Art and Design

Course summary

Creativity is at the heart of the A-Level and you will be using painting, printing, and three-dimensional techniques and materials to realize your ideas. You will conduct research and relate your work to that of others. This helps you to understand the importance of all forms of art and the part they play in society. We will think about art from a broad range of starting points in order to make you more aware and engaged in the wider world. The galleries, museums, and other facilities in London are an invaluable resource in developing this understanding. Several visits will be included in the course. The Lower Sixth curriculum consists of: Practical Skills The first term focuses on different materials - you will study a variety of disciplines in the first half term to give you the opportunity to focus on a particular technique and develop your skills. We have found that this improves skills and understanding in a profound way. The focus of this term is producing lots of work, so that you have a broad knowledge of process and a growing confidence to experiment. Analytical Skills In the second term, you will begin to study the work of others and contextualize the work you wish to produce. We spend time analyzing how the formal elements come together to elicit a response in the viewer. You will learn to trust your instinct and become eloquent at expressing your own thoughts. Idea Development Later in the second term, you combine your practical and analytical skills to build your own project, developing and exploring your own ideas, concluding in a two-day mock examination at the end of the summer term. The Upper Sixth curriculum consists of: Component 1 Personal portfolio and investigation essay - 60% of overall mark. Building on the practical and analytical skills developed in Lower Sixth, you will devise a project based on your own interests, developing this through your own artwork and that of others. Component 2 Externally Set Assignment – 40% of overall mark. The final project is explored in the same way, with a title set by the exam board. The course offers a structured approach with ample guidance for those who need it and limitless freedom for those eager to follow their own creative impulses. As the work in art and design is personal and original, your teachers will base their teaching on your ideas, helping you to experiment with materials relevant to your intentions and back these up through the research of appropriate artists and designers.