AS Art (AQA)
Art is a challenging subject that develops the ability to appreciate the visual world and to respond to it in a personal and creative way. You will be studying Fine Art which allows you to work in a variety of media, including print, paint and 3D. On the course you will learn how to express your ideas confidently in a visual form and understand how your work fits into the history of art and ideas. Fine Art is both a sensual and a cerebral discipline, allowing for a delight in the manual manipulation of materials and the intellectual pursuit of ideas. AS Fine Art is a practical course with a small written element.
The subject of Fine Art is part of the Visual Arts department which has 4 large art studios, 7 specialist art tutors, a library, computer area, good resources and a general area where students are encouraged to work in their own time.
Entry Criteria
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It is a one year course usually studied in the first year at College, and may be continued into the 2nd year of study. It can also be started in the second year and studied as a discrete AS.
Standard College entry requirements including GCSE Art & Design grade C or above. We also accept students who have a GCSE Graphics or Textiles grade C or above.
Students who have not taken GCSE Art & Design, Textiles or Graphics may submit a portfolio of work. The standard of the work will be considered and the suitability of the candidate for AS level decided. The portfolio must be presented by the end of the Spring Term to the Head of Department or Head of Subject.
AS Course Content
The AS course is based on observational study and offers the opportunity to explore a range of media and practices from painting, 3D, printmaking, ceramics, mixed media etc. It is carefully structured and students learn how to use appropriate techniques and approaches to explore their own ideas.
Students are expected to be able to discuss their work and begin to analyse and to evaluate their own and other artists’ work in both spoken and written form.
The course has two units, a coursework unit and an exam unit. There is an extended unit of coursework during the year and an externally set assignment taken at the end of the year. Sketchbooks record the student’s journey throughout the course.
Teaching is varied and intense with group work, tutorials, workshops and projects. Much individual help and support is provided.
Each individual piece of work is assessed during the course. Coursework units and the externally set assignment are marked internally at the end of the year and externally moderated.
AS Examination
The externally set assignment is taken at the end of the AS course. It is internally marked and externally moderated. The coursework unit provides 50% of the final AS grade and the externally set unit provides the other 50% of the final AS grade. The AS marks are half of the full A level grade.
Further Information
Most equipment and materials are provided; however students are encouraged at the beginning of the year to buy an art pack which consists of an A1 portfolio case, an A3 sketchbook, a pack of oil pastels and a set of acrylic paints. These items and others can be bought separately from the Visual Arts department shop, which is open twice a week during break time.
Visits to galleries and exhibitions, locally and in London are an essential part of the course but costs are kept to a minimum. Longer trips have included Berlin, Paris and Barcelona, as well as visit to galleries further a field in the UK.
Progression
If you want to progress onto the second year of the course and complete your A Level you will need to achieve a minimum of a grade E in the AS examination. You are able to re-sit Unit 1 during the second year by going to a re sit class.
In order to progress, the department will also consider attendance and work records to assess a candidate’s ability to cope with the second year of the course.
Art A level can be linked with both arts and science subjects to provide a balanced course and to meet entry requirements for universities.
A2 allows students to build on the skills from AS and to develop a personal style. Work is increasingly individual and an independent contextual study is completed alongside practical work. The written work for A2 demands a high level of understanding and analysis; it is expected that students will have GCSE English at C or above. Again, there is 1 extended coursework unit and an externally set assignment at the end of the year. Work is internally marked and externally moderated. At the end of the second year, students, their parents and friends are invited to the Private Viewing of the exhibition of students’ work.
Art & Design A level is the accepted route, usually followed by a one-year Foundation course, to specialist degree courses in different Art & Design practices and there are a growing number of courses to choose from. There are also many combined or modular degrees in which art and design are components.
Possible careers include Architecture, Graphic Design, Photography, Fashion and Textiles, 3D Design, Film, Video, Illustration, Conservation, Art Therapy and Teaching.
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