Art

Exam Board:

AQA

What will I study on the course:

You will explore creating, expressing, designing, and reinterpreting the world around you. This includes developing an understanding of historical and contemporary art while producing your own work based on a range of interesting themes. You’ll build skills across various artistic practices such as painting, drawing, 3D modelling, elements of photography, and graphics. The course involves creating three projects that address four key areas of assessment: developing ideas through investigations (e.g., studying artists and styles), refining ideas visually by exploring materials and techniques, recording ideas through visuals and annotations, and creating a personal response as a final outcome.

How is the course assessed:

60% of the final grade is based on practical outcomes from your portfolio (internally assessed). The remaining 40% comes from an externally set project that covers the same four areas of assessment.

Post-16 courses:

AS/A Level Art & Design, vocational courses such as BTEC or Diploma in creative subjects, or university study in art-related fields.

Careers:

Theatre lighting technician, trainee technical graphic design assistant, florist, garden designer, beauty therapist, chef. More broadly, roles in creative industries like graphic design, fine art, media, photography, or performing arts. The skills gained also support general employment by demonstrating independence, self-motivation, research, analysis, and presentation abilities.

Specific advantages:

The course allows you to work in ways that suit your comfort and interests, with projects tailored to individual preferences. It’s an open-ended program where you can incorporate your own ideas. Teachers are subject specialists with practical backgrounds, passionate about helping students grow in skill and confidence.

How useful it is in the real world:

Highly useful, as many employers value the ability to self-motivate, research, analyse, and present information effectively. It fosters creativity and problem-solving skills that are attractive across various industries, showing you can generate and execute ideas independently. The practical artistic skills apply directly to creative professions and enhance everyday problem-solving, design thinking, and visual communication.