A LEVEL ART & DESIGN
Course
Outline
Art and Design is a particularly rewarding subject for motivated pupils; it extends across a very broad range of disciplines, both theoretical and practical, which are aimed at developing a visually and culturally aware person. Pupils will develop their ability to express their own ideas in a creative manner and make informed connections with a range of contextual references. Art is at the heart of our PGS Core Values. The course is tailored around the ideas that pupils bring and share but managed through a checklist of targeted project outcomes.
Entry Requirements
It is anticipated that you should be able to show a passion for this subject and should have attained at least Grade 7 in the subject at GCSE. Pupils who did not take GCSE or who attained Grade 6 may still be able to embark upon an Art course, but this will be dependent upon the standards found within a portfolio of PGS summer holiday research and a short interview with the Head of Department.
Course Assessment
The course is assessed against four Assessment Objectives and marked against a common standard. Your coursework is assessed at 60% of the award and examination work is worth 40%. To fulfil the assessment requirements, for your coursework portfolio you must provide evidence of two major elements: a Personal Investigation and a Personal Study. The Personal Investigation is a portfolio of sketchbook development with outcomes based upon themes and ideas developed from your own starting points. The Personal Study is evidenced through critical written communication, showing critical and contextual research and understanding in continuous prose, and it may contain integrated images.
The examination unit happens at the end of the course when you will have around three months to respond to a theme. You will undertake a 15-hour terminal test. Teachers internally assess all your coursework and examination studies and a representative from the awarding body moderates these marks.
Skills Required and Developed
Pupils wishing to pursue A Level Art must already have an established technical ability in any of the art fields. These will be promoted and encouraged during the course, allowing you to prove a sense of growing confidence and independence of ideas. You will be challenged to think critically about your work and the contexts you use as your influences, discussing and proving how you have resolved the complex issues that connect to your art practice.
Beyond the Classroom
During the course, it is anticipated that you will attend as many exhibitions at local, national and international level as you are able, as you can bring this research into your studies.
Artwork by Sienna Caven, OP 2024
University Courses and Professions that require the Subject
This subject promotes critical thinking. It is important to remember that Art is not just for students who wish to pursue a career in the Arts. Look at any film, theatre production, TV show or advertisement, play, web page or video game; the chances are that the people involved in these took Art at school. It is normal for Art students to attend a Foundation course as a pre-university requirement. Increasingly, however, students with strong portfolios of work have been able to gain direct access to undergraduate studies. Pupils take Art hoping to seek a career in the creative and design industries, in areas as diverse as architecture, advertising, medical illustration, textiles or fashion design, though an interest in Art as a vocation is not the only reason for the subject’s value. Many pupils study Art as a complementary subject alongside their main academic focus. It is a multi-faceted subject in which pupils are encouraged to develop their own approaches with close staff guidance.
MoreInformation
Contact our Head of Art and Design, Mr. J Peebles:
Telephone: 023 9268 1316
Email: J Peebles@pgs org uk