Summer 2022 NEA: GCSE, AS and A Level Art and Design
31 March 2022
Karl Goodere-Dale, Art and Design Subject Advisor
Here at OCR we’ve had lots of queries from centres in recent weeks about marking non-exam assessment (NEA) for GCSE, AS and A Level Art and Design.
There have been questions about how to apply the mark scheme. This isn’t surprising as it hasn’t been assessed for two years, so a larger number of teachers than normal will be submitting marks for moderation for the first time. We’ve also had questions about administrative requirements, and most particularly about whether any allowances should be made when marking for the abnormal and difficult circumstances many students have had to contend with while completing their assignments.
Regarding that last point, the JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications) has recently released guidance, which makes it clear that all NEA must be marked in the same way as before the pandemic disruption. This is really important, as it will help ensure that all students’ work is marked to the same standards.
As the JCQ guidance also says, the 2022 grading process that takes place after marking, when the grade boundaries are set, will provide a safety net. So please don’t think that by marking your students’ work to pre-pandemic standards this year, you are in any way doing them an injustice. (For more on 2022 grading, please see this Ofqual article from September last year.)
In the light of that recent JCQ announcement, and the queries we’ve had from you, we thought it would be helpful to provide a quick summary of the support available to ensure that you are marking to the correct standard.
Guides to applying the mark scheme
There are several resources that will help you have confidence in your application of the mark scheme for Component 01 in Art and Design:
- A free online marking course is available on OCR Train. This can be completed in your own time and includes a series of activities designed to ensure that you are correctly allocating levels to pieces of work.
- Our exemplar material will assist you in determining marking levels of the assessment grid for art and design component 01:
- Remember to use the assessment grid for teachers PDF
- Finally, do refer to the moderators’ reports on component 01, which are published after each series, and which often include pointers on marking and annotation. You can access these on the Assessment section of the qualification webpages for GCSE 9-1, AS Level and A Level Art and Design.
Administrative points to remember
General information on NEA administration is available on our website.
For Art and Design specifically, there are a couple of points to remember:
- We know that this time of year becomes a stressful one as students begin to conclude their Art and Design work and your focus shifts to assessing. Then the focus switches again to the visiting moderation and all the things that entails, so please revisit this blog about visiting moderation for Art and Design!
- An interactive centre marks form is available for each qualification level. While it’s not compulsory to use this it is highly recommended to limit administration errors, and many teachers find it helpful.
Looking forward to next year’s cohort
We hope that you and your students are experimenting with lots of different artistic techniques. This will provide them with good foundations for their final projects and develop skills for the return of the externally set task component 02. Each year we’re really impressed to see the range and diversity in the artwork submitted.
Remember, there is various support available for students when they come to think about their assignments:
- You can browse previously set titles from component 02, the externally set task; for example “Contrast”, a theme in the 2018 GCSE Art and Design. These themes from previous years can be used as the themes for students’ projects. These are available on the Assessment section of our qualification pages.
- For your A Level candidates there is a blog about the delivery of the related study with teacher and moderator tips that you might wish to revisit.
- Make the most of all our range of resources from SOWs, delivery guides, teacher guides, Twitter daily videos on techniques, candidate exemplars and so much more – even complete walkthroughs of the specifications and marking activities using OCR Train.
- Finally, we will, as always, be offering CPD courses, so keep an eye on the Professional development section of our website. Be sure to have signed up for Art and Design updates (details below) to get details of when these become available.
Stay connected
If you have any questions, you can email us at art&design@ocr.org.uk , call us on 01223 553998 or tweet us @OCR_ArtDesign. You can also sign up to subject updates and receive email information about resources and support.
About the author
Before joining OCR in September 2019, Karl taught creative subjects in both art and design technology for 12 years. With experience with a variety of roles in secondary schools, including as a head of department, he has a wealth of knowledge and experience in teaching creative subjects at GCSE, A Level and BTEC. He has also previously worked as one of our examiners.