These portfolios have been verified as within the Excellence grade range.

These portfolios present evidence that meet the criteria consistent with The New Zealand Curriculum, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007. Criteria relate to the following strands in Visual Arts, Level 6: Understanding the Arts in Context; Developing Practical Knowledge; Developing Ideas; Communicating and Interpreting.

These candidates have shown the ability to:

• work fluently with a higher degree of technical and conceptual understanding
• take risks, experiment and explore new options
• reflect on and recognise strengths in their work and use these to advance ideas.

Student 1

This portfolio has been verified as placed in the middle of the Excellence grade range as it clearly fulfils the criteria for Excellence:

this submission shows clarification and regeneration in the use and reworking between briefs of patterns, colour, geometric forms, its own photography, and textures.  It has a consistency of style, and fluent exploration and application of conventions of typography and layout as appropriate to the conventions of each brief.  There are sufficient briefs to allow for regeneration and advancement of ideas in new directions.

Student 2

This has presented sufficient evidence to achieve Excellence but would be placed more securely in the grade range if:

• the logo brief had been reviewed and developed in the context of the more sophisticated outcomes evident in subsequent briefs
• the candidate reflected on source material and established practice which informed its development and its successes, for clarification and regeneration of ideas.

These portfolios have been verified as within the Merit grade range.

These portfolios present evidence that meet the criteria consistent with The New Zealand Curriculum, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007. Criteria relate to the following strands in Visual Arts, Level 6: Understanding the Arts in Context; Developing Practical Knowledge; Developing Ideas; Communicating and Interpreting.

These candidates have shown the ability to:

• establish a clearly defined proposition, which is supported with sufficient source material and an understanding of established practice
• work thoroughly and consistently in exploring concepts, developing and extending ideas
• use appropriate media with suitable technical competency.

Student 3

This is approaching Excellence as it shows some evidence of:

• cohesion in its use of colour branding and abstract form
• some refinement of ideas in the use of circular geometric forms

To be awarded Excellence it would need more evidence of:

• advancing the proposition in distinct, new or diverse directions in order to regenerate convincingly
• regenerate and use a greater depth and range of source imagery across the submission.

Student 4

This has been verified as placed in the middle of the Merit grade range as it clearly fulfils the criteria for Merit

• the folio advances ideas within and between a number of briefs
• the pictorial and conceptual purpose is clearly established
• The candidate is working at the appropriate level in terms of media and techniques.

Student 5

This has presented sufficient evidence to achieve Merit but would be placed more securely in the grade range if:

• a wider ranger range and depth of source material had been generated and used
• established practice was more effectively understood and utilised in resolving briefs by moving beyond generic conventions of layout and typography. 

These portfolios have been verified as within the Achieved grade range.

These portfolios present evidence that meet the criteria consistent with The New Zealand Curriculum, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007. Criteria relate to the following strands in Visual Arts,
Level: 6 Understanding the Arts in Context; Developing Practical Knowledge; Developing Ideas; Communicating and Interpreting.

These candidates have shown the ability to:

• work systematically within and/or between briefs
• use media and processes at the appropriate curriculum level
• order and sequence work
• use conventions and/ or established practice to inform their work

Student 6

This is approaching Merit level performance as it shows some evidence of:

• clarity of purpose, and an overall aesthetic based on a theme
• use of established practice in greater depth in some briefs
• purposeful selecting, editing and ordering of works and engagement in an authentic design process through competent use of digital and hand-made media.

To be awarded Merit it would need more evidence of:

• greater clarification of purpose using specific design conventions, and understanding on the final brief
• sustained competency in the use of media as appropriate to purpose and to develop a consistency between briefs
• some clarification of ideas which may have been helped by a written brief.

Student 7

This has been verified as placed in the middle of the Achieved grade range as it clearly fulfils the criteria for Achievement:

the submission is methodical in its approach, using the lightbulb imagery in various forms across the briefs.  It shows consideration of a colour palette which is appropriate to its environmental theme, and explores variation of this.  Established practice is evident in the work and has informed the advancement of ideas and techniques. The candidate is able to produce a related series of works.

Student 8

This has presented sufficient evidence to Achieve but would be placed more securely in the Achieved grade range if:

• a higher level of technical facility was evident in the generation of ideas
• ideas were explored through the use of a broader range of design conventions
• ideas were advanced further and a greater number of stages of development was evident