KS4 Art

What’s unique about KS4 Art is that each pupil who picks it as a GCSE chooses their own topics apart from the externally set 10 hour exam which is a choice of about 10 questions having a weighting of 40%.    By choosing their own topics, students get to produce two portfolios that reflect their own personal interests.  As two portfolios are produced and assessed, this equates to 60% of their overall grade.  All of he work produced is internally assessed and externally moderated 

Due to the wealth of knowledge and experience in the Art department, students have the support and guidance from several skilled practitioners.  If students wish to work towards producing a final piece in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media or textiles they will have full support from staff.  In previous years, students have produced a diorama of the Titanic and photographed it to present as a final piece; a mural sized self portrait in the style of four different Pop Artists and a college in the style of British Pop Artist, David Hockney.  As we tell our students, in GCSE Art, anything is possible.  It is an exciting journey and students are fully aware of the need for annotating portfolios throughout their portfolio and again they get support with this. 

The GCSE Criteria is split into four equally assessed areas each weighing 25%:

• Assessment Objective 1 involves students in researching the appropriate artists for their chosen topic for portfolio work or the exam question.  Students write about the artists, copy their work and from this develop their ideas for their producing a personal response/ final piece for their portfolio/exam.
• Assessment Objective 2 involves students in exploring different media and using a range of techniques to improve on their artwork, refining their ideas and refining them for the ultimate final piece
• Assessment Objective 3 involves students in recording information and higher grades are awarded when students either photograph or sketch objects that they have brought in as this is classed as Primary evidence.  For example a student brought real sunflowers, arranged them in a vase and built a setting and is in the process of photographing them and sketching their journey of decay over several weeks.  This will gain him higher marks that copying and pasting images off the internet of decaying sunflowers which is classed as Secondary evidence.  When recording information, students may use cameras, pen, ink, carbon paper and any other medium as long as they are recording information from a chosen object that is linked to their chosen topic.  
• Assessment Objective 4 is the culmination of each student’s bespoke programme of study.  Each portfolio and each exam ends with a final piece and it must clearly link in to all other assessment objectives and reveal to the world a personal and meaningful and unique response to their chosen topic.  

In all areas of assessment and throughout the portfolio, there must be written words, mind maps, sentences, paragraphs and essays that reflect and analyse both the students artwork and any other artists that they are studying.  If this is not done, students will be marked down.  

A bespoke teaching and learning plan is written for each GCSE student and interventions are put in place where a student has an area of weakness in any specific area.  We are a team of experienced educational practitioners and we are also a team of artists whose backgrounds are in Multimedia; sculpture and Hair.  We enjoy the teaching and learning takes place in the Art Room, there is never a dull moment and believe that whatever ideas a student has - anything is possible when it comes to making Art.