Art A Level

Board: Pearson Edexcel

You need GCSE grade 5 or above in Art & Design, although students with a portfolio of work will be considered on an individual basis.

The aim of the course is to encourage independence and individuality. The course offers students the opportunity to discover how to express their own ideas and styles in a creative, imaginative and personal way. Students will experiment with abstract, figurative and symbolic approaches to visual communication using a whole range of approaches including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography and computer manipulation (Photoshop). Individuals will also develop their ability to analyse and evaluate their own work and the artwork of others.

Studying Art will open up many opportunities, including Animation (stop motion, cartoons, digital, games), Architecture, Art Therapy, Ceramics, Conservation/Restoration, Fashion & Textiles, Film & Television, Fine Art (public art, painting, sculpture etc.), Gallery/Museum Curator, Graphic Designer, Glass Artist, Illustration, Photography and Set Design.

Component 1—Portfolio (60%)

The emphasis of this component will be on the development of understanding and skills using an appropriate range of materials, processes and techniques. Each student must include in his or her portfolio:

• A selection of thoughtfully presented work, demonstrating a variety of skills and techniques
• At least one extended collection of work or project, based on an idea, concept, theme or issue. This should demonstrate the student’s ability to sustain work from an initial starting point to a realisation. It should include evidence of their ability to research and develop ideas and link their work in a meaningful way to relevant critical/contextual materials.
• Personal Study – extended written essay between 1,000 - 3,000 words based on areas studied within the practical work (12%)

Component 2—Externally set assignment (40%) Separate question papers will be provided for each title. These will consist of a choice of five questions to be used as starting points. Students are required to select one. Preparatory period – from 1 February Following receipt of the paper students should consider the starting points and select one. Preparatory work should be presented in any suitable format, such as mounted sheets, design sheets, sketchbooks, workbooks, journals etc. Supervised time – 15 hours Following the preparatory period, students must complete 15 hours of unaided, supervised time. They must produce a finished outcome or a series of related finished outcomes, informed by their preparatory work. Students will go on a variety of gallery and city visits to record experiences and ideas.

There will also be the opportunity to visit a European city of culture for 3 days in March. Previous visits have included Barcelona and Berlin

For more information about the course, please see Mrs Thomas