In the first year of GCSE, students either work on one long project based on the theme of the year and will produce several outcomes as a result of sustained enquiry, or produce two projects.

This year sketchbook work should be more independent and a natural method for exploring ideas and collecting and researching information. By the second project students should be showing greater evidence of ownership of both ideas and development.

The coursework is made up of two units of work. At present pupils produce one body of work derived from their life-drawing classes and one main studio based unit.

Coursework consists of a major assignment in which pupils create individual solutions from a variety of starting points. These starting points could be as a result of their discoveries at AS or from life drawing, art society lectures, gallery visits, workshops, Art weekends in the Highlands and Islands or abroad, or purely from a personally discovered interest.

The final piece of work will usually be ambitious in scale and conception.