This is a very practical hands-on course that encourages an adventurous and enquiring approach to creating 3D work. Students will learn how to research and analyse past and contemporary Artists, craft workers and designers and gain technical skills which enable them to produce personal work that embraces a range of ideas, materials and processes.
The course develops skills of investigation and making through exploration and experimentation and aims to gradually allow students greater independence in developing their work and ideas.

What will you study?

Students will develop and refine a broad body of practical skills alongside their understanding of a range of technical processes. Students are set common theme-based projects.

Students will be expected to demonstrate their ability to:

• 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.

Students must keep a sketchbook for their coursework and examination work. The sketchbook is a combination of practical and research work. It must contain evidence of the development of students’ ideas, experimentation and artist research.

Students are able to work with a broad range of materials, processes and techniques, for example...

• Drawing and photography
• Architectural design
• Sculpture
• Ceramics
• Product design
• Jewellery and body adornment
• Interior design
• Landscape/garden design
• Designs for theatre, film and television

Exam Board: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/art-and-design/gcse/art-and-design-8205/specification

Coursework ‘Portfolio’ 

60% of the marks.

This includes all work produced in Year 10 and the first term of Year 11. The coursework component is a body of work created in theme-based projects.  A coursework unit should include preparatory work and sketchbooks or journals related to the final piece(s). All assessment objectives must be met in the coursework as a whole.

Examination ‘Controlled Test’

 Ten hours – 40% of the marks.

Commences in January of Year 11, students must respond to one starting point provided by the examination board. A response to all assessment objectives is required. Students will sit a practical examination of ten hours, supervised time at the end of the preparatory period. Students must produce a final piece or pieces based upon preparatory studies and research. Students will sit a trial examination in Year 10 to help them prepare for this.

Students often ask ‘what can I do with 3D Design?’, which is understandable given that design is so intrinsic to our day to day lives, that it is sometimes difficult to see how useful it can be.

There is very little of our day to day lives that has not been designed or created. There are hundreds of career pathways encompassing traditional routes such as fine art and architecture, and more broadly; theatre, arts, crafts, product and 3D design, interior/exterior design, media/TV/music, advertising, graphics, fashion, website/App/gaming visuals, and are potentially very lucrative. In fact, the creative industries have remained one of the few strong areas of growth in this country in recent years. Coupled with more generic skills that the course develops, such as creative thinking and problem-solving skills, understanding of aesthetics, resilience and effective time management skills.