develop original ideas to produce your artwork. You will develop your knowledge of themes, cultures, artists and artworks both historical and contemporary from around the world.
There will be a day trip to a London art gallery in Year 10.

Which units will I study?

The course is made up of 4 assessment objectives:

• Develop ideas through investigations informed by a wide range of contextual studies.
• Refine your ideas through experimenting and selecting appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques, and processes.
• Record ideas, observations, and insights relevant to your intentions using drawing and photography.
• Present a personal and meaningful response, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding, realising intentions and, where appropriate, making connections between visual written, oral, or other elements.

Is there a practical element?

The Art and Design course will allow you to produce practical work in a variety of different materials. The course will suit imaginative students with good creative skills. You will be able to explore your own ideas by experimenting through a variety of two dimensional and three dimensional projects.

What skills will I learn?

During your lessons you will develop and improve your existing artistic abilities as well as learning new skills and techniques. You will learn how to conduct research for each project, and you will be taught to analyse the work that you have studied.

Is there coursework involved in this course?

Unit 1 is coursework where you produce a personal portfolio. The theme for the personal portfolio is selected and developed at The Lenham School. The portfolio forms 60% of the qualification.

Is there an examination?

Unit 2 is an externally set assignment in Art and Design. This forms 40% of the final qualification. The 10 hour examination is taken over two school days.

What would be expected of me?

A minimum of one hour each week must be spent on homework tasks. You will have to meet deadlines for each project. Students will require a sketchbook for each project in which evidence, including written work, will be presented to show that you can:

Conduct an investigation and work independently
Experiment and develop ideas
Identify and evaluate art, craft and design work
Create finished pieces

How will I be assessed?

You will be continually assessed throughout the course.

What courses or employment can I progress to at the end of the course?

This qualification will prepare you for the A Level Art & Design course in the Sixth Form and BTEC Art courses at college. It will also prove useful to those who plan a career involving practical and creative skills.

Teaching Hours: 5 hours per fortnight

Exam Board - Edexcel

What is the course?

The GCSE in Graphic Communication is a course that explores how visual information is communicated in the real world through advertising, print and motion graphics. This course differs to GCSE Art & Design as projects are a specific 'brief' to complete, such as a magazine cover.

What will I be taught?

You will be taught specialist skills and techniques that use traditional artistic methods and a range of software packages into a final piece.

What units will I study?

The course is split into two components. In each component students are required to work in one or more of the areas of Graphic Communication below:

• Communication graphics
• Advertising and branding
• Illustration
• Package design
• Typography
• Interactive design (web, app and game)
• Multi-media
• Motion graphics
• Signage 

Is there a practical element to the course? What skills will I learn?

All of the units studied have practical elements to them. You will develop your skills in drawing, painting, mixed media and printing, photography and multimedia. All projects will be developed and processes recorded in a sketchbook.

What would be expected of me?

You will be expected to complete all tasks within lessons. You will need to enjoy experimenting and exploring with a range of media. You should be keen to practise and experiment with different pieces of software in your own time. You will be set homework most weeks to develop your coursework. There will be Art study trips to gather resources for a project in Year 10.

Is there coursework involved in this course?

Component 1 is coursework based where you develop a personal portfolio based on a brief. The portfolio forms 60% of your overall grade.

How will I be assessed?

Component 1 is a portfolio based on coursework that makes up 60% of your grade.

Component 2 is an externally set assignment that makes up 40% of your grade.

What courses or employment can I progress to at the end of the course?

This qualification will prepare you for an A-Level in Graphic Design or a Digital Media course at Level 3. You could then progress onto study Graphic Design at University.

Teaching Hours: 5 hours per fortnight

Students will be introduced to a variety of experiences that explore a range of two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional media, processes and techniques. They should be made aware of both traditional and new media. Students will explore the use of drawing for different purposes, using a wide range of methods and media on a variety of scales. Students may use sketchbooks/workbooks/journals to underpin their work where appropriate. Students should explore relevant images, artefacts and resources relating to a range of art, craft and design, from the past and from recent times, including European and non-European examples.

Course Details

The course consists of two units both of which are assessed internally and moderated externally.

Unit 1 Title: Portfolio that shows development of understanding and skills this makes up 60% of the course.
Unit 2 Title: Externally set assignment Weighting 40% Assessment Non-exam assessment over 15 hours this makes up 40% of the course.

How the course is delivered

There is synoptic assessment in both components of the A-level that provide stretch and challenge opportunities for students as follows:

Component 1: students develop work based on an idea, issue, concept or theme leading to a finished outcome or a series of related finished outcomes. Practical elements should make connections with some aspect of contemporary or past practice of artist(s), designer(s), photographer(s) or craftspeople and include written work of no less than 1000 and no more than 3000 words which supports the practical work.

Component 2: students respond to a stimulus, provided by AQA, to produce work which provides evidence of their ability to work independently within specified time constraints, developing a personal and meaningful response which addresses all the assessment objectives and leads to a finished outcome or a series of related finished outcomes.

Entry Requirements

GCSE at Grade 5+ or BTEC/NCFE at Merit+ in an artistic discipline, as well as Grade 5 in GCSE English. Candidates without a Level 2 qualification in an artistic discipline will be considered through interview.

Teaching Hours: 8 hours per fortnight 

To extend learning beyond the classroom, you should consider doing some of the following tasks:

• Visit an art exhibition or gallery will help you gain inspiration, understand different styles and techniques and appreciate diverse artistic expressions.
• Maintain an art journal to encourage regular practice, experimentation with different materials and personal expression.
• Get involved in community art projects such as murals or public installations to provide experience in collaborative art making and public art.
• Take part in online art courses or tutorials on platforms such as YouTube to allow you to learn at your own pace and explore various art forms.

You can also extend your learning through reading. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

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