Yr 9 Options Talk ART

What’s in it for me?

Studying a creative subject you love in greater depth Exploring ideas, themes, artists and media of personal interest to you A structure and focus so that you can really begin to develop your own ideas and work in an independent way, using a wide choice of media No written exam to do. All of your Art coursework will be completed by the beginning of May (some students will have finished by March)

Studying in a very successful department We get amazing results! 84 % of Art GCSE students got A/A* UK average is 28% A*-A (100% A*-C) A2 Results - 100% pass rate A-C Fantastic facilities – e.g. Photography, Ceramics, Oil painting, Screen Printing, Film All of our A level students who applied to Art degree and Foundation Art courses got places Destinations were Central St Martins, Leeds University, Kingston University, Camberwell College of Art, Edinburgh College of Art, London College of Communication, Ravensbourne, Falmouth, Brighton, Ruskin School of Drawing Oxford University, Princes’ Drawing school All of these are highly competitive and among the top art colleges to study Art Recent students have gone on to study Architecture at colleges such as at Oxford Brookes (many of these colleges prefer students to have Art A level) A number of our students have gone on to study other subjects such as Natural Sciences at Cambridge, following study on Art foundation

Art and Design graduates are employed as Architects, product designers, jewellery designers, fashion designers, photographers, teachers, graphic designers, interior designers and website designers. They work in multi-media, publishing, advertising, museums and galleries, computer graphics, fashion, the film industry – the list is endless. Creative industries employ 400,200 in London and generate £16 - £20 billion in revenue a year.  1 in 4 new jobs are in the creative industries Having a GCSE in Art can lead to these careers and also be useful for all of your other subjects too, helping you to creatively develop ideas, articulate ideas visually and even help with basic things like drawing diagrams and improving the general presentation of your work for all of your subjects.

About the course…

1 Externally set assignment worth 40% I unit of coursework (portfolio unit) worth 60% could include work in any medium including photography, ceramics, printmaking, sculpture, film, etc. 1 Externally set assignment worth 40% AQA Exam board issue externally set assignment (usually 8 questions) Practical NOT WRITTEN. Students prepare then do 10 hours under exam conditions to create a final piece in March of Year 11

Develop and refine ideas independently write and draw these in your sketchbook

Experiment and analyse (write about) artists and their own work

Record –, photograph, draw document…

Create final pieces that are personal, meaningful and make connections to the work of other artists

NRA day GCSE exhibition

Current GCSE students say… It’s not just all drawing and you don’t have to be excellent at it, e.g. we can use the new Photography facilities to explore our ideas When we started oil painting in Year 10 I felt like a real artist It’s not as much work as I thought it would be and I love it! If you are interested in expanding your knowledge and learning new techniques then this is the course for you It is fun and the work you put in really pays off Your end result is always your best, it helps you realise your creative side! It gives you a break from essay subjects

Find out more on our blog…link on the VLE

What ex-students said... “I took A level Art from 2009-2011. After leaving Grey Coat I first took the Art foundation course at Central Saint Martins and then went onto studying the Textile Design BA at Chelsea College of Art and Design. I am currently in my second year. I think studying art isn’t to be avoided because you are told it’s impractical and won’t land you a job in the end. If it’s something that you enjoy then go for it. It’s a way to express yourself creatively and also is a nice balance between other more “technical” subjects which can sometimes feel like an information overload. Art and design is a part of everything we do and is therefore relevant to everyone. From your Oyster card holder in your jacket pocket to the wallpaper on your iPhone to billboards in the street. The list is endless. Even if you don’t want to continue with art in the future; it can be a useful skill for other subjects. It allowed me to gain another perspective of the world and start to view life in general differently. I feel like my eye has been trained to notice value in even the most mundane, so that I can gain inspiration from anything. Studying Art has sometimes pushed me out of my comfort zone which has helped me to gain in confidence and take on things I wouldn’t have had the chance to experience before. Such as studying on exchange in New York for 4 months and visiting international trade shows in Paris.”

Giorgia McAllister left Grey Coat to become a Pastry Chef and, even though she didn’t study Art at degree level she talks below about how it has helped her in her career. “I studied art at Grey Coat from my GCSEs in 2006/7 through to the end of A2 in 2010. After finishing my A levels, having known for a few years that I wanted to work with food, I started working full time making desserts in restaurants and more recently a cake shop and have gone from commis chef all the way through to sous baker. I’ve worked with people that have given me incredible opportunities like assisting in food styling shoots for Ottolenghi’s column in the Guardian and have even been able to bake for people like Jamie Oliver and the Beckhams. Taking Art early on really helped me develop my style and aesthetic – something that is really useful in my job. I think regardless of your end career choice any medium of art is a great outlet and a way to learn to express yourself and develop your creativity, whatever your interests.”