A Level Art, Craft & Design
Overview:
The main aims of the Art, Craft and Design course are to develop your ability to appreciate the visual world, realise your place within it as a creative and respond to themes in a personal and creative way. Art, Craft and Design is a broad course that encompasses 2D and 3D media, materials and techniques as well as both traditional and new media.
Throughout the course students will develop skills in a range of different media and techniques, discovering their own strengths and style. Students are able to work across, and ultimately specialise in, a range of disciplines including the more traditional drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, 3D and textiles alongside photography, film, performance, design and illustration/animation.
This course benefits a broad range of future creative pathways including fashion design, textile and print design, illustration and animation, computer games design, architecture, theatre, film and television make-up, special effects and set design as well as more traditional fine art routes like drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture.
“Art teachers at NHGS really support what you want to do. There is so much encouragement to push yourself and try new things. I appreciate how the teachers highlight your originality and help you develop skills you never knew you had!”
Course Structure and Content:
Develop analytical and critical thinking skills through research into a range of art, craft and design movements to inform and inspire. Experiment with a broad range of materials, techniques and processes in response to chosen areas of research, building toward and individual artistic style.
Build a portfolio that can be tailored toward either broad creative study or more specialist industry pathways at A Level, supporting applications to university and future careers.
Lower Sixth (Year 12)
- Introductory course and extended project designed to prepare students for the demands of Upper Sixth
- Exploration of drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, digital editing, illustration, animation, and contextual research
- Begin Component 1: Personal Investigation into a chosen theme, supported by practical experimentation and research
Upper Sixth (Year 13)
- Component 1: Personal Investigation (60%)
- Students build on the sustained investigation begun in Year 12. The focus will be an idea, issue or theme of their choice. Practical and written studies combine to create original personal responses
- Component 2: Externally Set Assignment (40%)
- Choice of assignments set by Eduqas, leading to a preparatory period and a 15-hour exam to produce final outcomes
Click here to download a course flyer
Assessment:
Component 1 - 60% Personal Investigation
Component 2 - 40% Externally Set Assignment, 15 hour exam
Examination Board:
The course followed is the Eduquas A Level Art and Design
Eduquas A Level Art and Design (external link)
Future Career Opportunities:
Creative and professional pathways:
- Fashion design, textiles and print design
- Illustration and animation
- Photography, film and media production
- Computer games design Architecture, interior and 3D design
- Theatre, film and television make-up, special effects and set design
- Fine art (painting, printmaking, sculpture, drawing)