This video covers three courses including; Art, Craft & Design, Graphic Communication and Photography.

GCSE Course Choices Video

Graphic Communication GCSE

What is our curriculum intent?

Graphic communication is defined here as the process of designing primarily visual material to convey information, ideas, meaning and emotions in response to a given or self-defined brief.

Candidates are required to integrate critical, practical and theoretical study in Graphic Communication that encourages direct engagement with original work and practice.

In Units 1 and 2 students are required to work in one or more area(s) of graphic communication, such as: communication graphics, advertising and branding, illustration. typography, signage and exhibition graphics.

How do we implement our curriculum?

Students must develop and apply the knowledge, understanding and skills specified in the subject content to realise personal intentions relevant to graphic communication and their selected area(s) of study.

Skills, knowledge and understanding

The way sources inspire the development of ideas relevant to graphic communication including:

  • how sources relate to a given or self-defined brief which might, for example, have a commercial, social or environmental focus or be concerned with other aspects specific to the creative industries
  • how ideas, themes, forms, issues and needs can provide the stimulus for creative, imaginative, thoughtful and appropriately focused responses that are fit for a specific intended purpose.

The ways in which meanings, ideas and intentions relevant to graphic communication can be communicated include the use of:

  • different forms of representation, brand identity, intended message, target audience and working within parameters determined by client and/or audience expectations and requirements
  • visual and tactile elements such as: colour, line, form, tone, texture, space, proportion decoration, scale, structure, shape, pattern.

Within the context of graphic communication, students must demonstrate the ability to use graphic communication techniques and processes, appropriate to students’ personal intentions, for example:

  • typography
  • illustration
  • digital and/or non-digital photography
  • hand rendered working methods
  • digital working methods
  • use media and materials, as appropriate to students’ personal intentions, for example:
  • pencil, pen and ink, pen and wash, crayon, and other graphic media
  • watercolour, gouache and acrylic paint
  • layout materials
  • digital media
  • printmaking
  • mixed media.

Unit 1: Portfolio of Work

The portfolio must show a sustained project evidencing the journey from initial engagement to the realisation of intentions and a selection of further work undertaken during the student’s course of study.

Each student must select and present a portfolio representative of their course of study. The portfolio must include both:

  1. A sustained project developed in response to a subject, theme, task or brief evidencing the journey from initial engagement with an idea(s) to the realisation of intentions. This will give students the opportunity to demonstrate, through an extended creative response, their ability to draw together different areas of knowledge, skills and/or understanding from across their course of study.
  2. A selection of further work resulting from activities such as trials and experiments; skills-based workshops; mini and/or foundation projects; responses to gallery, museum or site visits; work placements; independent study and evidence of the student’s specific role in any group work undertaken.

The work submitted for this component will be marked as a whole. Students should carefully select, organise and present their portfolio and must ensure that it provides evidence of meeting all four assessment objectives. They must identify and acknowledge sources which are not their own and provide evidence of drawing activity and written annotation

The development of appropriate styles of presentation and sequential planning will be taught throughout and candidates will be expected to demonstrate skills in an appropriate variety of media and techniques.

Students will be encouraged as and when appropriate to use ICT equipment such as a digital camera, scanner and to employ graphics software to develop techniques of digital imagery manipulation in order to extend and enhance their coursework.

Unit 2: externally set task non-exam assessment (NEA)

Students are required to elicit a personal response from one starting point or project brief from the AQA Art and Design paper. They are expected to develop their own work informed by their preparatory studies, exploration and experimentation of media and development of their ideas.

Papers will be issued from 2nd January in the year of examination to give students unlimited preparation time. However, their final responses will be completed in 10 hours of supervised time. Students must not undertake any further preparatory studies once the first period of supervised time starts.

How can students be supported through learning at home?

Homework is an intrinsic part of the course and regarded as an element of the coursework for the portfolio unit. Students will need to spend weekly homework time working in their sketchbook. Often students will be engaged upon observational drawing, at other times it will be design and colour work, research or producing an artefact.

Extra study support is available weekly in designated art rooms as an integral element of the Art X-tra programme. The Art team facilitate opportunities for students to use the materials, facilities and gain support from their teachers in order to enhance, develop or complete coursework tasks.

How do we measure the impact of the course?

Assessment takes place throughout the course for both formative and summative purposes, in line with the AQA specification assessment objectives. Key pieces of work are assessed and grades/targets for improvement recorded on the Art teams’ progress and assessment sheet. A mid-term assessment takes place throughout each coursework project enabling teachers and students to modify STATS and analyse progress against agreed GCSE targets.

Assessment has two strands

  • Unit 1. Portfolio of work (96 marks) 60% 
  • Unit 2. Externally set task (NEA) (96 marks) 40%

Marked by the centre and moderated by AQA.

Assessment Objectives

Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all GCSE Art and Design specifications and all exam boards. The portfolio and non-examined units will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives.

  • 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.

What we teach when

Year 10

Year 11


What extra opportunities to learn are available?

Homework is an intrinsic part of the course and regarded as an element of the coursework for the portfolio unit. Students will need to spend weekly homework time working in their sketchbooks or on design sheets. Students may be requested to complete ICT based tasks outside of the classroom. Students are able to access the teams computers/scanners or printers after school, with permission from their teacher.

The team provides students with an extensive range of opportunities to enhance their critical, contextual and practical skills throughout the programme of study. These include visits to galleries and museums, site specific photography visits, artist talks and practical workshops.

The Art Team also provide study support evenings routinely each week and during the peak examination preparation period to enable students to gain access to resources, specialised expertise in processes and techniques and one to one support.

How are students grouped?

Teaching groups are organised on a mixed-ability basis.

What websites do we recommend?

The new examination board specification can be found at:

Students looking to consolidate, enrich or extend their knowledge and understanding may want to visit the following websites:

Pinterest

Contact

 Miss A Ward - award@wilmslowhigh.com

Mrs N Firth, Curriculum Team Leader Art, Design & Technology with Computing - nfirth@wilmslowhigh.com