November A Level, GCSE and International GCSE Art Update | Pearson qualifications

A Level, GCSE and International GCSE Art November update

1 November 2024

Welcome to the November update from your Subject Advisor

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To all the centres that have recently enjoyed a school break, I hope you were able to take some time to relax and recharge. I also hope that the school year is going well for everyone and that you are finding it to be productive and fulfilling.

Please take a moment to explore the resources in this update, mark the training events in your calendar, and familiarise yourself with relevant news and information. We are here to support you in creating a positive and inclusive learning environment for your students.

Thank you for your dedication and hard work. Wishing you continued success this school year!

For updates on the qualification(s) you deliver, please click on the relevant sections below.


 

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 General Updates


The January Challenge 2025

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Become a Creativity Champion!

64 Million Artists (supported by Pearson) have created a resource pack for schools to support delivery of The January Challenge 2025.

This initiative will help more students, and more teachers feel creative at school, creating a stronger sense of community, agency, wellbeing, and a capacity to engage with the curriculum.

We hope a creative January inspires a creative February and beyond!


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Art and Design Network Events

These free online events are designed to look at various aspects of teaching and learning in Art and Design and are an opportunity to discuss ideas with subject experts and fellow teachers. 

In this live network event held on 11 September 2024, our subject advisor Jaclyn Wiid introduced a range of evidence-based curriculum planning and delivery approaches in Art and Design.

The session looked at what makes a successful Art and Design curriculum for GCSE, International GCSE and A Level and explored new resources on the Pearson website to support teachers in their planning and delivery.

Art and Design Network: Curriculum Planning

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In this live network event held on 24 September 2024, a member of our senior examining team discussed the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Pearson Edexcel Art and Design qualifications.

The session explored both acceptable and inappropriate uses of AI in student portfolios, providing further explanation and visual evidence to compliment the written guidance released by Pearson.

Art and Design Network: Curriculum Planning

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5 December 2024 16:00-17:00 BST

In this online network, run by our credible specialist for Textile Design, teachers will explore a range of practical teaching and learning strategies for fostering creativity and originality in the endorsed title of Textile Design.

The session is open to all but will be particularly well suited to teachers new to delivering Textile Design through the Art and Design specification.

5 February 2025 16:30-17:30 GMT

In this online network, run by our credible specialist for Three-dimensional Design, teachers will explore practical teaching and learning strategies for promoting a creative and personal design process in the endorsed title of Three-dimensional Design. The session will be particularly well suited to teachers new to delivering Three-dimensional Design through the Art and Design specification.


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Updated Artist Directory

Check out our Artist Directory, recently updated to include more artists! This resource aims to share an initial list of artists from a variety of backgrounds and communities to help students explore a wide range of voices within different artistic traditions.

View the Artist Directory

Artist Directory

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New Pearson Edexcel Art and Design Facebook Group

We’re excited to announce the launch of our first teacher group for those teaching our GCSE, International GCSE and A level Art and Design qualifications. Created to give Art and Design teachers a private, professional space to discuss teaching and learning ideas and ask general questions, the community is run by your Art and Design Subject Advisor, Jaclyn Wiid. 

Pearson Edexcel Art and Design Facebook group

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 GCSE Art and Design Updates


Date GCSE Art and Design
21 November 2024 Deadline to submit estimated entries (to receive hardcopies of the ESA)
2 January 2025 Release of the Component 2 externally set assignment paper (ESA)
21 February 2025 Deadline for entries (late entry fees after this date)
15 May 2025 Start of moderator visits
48 hours prior to
moderation visit
Marks submitted on Edexcel Online for visiting moderation
31 May 2025

International centres only:

Marks submitted on Edexcel Online for digital moderation 

Sampled work submitted on Learner Work Transfer

27 June 2025 End of moderator visits
21 August 2025 Results day

Check out our free face-to-face coursework marking training for GCSE Art and Design, available to book 25 November 2024 - 30 January 2025 in London, Birmingham and York.

You will have the opportunity to mark actual Component 1 and Component 2 portfolios across a range of titles and levels from the most recent exam series, with senior members of the examining team guiding you through assessment decisions.

There will be opportunities to network with colleagues from other schools and discuss best practices in assessment.

The events will conclude with a Q&A where you will have the opportunity to ask our trainers any questions about the course.

If you are unable to attend our free face-to-face training events or you just want a refresher, check out our free online training for GCSE Art and Design. This training is available on demand as well as through live virtual sessions at various times to cater for different time zones.

Check out our series of bitesize videos created to support you with evidencing and assessing the assessment objectives in GCSE Art and Design.

GCSE Art and Design bitesize videos

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Privacy and cookies
By viewing this third-party content from www.youtube.com you agree to their terms and conditions, privacy notice and acknowledge they may use cookies and pixels for information and analytics gathering.

Here are some helpful resources to help you plan this school year.

Please note, our Contextual References guide has been updated to include references to more local galleries in the UK, alongside national and international institutions, as well as a more diverse range of starting points for students to explore. 

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Privacy and cookies
By viewing this third-party content from www.youtube.com you agree to their terms and conditions, privacy notice and acknowledge they may use cookies and pixels for information and analytics gathering.

Check out our Exemplar Gallery, a gallery view of our student exemplars organised by performance level and component. Designed with teachers and access in mind, it is a great way to assess and standardise internally.

Use these exemplars alongside the Taxonomy, which gives descriptors for each performance level, and the Assessment Grid to accurately assess learner work.

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GCSE Exemplar Gallery artwork

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 International GCSE Art and Design Updates


Date International GCSE Art and Design
2 January 2025 Online release of the Component 2 externally set assignment paper (ESA)
21 March 2025 Deadline for entries (late entry fees after this date)
31 May 2025 All work submitted digitally on Learner Work Transfer for external assessment
21 August 2025 Results day

Check out our series of bitesize videos created to support you with evidencing the assessment objectives in International GCSE Art and Design.

International GCSE Art and Design bitesize videos

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Privacy and cookies
By viewing this third-party content from www.youtube.com you agree to their terms and conditions, privacy notice and acknowledge they may use cookies and pixels for information and analytics gathering.

Here are some helpful resources to help you plan this school year.

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Privacy and cookies
By viewing this third-party content from www.youtube.com you agree to their terms and conditions, privacy notice and acknowledge they may use cookies and pixels for information and analytics gathering.

Check out our Exemplar Gallery, a gallery view of our student exemplars organised by performance band and component. Designed with teachers and access in mind, it is a great way aid the understanding of marks within the centre.

Please note, this qualification is 100% externally assessed and has no requirement for internal assessment. However, if a centre chooses to conduct formative assessment, it is important that the assessment objectives are assessed equally in an integrated and holistic way using these exemplars alongside the assessment grid and taxonomy.

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International GCSE Art and Design (2017) Exemplar Gallery

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 A Level Art and Design Updates


Date A Level Art and Design
21 November 2024 Deadline to submit estimated entries (to receive hardcopies of the ESA)
1 February 2025 Release of the Component 2 externally set assignment paper (ESA)
21 February 2025 Deadline for entries (late entry fees after this date)
15 May 2025 Start of moderator visits
48 hours prior to
moderation visit
Marks submitted on Edexcel Online for visiting moderation
31 May 2025

International centres only:

Marks submitted on Edexcel Online for digital moderation 

Sampled work submitted on Learner Work Transfer

27 June 2025 End of moderator visits
14 August 2025 Results day

Check out our free face-to-face training for A Level Art and Design, available to book 28 November 2024 - 6 February 2025 in London and York.

You will have the opportunity to mark actual Component 1 and Component 2 portfolios across a range of titles and levels from the most recent exam series, with senior members of the examining team guiding you through assessment decisions.

There will be opportunities to network with colleagues from other schools and discuss best practices in assessment.

The events will conclude with a Q&A where you will have the opportunity to ask our trainers any questions about the course.

If you are unable to attend our free face-to-face training events or you just want a refresher, check out our free online training for A Level Art and Design. This training is available on demand as well as through live virtual sessions at various times to cater for different time zones.

Check out our series of bitesize videos created to support you with evidencing and assessing the assessment objectives in GCSE Art and Design.

A Level Art and Design bitesize videos

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Privacy and cookies
By viewing this third-party content from www.youtube.com you agree to their terms and conditions, privacy notice and acknowledge they may use cookies and pixels for information and analytics gathering.

Here are some helpful resources to help you plan this school year.

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Privacy and cookies
By viewing this third-party content from www.youtube.com you agree to their terms and conditions, privacy notice and acknowledge they may use cookies and pixels for information and analytics gathering.

Check out our Exemplar Gallery, a gallery view of our student exemplars organised by performance level and component. Designed with teachers and access in mind, it is a great way to assess and standardise internally. We also have voiceovers available for some performance level 6 (exceptional) portfolios.

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Use these exemplars alongside the Performance Calculators, which give descriptors for each performance level, and the Assessment Grid to accurately assess learner work.

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A Level Exemplar Gallery artwork

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 A Level History of Art Updates


Check out our new resource:

These lists are designed to suggest a range of sources to inspire students. They are not exhaustive and the 2017 lists still remain valid.

History of Art Scope of work lists

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Date A Level History of Art
21 February 2025 Deadline for entries (late entry fees after this date)
19 May 2025 Paper 1: Visual analysis and themes (PM)
2 June 2025 Paper 2: Periods (AM)
14 August 2025 Results day

These are some resources on the qualification course materials pages to support you with planning and delivery.

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Check our our support videos to help you with delivering various aspects of the specification.

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View the question papers and mark schemes for previous assessment series to help inform future teaching and delivery.

You will need an Edexcel Online login to access any padlocked secure materials and these are managed by your Exams Officer.

Association for Art History

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The Association for Art History will be hosting their annual Ways of Seeing conference for all A level History of Art teachers and students on 23 November 2024. The day includes talks, discussions and workshops on ways of thinking about art in relation to a specific theme.

Book the Ways of Seeing 2024 conference


 

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 Helpful Resources and Inspiration

Importance of the Arts in Education

The importance of the arts in education and the value they bring to young people is at the heart of what we do. Designing courses that give students an authentic creative experience is a priority and it is vital that we continue to raise the profile of our subjects in education and beyond. As such, below is a range of external resources invaluable to your wider curriculum development.

NSEAD

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NSEAD iJADE 2024 Conference

This year’s iJADE conference will be held in partnership with Liverpool Hope University, with the theme of Peace. This event will take place online 7 November 2024 and in person 9 November 2024 in Liverpool.

Book the iJADE 2024 conference

Art UK Audio Descriptions

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Audio Descriptions of Artwork

Did you know that Art UK provides audio descriptions of artworks? These valuable resources not only assist individuals with visual impairments but also aid all learners in developing a deeper comprehension of artworks.

Check out Art UKs audio description resources 

Association for Art History

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Ways of Seeing Conference

The Association for Art History will be hosting their annual Ways of Seeing conference for all A level History of Art teachers and students on 23 November 2024. The day includes talks, discussions and workshops on ways of thinking about art in relation to a specific theme.

Book the Ways of Seeing 2024 conference

The Superpower of Looking

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The Superpower of Looking NEW Resource

Art UK has published a new, free resource to encourage visual literacy, taking the world of art and images as its starting point. The Superpower of Looking: a powerful portrait by Kehinde Wiley focuses on Wiley's 2020 painting 'Portrait of Melissa Thompson'. 

View the free teaching resource from Art UK

V&A Innovate

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V&A Innovate

V&A Innovate is an annual National Schools Challenge, asking students in years 7, 8 and 9 to work in teams of 4 – 6 to design a solution to a real-world problem. Deadline for entry is 10 January 2025.

Learn more and register to take part 

Art Bytes

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Art Bytes

Art Bytes is a national art and EdTech programme for primary, secondary and SEND schools, combining an inter-school art competition with a bespoke virtual gallery. It aims to nurture talent, raise ambition and develop confidence, as well as support mental health and help develop vital skills for future employment.

Learn more about Art Bytes 

Dryad How-To Guides

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Free How-To Guides

The eduction supplier Dryad publishes a series of free how-to guides, centered around a wide range of artistic mediums including printmaking, painting, drawing, and more. These guides offer helpful tutorials for both educators and learners alike.

Explore the free How-To Guides

Arts Council England

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Culture and Place Data Explorer

The Arts Council England have launched an interactive tool help build a detailed picture of what culture and creativity looks like in a specific area. The Culture and Place Data Explorer can instantly produce detailed reports and dashboards of local authority areas with local, regional and national comparisons.

Learn more about the Culture and Place Data Explorer tool


 

Thank you!

I hope you found this update useful. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me and the team using the contact details below. 


You can also sign up to get these Art, Design & Media updates straight to your inbox every month.

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