Exam Board: OCR
Course Outline
The Fine Art course begins with a project that covers a wide range of materials, techniques and processes, while allowing students to develop their ideas. Term 1 starts with a mini project, designed to introduce all students to a broad range of media. In this project, students will be taught oil painting, the Adobe suite, printmaking, photography and how to research contextual information. This project embeds a deep understanding of how to meet the assessment objectives whilst exploring a creative intention. In term 2 we begin the “Personal Investigation.” This investigation is supported by a critical essay which provides a line of enquiry that is personal, meaningful and relevant to social/historical contexts.
Much like the GCSE course, the assessment objectives are:
- Using contextual sources to develop ideas
- Refining work through experimentation
- Recording ideas through drawing, photography and annotation
- Presenting a personal outcome.
Students will be directed towards galleries and museums relevant to their work and are expected to visit them.
In February of Year 13 the Externally Set Assignment is released by OCR. This is a project set by the exam board, which constitutes another sketchbook of idea development work and culminates in a 15 hour controlled assessment.
Assessment and Examinations
Coursework: Personal Investigation, 60% of the qualification
Coursework: Controlled Assignment including a 15 hour examination, 40% of the qualification.
Future Prospects
Art Foundation courses, degree courses in Art and Design, Fine Art, Painting, Printmaking, Illustration, Graphic Design, Advertising, Architecture, Product Design, Surface Pattern Design, Sculpture, Fashion, Textiles, Interior Design, etc. dependent on the strand the student specialises in.
This creative A-level course develops skills in problem-solving, practical making and spatial awareness, attention to detail, teamwork, independent learning and making connections between ideas, which are useful transferable skills.