A Level Art & Design
Art and Design is for people who enjoy creating works of art and have a talent for doing so. The syllabus is very broad, which enables students to focus on virtually any aspect of art.
AS LEVEL: The teacher chooses the theme of the first component in September and work begins. The second is set by the examining body and starts in early February, when you produce practical project work, followed by a 10-hour practical exam in which a final piece, or pieces, are produced.
A LEVEL: The first component includes a 1,500-3,000 word illustrated essay about an artist or art movement of your choice, where you are encouraged to develop your imagination, artistic and investigative skills as well as your ability to critique your own work. The second component is an Externally Set Assignment and involves a practical project of work and development, concluding with a 15-hour exam (in which the final piece is produced).
All students studying A Levels should have at least five GCSEs at grade 9 – 5 in academic subjects, including English Language at grade 5.
Two of these should be grade 6. Specifically for Art you will need to have GCSE Art at grade 5 or above OR Level 2 BTEC Art and Design at Merit or above. If you do not have a GCSE or BTEC in Art, you will need to show evidence of your artistic commitment through a portfolio of work.
AS Level (Year 1):
In April/May there will be a 10-hour supervised session during which you will produce a Final Piece of work derived from the developmental work you have produced as a response to your selected exam question. Most of the work is practical, but detailed and coherent annotation of your work is also required. Everything the student produces during the year is assessed.
As A Level Art and Design is a Linear course, the marks for the AS year are not included as part of the overall A Level grade. The final A Level result is based only on the two projects of work undertaken in the second year of the course. In April/May there will be a 15-hour exam. All the work produced during the year is assessed, including the piece(s) produced during the exam.
Students who wish to pursue art as part of a career path will usually continue to a one-year Foundation course in Art followed by a degree in a particular field such as: Fine Art (painting, print, sculpture, video), Photography, Fashion and/ or Textiles, Graphic and Media Design, Product Design or Ceramics. Art can be useful to a whole series of different careers including product design, graphic design, design, illustration, TV advertising and website design.
LISA BECKLEY
- BA (Hons) Craft/Applied Art from Manchester Metropolitan University
- Over 14 years’ experience lecturing Art & Design and Textiles
- Students have progressed to Goldsmiths, London and other prestigious universities
KEENIA DYER-WILLIAMS
• AAA in Art & Design A-Level, English Language & Literature A Level, Media Studies A Level
• 1st Class degree in English and Creative Writing from the University of Birmingham
• Created blog content for Missguided and ArtsBrum guide
• Now Communications Officer for Bioregional