Art

Unit 1 – Coursework. Coursework themes are set throughout the year, and will allow you to engage with a wide variety of artistic themes, techniques, and materials.

Unit 2 – Timed assessment. The exam board will set a general topic area such as ‘Combinations & Alliances’ around which you will base a project, creating work under timed conditions (eight hours). Appropriate guidance is provided during the preparation period, encouraging independent development of intentions, ideas, and responses.

Unit 3 – Practical work and personal study. In this unit you will undertake an in-depth study of a chosen artist, style, or idea, producing a document integrating images and words (1000 words minimum). The practical element of this unit will consist of a body of work from a self-negotiated focus, building on your strengths with materials and techniques.

Unit 4 – Timed assessment. The exam board will set a general topic area such as ‘Exploration & Discovery’ around which you will base a project, creating work under timed conditions (12 hours). Appropriate guidance is provided during the preparation period, encouraging development of intentions, ideas, and responses.

On this course, you will develop your technical skills with brushes, pens, pencils, and less conventional media. More importantly, you will look at the creative process and how to pursue your own ideas. You will integrate and build upon other people’s work to push the boundaries of the materials you are working with.

You will be assessed using coursework, timed assessments, practical work and personal study. For timed assessments, the exam board will set a general area such as ‘Exploration & Discovery’ around which you will base a project, creating work under timed conditions.

There will be an emphasis on exams as the preferred form of assessment. Coursework content in some subjects will be reduced or removed. This course may involve a mix of assignments and examinations.

The general requirements for direct entry to our two-year A level programmes are five GCSEs including English and maths at grade A*-C or equivalent, plus two additional GCSEs or BTECs at grade A*-C or the equivalent.

For students applying with new 1-9 grade tier GCSE qualifications in maths or English, we will consider a grade 4 as equivalent to grade C in terms of our general entry requirements. However, please be aware that specific subjects may require grade 5 or above in GCSE English or maths.

Applicants with five GCSEs at grade 9-4/A*-C including English and maths, but without the two additional 9-4/A*-C equivalent qualifications may be considered, dependent on individual circumstances, at the discretion of the Head or Deputy Head of Leeds Sixth Form College.

Students with a GCSE average score of below 5.7 (mostly C/4s at GCSE) will follow the three A level programme, whilst students with a GCSE average score of 5.7/6 (mostly B and above at GCSE) or above are encouraged to study four A level subjects. Our expert staff will help you to work out your expected average GCSE score for guidance.

In addition to our general entry criteria, some subjects have their own additional criteria.

For this A level, additional entry requirements include a grade 9-4 at GCSE in a creative subject or an interest in the subject.

The course can lead to a variety of career routes including art, graphic design, fashion design, animation, illustration, product design, and advertising and marketing. We’ve even had a student progress on to a foundation degree in architecture at Bristol University after studying this course.