HomeSixth FormSixth Form CurriculumArt & Design – Fine Art

Art & Design – Fine Art

Course content

Component 1: Personal investigation

In year 12 students will complete a Foundation stage working in different areas of fine art: drawing, painting, collage, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. This is supplemented with lessons in critical and contextual studies and trips to central London galleries. Students will develop personal responses to the theme Culture and Society. The development of ideas is documented in a sketchbook and the project culminates in an ambitious final piece.

In year 13 students develop their personal investigation further, creating work based on an idea, issue, concept or theme leading to a finished outcome or a series of related finished outcomes. Practical elements should make connections with some aspect of contemporary or past practice of artists and/or photographers and include written work of no less than 1000 and no more than 3000 words which supports the practical work.

Component 2: Externally Set Assignment

The title for the A-Level Fine Art exam project will be released in early February. Students have a period of 8-10 weeks (plus the spring half term and Easter holiday) to develop ideas through preparatory studies before spending two days in the department realising a final outcome as part of the 15 hours, controlled assessment.

Year 12

Foundation – Culture and Society

Exploring personal ideas independently through 4-week introductory workshops.

Autumn:

drawing
sculpture
painting

Spring:

printmaking
film/photography
collage

Summer:

gallery visits, artist talks
prepare for A2 Personal Investigation.
presentations

Critical and contextual lessons to support understanding and written analysis of modern and contemporary art concepts. ‘Ways of Seeing’ John Berger.

Year 13

Autumn:

Personal Investigation, written and practical components

3 strands on chosen theme of interest
five-hour HW pieces completed
complete first draft of essay
Foundation/degree applications

Spring:

complete final draft of essay and present through Blurb books or Photo Box
develop and refine area of interest
complete final piece(s) mock exam

Summer:

Exam unit

What have students who have taken this course in the past progressed to?

Successful A level Art students can go on to study on a range of Art & Design foundation and degree courses, nationally and internationally, and train in their area of specialisation, before going on to become an Artist, Designer, Architect, or Arts Professional in a broad variety of specialist areas.

The creative and cultural Arts industries express and reflect the importance of creativity and culture in our society. All around us artists create the world we inhabit, and contribute to a thriving and important industry which has a vast range of exciting career options and choices. These can include working in Fine Art, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, or Architecture, for example, as well as many other possible creative Art & Design jobs and careers.

A number of our A Level art students have gone onto study art related subjects:

Architecture at Westminster
Architecture at Kingston
Architecture at Edinburgh
Interior Design at Camberwell
Foundation in art at Camberwell
Illustration at UAL

A strong Art training can also develop highly valuable transferable skills, including creative ideas development, independent problem-solving, contextual interpretation, and visual communication, as well as organisational, presentation, and team-working skills.

A number of our Art Students have gone on to study none art related degrees:

English Literature
Politics
Medicine
Computer science
Law
Psychology
Business

How will I learn?

You will have six periods a week of taught lessons which are normally three double lessons. We expect you to arrive punctually, ready to work and equipped with materials you need to complete work. As an Advanced Level student, you must be independent and working ambitiously outside of your sketchbook, making artwork in response to your area of interest that stretches and challenges you.

Sketchbooks are vital and are used mostly outside of lessons for you to push independent work forward. Research and writing is on-going throughout the course and most of this will be completed in your own time.

Art trips are arranged throughout the year to central London galleries and students are encouraged to visit and document relevant exhibitions independently in their own time.

How will I be assessed?

Students receive feedback regularly throughout the course so that they are clear about how to progress and develop their ideas further. Feedback takes a variety of forms: written assessment and next steps advice, self assessment, one-to-one tutorials, and group critiques in which students present their work to their peers.

The coursework unit (Personal Investigation) forms 60% of the overall mark for A-Level. Students begin developing ideas for this in year 12 and complete this component in the autumn and spring terms in year 13. The externally set exam component is completed in the summer term of year 13 and is worth 40% of the overall mark for the A-Level.

All student work will be assessed against the following Assessment Objectives.

Assessment Objective 1 – Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding
Assessment Objective 2 – Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops
Assessment Objective 3 – Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress
Assessment Objective 4 – Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements

How much time should I be expected to spend on assignments, projects, field trips etc.?

It’s important that you complete five hours of homework per week including research and practical. With your fellow students you will organise group visits to galleries at least once every half term.

Which awarding body is the course validation by?

AQA Fine Art 7202

Expected prior knowledge

You will need a 6 or above at GCSE art, (a five dependent on department approval) and enjoy the combination of practical, technical, creative, and contextual demands involved in such a practical, coursework-laden subject.

Most important, you should enjoy the process of developing your skills, ideas and understanding, as you progress through the course. Successful students are hungry to improve and diversify their expressive skills, supported by their teacher’s advice and guidance. You will need inspiration, perseverance, good time management, and independent working skills to realise your full creative potential.