SIXTH FORM

A-Level Art and Design - Fine Art

Board: OCR

Course Entry Requirements: A Grade 5 in Art

General Course Description:
The aims of the course are to encourage candidates to develop: Intellectual, imaginative, creative and intuitive powers. Investigative, analytical, experimental, practical, technical and expressive skills, aesthetic understanding and critical judgement. The experience of working with a broad range of media, including traditional and new media and technologies.

Knowledge, understanding and application of art, craft, design, media (traditional and new) and technologies in contemporary and past societies and cultures.

Year 12- Art and Design (Fine Art)

During the first stage of Year 12, Art students will produce a number of pieces of work. The focus of this work is to build on the knowledge, skills and understanding of the students and to begin to understand what is required of them at A level. This will involve exploration of materials and techniques, research and acquisition of skills and techniques.

During the next phase of study Year 12 Art students will be given the task of completing a programme of work that requires an independent and creative approach. They will have the opportunity to select their own areas of interest from which they will develop a series of work and an outcome or series of outcomes. This can lead into the work which will be completed as part of the student’s A level portfolio.

Students are not required to submit any coursework or complete an Externally Set Task during Year 12.

Year 13- Art and Design (Fine Art)

For A Level, there are two components of study:

Component 1- Personal Investigation (60% of total A level).

This component comprises two discrete but linked elements. This unit of work will begin toward the end of Year 12. Students will submit a portfolio of practical work showing their personal response to a starting point from a selection outlined by the school or from one arrived at through discussion with teaching staff. The focus of the work should show a high level of exploration, research, acquisition of techniques and skills.

Included in Component 1 is a related study. This is a separate piece of work that relates to the practical work of Component 1. It is an extended piece of research in response to the chosen starting point and has a written requirement of at least 1000 words. Learners may produce the related study in an appropriate form of which the following are some examples: an illustrated essay, digital presentation/ blog, illustrated study sheets or written report.

Component 2 - Externally Set task – (40% of Total A Level)

For the Externally Set task students select one starting point from a paper released in February. There will be time for students to plan and prepare their work structured around the skills, knowledge and understanding developed throughout the Personal Investigation (Component 1). They will then be given 15 hours of controlled time to realise their ideas into an outcome or outcomes.

Career Pathways

The course is good preparation for a range of art and design degree and diploma courses; leading to a career in art and design, media, film and television, ICT, advertising or teaching.