A Level - Art & Design - Fine Art

What you'll study

Your A level grade will comprise of a personal investigation which is worth 60% of your final grade and an externally assessed task worth 40%.  During your A level course you will work independently with guidance and support from your teachers to complete a series of workshops, a mini project and a main, personal investigation unit; responding in an informed and creative manner, you will produce a portfolio of practical work that demonstrates skill, technique and creativity.

During your personal investigation we will guide you through a design process where you will complete a thoughtful and detailed investigation, recording, exploring and experimenting with a diverse range of 2D and 3D media, whilst making informed choices and decisions, developing specific design ideas and presenting a personal and meaningful final outcome based upon your personal investigation findings.

In addition to the portfolio of practical work you will need to produce a written investigation of between 1000 and 3000 words, this will relate to your personal investigation.

For your externally set task you will be given a selection of different themes, briefs or visual starting points to choose from, you will choose one option and spend approximately 7 weeks following a structured design process and developing your own personal response. You will complete your final outcome during your 15 hour exam.

What you'll love

A level Art and Design allows you to explore a wide range of materials, develop a range of exciting technical and creative skills, it gives you the opportunity to develop critical, contextual and analytical understanding and explores methods to produce innovative, stylish and professional artwork.

Why take it?

• It will develop skills that will be essential for many jobs such as nurturing all-round problem solving skills, visual analysis, the ability to find creative solutions, make critical judgements, and the capacity to work outside your comfort zone.
• The leading people in any field are those who can think creatively and innovatively. These are skills that employers value alongside qualifications.
• An A level art qualification will give you opportunities to enter further or higher education or the workplace.  Previous students have gone on to study courses such as architecture, graphic design, art textiles, furniture design, animation, interior design, photography, body art and gaming design and have chosen to follow a career within the creative industries.  

Click the link below for the exam specification

Art Specification