Art offers opportunities to use your creativity to express yourself. You will develop your understanding of creative processes, your ability to observe and to think, to solve problems, and to communicate in a visual way. It will enable you to work independently and to make your own discoveries by exploring ideas, other artists’ work, different materials, and techniques. Fine Art gives you the skills and knowledge to create personal and imaginative work with substance and depth of meaning. The course is split into two components across Years 12 and 13. Component 1 is a Personal Investigation and requires students to select their own starting point or theme for an extended project throughout Year 12 and into Year 13. Workshop-based skill sessions are incorporated to challenge and extend students’ skills in relation to their chosen starting points. Students must produce a substantive body of high-level work that meets the four assessment objectives. Students have the freedom to work in their preferred genres of study but must also include 1000-3000 supporting essays that support their practical work and broaden their contextual understanding of their selected theme. Component 2 is the Externally Set Assignment. This can only be started from Jan 31st in Year 13 upon release of the papers from the exam board. Students must select from a range of preset starting points to produce a preparatory body of work which is assessed alongside a 15-hour timed response which must be produced unaided, in exam conditions. Component 1 is worth 60% of the overall grade awarded at the end of Year 13 and Component 2, 40%. Both units require students to show contextual understanding of other artists’ work, including concise but coherent annotation demonstrating a command of subject-specific vocabulary. Successful A Level Art students are expected to be creative, adaptive and resilient, with strong traditional drawing skills, demonstrating a high level of independence and a passion for Art.