Improve your visual expression and your understanding of the creative process while building a portfolio of work for university interviews.
As well as developing your skills in visual recording through practical work including drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking and mixed media, you will also build your critical thinking and research abilities with contextual study of artists and their relationship to the world around them.
Your work will also involve an element of self-reflection, writing annotations to discuss your own work and its relation to briefs and artists studied, helping you to critique your own work and feed this into your future work.
Awarded By:
Key Facts
Programme Costs:
The fees for this course are currently being confirmed.
Please contact Student Recruitment for more information.
Level:
3
Awarding Body:
Oxford Cambridge & RSA Examinations
Course Code:
- 24/25A1OCAD
Mode of Attendance:
- Full Time
Course Duration:
2 Years
Dates:
- September 2024
CourseContent
Year 12:
Skill Building
In the first and second term you will
complete a variety of tasks that introduce you to different techniques and
materials. You will also be introduced to and select a variety of different
Artists to research and create a personal response to.
Unit 1 Personal Investigation
Towards the end of year
12 you will start to prepare for your Personal Investigation by selecting a
theme to research and investigate.
Year 13:
Unit 1 Personal Investigation
You will continue to
research and develop outcomes for your Personal Investigation. You will also
produce a piece of written research that looks at some wider aspect of your
theme. This will run from September to January.
Unit 2 Externally Set Task
From February to April, you
will research one of the set themes from the exam paper and then have 15 hours
to produce, unaided, your outcome.
Features/
Benefits
There are four assessment objectives that are given weighted application to all parts of the course:
- Visual Recording - objective and imaginative drawing, visual representation of ideas, collection of images and other visual information
- Critical Thinking - verbal and written discussion and analysis of art works in their historical context
- Practical Research - development of ideas, experiments with media and materials, and improvement of formal concept usage, including composition and use of colour
- Personal Development - producing visual and written work which gives a clear, structured response to assigned tasks; you will be expected to explain not just what you have done but why, as well as which artists, designers, and craftspeople have influenced you.
Entry
Requirements
Minimum Entry Requirements:
All Loughborough College
Sixth Form courses have minimum entry requirements of at least five GCSEs at
grade 4 or above, including English Language and Maths.
Subject Specific Entry Requirements:
Art or Design at
grade 5.
Assessment
Methods
Year 12: 10-hour non-exam assessment
Year 13: 15-hour non-exam assessment (40%) and personal investigation (60%)
Progression
Opportunities
A Level Art prepares you for degree-level study in art and design, and careers in everything from graphic design, illustration and typography to sculpture, fashion and photography.
FAQs
HOW MUCH TIME WILL I NEED PER WEEK ON THE WORK?
As well as 5 hours per week in class you will need to spend 8 hours a week outside class producing practical work - remember: high quality work takes skill - and skill comes from lots and lots of practice.
To be an effective art student you need to be able to self direct yourself in completing practical work outside of sessions.
DO YOU OFFER THE EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATION (EPQ)?
- Yes, but only to Year 2 students who have demonstrated in Year 1 that they have the academic ability to cope with this extra research project.
HOW MANY A LEVEL SUBJECTS DO I NEED TO TAKE?
- You will need to choose three subjects minimum with a maximum of 4. See page 5 for more details on subject choices.
I’M INTERESTED IN A LEVELS BUT I’M NOT SURE WHICH ONES
- That’s okay! We know that deciding on A Levels can be a long process and
that you can change your mind—a lot.
When you initially apply, we’ll ask you for your options, but you’re not tied down to these subjects. We’ll confirm your final choices at a later date.
DO I HAVE TO STUDY THE SUBJECT I WANT TO STUDY AT UNIVERSITY AS AN A
LEVEL?
- Not always; it depends on your chosen university course. Subjects like Medicine and Architecture have very specific entry requirements, whereas you can study Psychology or Law at university without having studied them at A Level. Check university entry requirements to see if they are asking for specific subjects.
ARE A LEVELS THE ONLY ROUTE INTO UNIVERSITY?
- No. We also offer Level 3 BTEC Extended Diplomas, which are the equivalent to three A Levels and many universities accept them as an alternative.
CAN I STUDY 3 A LEVELS AND BE A PART OF THE ACADEMY OF SPORT PROGRAMME?
- Yes. Visit the Academy of Sport pages for more information.
CAN I STUDY A DIPLOMA IN SPORT AND ONE A LEVEL?
- Yes, but it is only recommended for high-performing students due to the demands that both courses will place on timetable and ability. We will need to ensure that your combination is suitable for future progression and doesn’t clash on the timetable.
Disclaimer
Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information contained on this website is correct, the College accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Please note that details are subject to change without notice with regard to the provision of courses, course times and dates and the fees and charges levied.