Unit 1 Personal Investigation (Coursework) - The Personal Investigation is intended to form a basis on which students develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in creating a rich visual language in the context of selected ideas. Ideas provide the starting point for Art and Design practice, form an integral part of the creative process and lie at the heart of assessment for Art A Level. This Unit incorporates two elements, practical work and a written personal study. Practical investigation and application forms the basis and foundation of this Unit. After a 6 week foundation project, in which students explore drawing, painting, print, textiles and sculpture, students will pursue their own creative and visual ideas in some of these chosen areas of art, craft and design. Unit 2 Externally Set Assignment (ESA) - The unit comprises two major elements: preparatory work and a 15 hour timed piece. The preparatory studies will incorporate a portfolio of practical developmental work and annotation. Students work through ideas, processes, experiments and explorations for the timed test with guidance from the teaching staff, demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the skills, processes, media and materials learnt during Unit 1. Students will receive the title for the ESA in January of the second year and produce their final piece of work for the assignment in May during the 15 hour period of sustained study (the timed test).