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Art & Design

6th Form

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Art and Design A Level is an exciting subject covering a wide range of media and art experiences.  Students work in many areas including textiles and 3-dimensional design as well as the more traditional drawing and painting in oils, acrylic etc. Work is project-based, beginning with research, then experimentation and development of compositions and outcomes.  Students are trained in concepts and techniques and are expected to show commitment and a real interest in the subject.  There is the opportunity to visit galleries in this country and abroad to reinforce and stimulate students' own work.

 

COURSE CONTENT

AS UNITS:

Unit 1

(Coursework)

Students develop recording skills using formal elements including line, tone, colour, pattern etc.  They analyse the work of others and review their own progress.  Finally they produce a personal response in the form of a final outcome.
 

Unit 2

(Externally Set Assignment)

Here the students generate ideas after carrying out appropriate research.  Requirements of the unit include preparatory work (including sketchbooks) and the student's unaided work produced under examination conditions in a period of five hours.

 

A2 UNITS:

Unit 3

Unit 3 has two elements: practical work and a personal study.  In the practical element students pursue their own creative ideas in a chosen area of art that holds a special interest for them, which must be linked to the personal study.  In the personal study the student researches and establishes sustainable links between their own work and that of other artists.  It usually takes the form of a study in a sketchbook with a written text of between 1000 and 3000 words.

Unit 4

(Externally Set Assignment)

The Externally Set Assignment represents the culmination of the Advanced GCE course in Art and Design.  Requirements of the unit include preparatory work (including sketchbooks) and the student's unaided work produced under examination conditions in a period of fifteen hours.

 

CAREER POSSIBILITIES

Art A Level is an important qualification in any area of employment that requires a creative mind.  It is necessary for entry onto an art Foundation Course, a prerequisite for most university art courses, and is recognised by universities as an academic Advanced Level for entry into a wide range of courses in non art-based subjects.

 

GCSE GRADE PROFILE

Students wishing to study this subject will normally have gained grades from A* to C in a range of GCSE subjects including Art and Design.