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Introduction
A level Art is a two year course (please note: AS Art is no longer available as of Summer 2020). The course allows for pupils to experiment and progress in a wide range of different media, ideas and approaches. The aim is to develop confidence in pupils to create ambitious and challenging work that show self-belief, personal expression and skill. There is a strong emphasis on artist studies and pupils may wish to conduct an IPQ in this area to support their work and understanding of what is a truly global subject.
Why study A level Art?
A level Art is a course for creative and skillful pupils that want to develop their talents and ability and may well be thinking about a career in the creative industries. These careers are many and varied and cover a huge range of disciplines and opportunities from design, marketing, manufacturing to theatre productions and medical illustrations (see chart below).
However, A level Art is also a great accompaniment to academic subjects as the approach to teaching and learning is very different. Indeed, a former pupil who applied for one of the Oxford University College's had a whole interview on her Art despite her applying for a degree in Law; the interviewers were keen to see that she had wide cultural appreciation and world view.
Structure of A level Art
Work in term 1 of Year 12 tends to be teacher-led projects that develop the pupils' abilities in a wide range of media and materials. The structure of this will help pupils to understand how to develop their own personal projects that follow.
Component 1: Personal Investigation - this includes a 3,000 word supporting essay.
Component 2: Externally Set Assignment - this is a themed project set by the exam board early in Term 2 of Year 13. It concludes with a 15 hour period of 'sustained focus' in which pupils work independently under exam conditions.
The weighting of the two components is as follows:
Component 1: Personal Investigation - 60% of the final marks.
Component 2: Externally Set Assignment - 40% of the final marks.
The weighting reflects the time that is given to the two components: Component 1 takes place over two terms to allow for depth in pupils' development and understanding. Component 2 is limited to just two terms in Year 13.
Careers in Art and Design
Follow this link to a fantastic resource on Careers in Creative Industries.
Please follow this link to the Edexcel Art A level specification.
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