Fiducia TogetherAnnotation
Writing on your own work about what you did, why, and what next.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
Annotation is the written commentary alongside visual work: intentions, techniques used, evaluation, and the next step.
Where it applies
GCSE art, photography, textiles, DT and food.
How it works
It is how you evidence the objectives that are not visible in the image — your intentions, your evaluation, your understanding of sources.
How to use it in your work
Answer three questions every time: what did I do, why, and what will I do next.
Use the formal elements vocabulary. Generic praise of your own work scores nothing.
Short and specific beats long and vague. Three sentences that say something concrete are worth more than a paragraph of "I think this went well".
Where to get help
Your teacher and your board's assessment criteria — these subjects are marked against four or five stated objectives, and reading them is the single most useful hour you can spend.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- The Art Song The GCSE art topics and terminology, set to music.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.