Art & Design A-Level
Sixth Form Life
What will I study?
Art & Design is not just about drawing – there are multiple skills and pathways in art to develop. We deliberately offer the art craft and design syllabus so that the range of outcomes you can make is as broad as possible.
Throughout the course you are guided through a range of creative projects, using lots of different Art Craft and Design media. Teaching is studio based, with lots of demonstrations and sharing of ideas, so you have plenty of time to acquire and develop your handling and control of materials. If you find that you particularly enjoy certain processes, you can specialise in these later on.
The course is deliberately broad and allows you to try out things that you might not have done before, with support and guidance every step along the way.
The course is called A-Level Art & Design – AQA and the specification can be found via the link below.
How Will This Subject Help Me In The Future?
There are lots of different career paths you can take, click the button below to see all of the careers that are commonly linked to this subject.
Linked Careers
There are a multitude of different creative careers out there. Explore some of these at https://icould.com/explore/categories/subject/art-and-design/
- Interior designer
- Photographer
- Fashion and Textile designer
- Jewellery buyer
- Graphic artist
- Games Designer
Are just a few, and more creative careers are emerging as technology and visual communication develops.
The bottom line is that our experience of the world is, for most of us, visual. If you can develop and refine your visual understanding, you will be better equipped to flourish in our current digital age. Pretty much every experience we have is accompanied by images. This course helps you understand and make images and objects, with reference to those made by others, since the beginning of recorded creativity.
You will acquire a range of skills and understanding that will enable you to not only make visual artefacts yourself, but also understand those made by others. This visual intelligence will equip you in all walks of life and areas of study, and will certainly give you a firm foundation for further creative studies, at the next level and beyond.
Most creative careers require you to be able to use materials and techniques in a refined way; this course enables you to demonstrate that you can.
How Will I Be Assessed?
Candidates submit a ‘Personal Investigation’ which is a project centred on an Art, Craft or Design form that interests them. This is creative work made by them, accompanied by a written essay linked to their theme, of between 1000 and 3000 words. This is 60% of their mark.
40% of the assessment is the final exam, where candidates develop a creative response to one question, over a preparatory period of 4 months. At the end of this, there are 15 studio exam hours in which to bring this preparatory work to a final conclusion. For most students, this is the highlight of their course, as they get to work like a professional does, bringing their creative ideas to a conclusion.
Can I Do A-Level If I Haven’t Already Done GCSE Art?
Yes. Many students have done this successfully. We ask you to show us a portfolio selection of any art craft and design you have made already, to discuss with us. If you are creative and want to explore and try things out, this is the course for you!
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