GCSE Art, Craft and Design
Art, Craft & Design is the title students will study within Art & Design. Photography is delivered as a separate GCSE within the Art & Design specification.
What will I make/study and which title should I do?
This depends on your interests in art & design, the type of work you want to make, materials and processes you feel most confident about using. A typical class will have 20+ students with 20+ different projects taking place at the same time.
You will be encouraged to be independent and creative in developing your own ideas. There is no single approach to making art and you will be encouraged to find you own creative path within your own personal project.
I like art but feel I’m not very good...
High levels of engagement and enjoyment are more important than levels of skill. If you are willing to work hard and listen to advice, we will be very happy to guide you through the course.
How is work assessed?
Component 1: Portfolio
- Two years to create a portfolio, with everything you make from the first lesson potentially going towards your final grade.
- 60% of final mark
Component 2: Externally set assignment
- 10 weeks to respond to the exam question, investigating and developing ideas. Resulting in a 10 hour exam, where one or more outcomes will be made. Essentially you have two days to make an outcome, which if planned well can be a highly enjoyable experience.
- 40% of final mark
Why should I study art & design?
Arts subjects encourage self-expression and creativity and can build confidence as well as a sense of individual identity.
Creativity can also help with wellbeing and improving health and happiness – many students comment that arts lessons acted as an outlet for releasing the pressures of studying as well as those of everyday life.
- Studying arts subjects also help to develop critical thinking and the ability to interpret the world around us.
- The leading people in any field are those who can think creatively and innovatively. These are skills that employers value alongside qualifications.
- When you study art, you learn to work both independently and collaboratively, you also gain experience in time management – skillsets valued by employers.
- Studying the arts teaches determination and resilience – qualities useful to any career.
- Studying art and design at school opens the door to a range of careers in the creative industries. The creative industries are an important part of the British economy – one of the areas of the economy that is still growing.
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GCSE Business |
What will I study?
There are six GCSE Business units in total. Three units studied in Year 10, namely:
- Business activity - The role of enterprise and entrepreneurship, business planning and the different types of business ownership.
- Marketing - The role of marketing, the different forms of market research and the 4Ps of marketing, which is the right PRODUCT at the right PRICE in the right PLACE using the most appropriate PROMOTION.
- People - The role of Human Resources, which can be summarised as “the right number of people, with the right skills in the right place at the right time”.
In addition, Three units in Year 11, namely:
- Operations - Production processes (how things are made), quality assurance, consumer law and business location.
- Finance £ - The role of the finance function, sources of finance, revenues, costs, profit and loss, analysing financial accounts, calculating break-even point and producing cash flow forecasts.
- Influences on business – the external influences on business such as business ethics and environmental considerations, the economic climate and globalisation (The EU etc.)
How is Business taught?
During your lessons, you will participate in many different forms of learning such as individual, paired and group work, class discussion, problem solving, research (internet/textbook), presentations and independent study.
How is GCSE Business assessed?
As well as regular homework assignments and unit tests, GCSE Assessment is via two 90-minute exams in May/June of Year 11.
- Business 1 exam paper (50% of overall GCSE grade)
- Business 2 exam paper (50% of overall GCSE grade)
Will I use computers?
Yes, all GCSE Business classes are located in computer rooms with approx. 25 computers. You will use computers for research, and to help in the presentation of your classwork activities. You will use Word, Power point, Publisher and Excel.
Will I start a business?
No, but you will learn how businesses are started, how they are organised and how they grow overtime. You will study many real-life examples of entrepreneurs and all different types of businesses.
Can I study Business at A level?
Yes, a significant number of our GCSE students choose to stay with the department and successfully study Business at A level. Many of these will choose to study some aspect of Business at University.
Why should I choose Business as one of my GCSEs?
Business is a fascinating subject, and your studies will help you better understand the “business world” that we all depend on. Everything you own is produced or supplied by businesses from all around the world. You will learn how things made, how they are advertised and how they are priced etc.
You will also learn some very practical skills that will help you later in life such as how to engage at interview, how to secure finance for future projects and business ideas as well as learning how to write an effective CV and covering letter, which could help when applying for, jobs, courses etc.