Course information download

Qualification Level: A level

Qualification Duration: 2 years

Exam Board: AQA

Intro:

A Level Fine Art provides you with the opportunity to develop personal responses to ideas, observations, experiences and cultures. We encourage students to be ambitious with their outcomes. You will produce a portfolio of work which demonstrates your skills, knowledge and understanding of Fine Art through drawing, painting, printmaking, photography and multimedia approaches. You will have the opportunity to attend contemporary art exhibitions or other relevant areas of interest that will inform your learning practise. Within your classes you will receive personalised feedback and support on a 1-1 basis each lesson. Next steps advice will be offered and additional support always available. If you wish to continue onto Further or Higher Education, we run portfolio sessions to advise on interviews and presentation of work. The department has 100% success rate for all students who have applied for Art College and Higher Education.

Year one content:

You will produce a portfolio of practical work demonstrating a broad range of technical approaches and themes. Work will be based on gallery visits prior to the start of the course and during the Autumn Term. The department hold strong links with Reading University and organise practical workshops at the Institute of Education Art Department with their artist-in-residence. This gives students the opportunity to use materials and equipment at Art College level. This foundation year will enable our art students to develop their personal style and recognise the art discipline they wish to follow in-depth during year two.

Year two content:

Component 1: Personal Investigation

You will produce a comprehensive body of work on a theme or artist of your choice leading to a final outcome. As well as practical work the Personal Investigation is also supported by a written study of 3,000 words. This will be introduced in the Summer Term of the first year of the A level course.

Component 2: Externally Set Assignment

During the Spring Term you will produce a project based on a chosen topic. The themes are wide ranging, giving you the opportunity to use any appropriate materials to produce an ambitious personal response within fifteen hours of supervised time.

Trips and other costs:

At the start of the course you will be given the opportunity to purchase art materials through the department. We also arrange a number of trips throughout the 2 year A-level course which in previous years have included; Tate galleries, Pitt Rivers, Natural History Museum, Royal Academy, V&A etc. We organise practical workshops at Reading University, their graduates also visit our art students to show their portfolios and discuss future pathways.

Career and further study:

An Art Foundation course, Higher National Diplomas and Honours Degrees have all proved popular with previous students. Job opportunities include: Graphic Design, Illustration, Fashion, Web/Games Design, Architecture, Photojournalism, Product Design, Film, Photography, Ceramics, Special Effects, Sculpture and a vast range of other creative areas.