Good skills in Graphics are the basis on which to build design. Shape, form, colour, perspective are all crucial ingredients to producing design work that is creative, well thought out and easily understood.

 

In Year 7 the students follow a specific Graphics module to give them the skills they need for producing creative design work. They are taught how to draw in isometric and oblique view; how colour is used to make products that target a specific customer; how to shade and render their drawings. They are also shown how to use ‘ProDesk Top’ and ‘2D Design’ (CAD, computer aided design programmes).

 

Graphics is then incorporated into the Resistant Materials schemes of work for the rest of KS3.

 

At KS4 the students can choose to take GCSE Graphic Products. At Passmores we use the AQA exam board for this subject. This GCSE is taken by a wide variety of students who always seem to enjoy the tasks set and they feel a real sense of achievement when they produce a well drawn and rendered piece of work. There are a wide range of products that can be designed and made for their final product and this is supported by an A3 design portfolio. As with all ‘making’ subjects the quality of the outcome (and therefore the grade) depends upon the time and effort put in by the student.