Course Specifications

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Exam Board: AQA

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In Key Stage 5 students study A-Level Fine Art and are able to pursue their own interests and themes as a result of developing independence, practical skills and critical understanding in the lower key Stages, the course runs over Two years of study.  



Students are required to complete a '3 Genres' unit in Year 12 this first Unit has two parts, an Introduction to A Level, which explores the concept of Genre: We will explore Art links and techniques under the umbrellas of Still Life Portrait and Land/Sea/Urban-Scapes

see the SOW below 

The second part of Year 12 becomes 'The discovery project'. Students are given a Physical booklet which guides them through the process, it contains Assessment Objectives, planning sheets and a visual guide to what we expect. The year 12 exam with be a 15 hour exam in which in which students complete their first major personal Investigation Outcome. The discovery project thus becomes the students the Personal Investigation in Year 13, there of example in the Gallery below. 

The Personal Investigation is in essence a coursework unit, but its is driven by the students own curiosity and journey into image making. Sometimes they produce a series of interlinking drawings paintings or sculpture, sometimes they create a response that is more like an Installation in nature. 

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A level - 1 x Unit of Coursework ("Personal Investigation") equals 60% of total marks

            1 x Exam Unit AQA suggest a number of starting points and the students must fill a sketch-book and a number of larger outcomes that show how they have responded independently to a starting point. Work must show curiosity and a journey towards final statements equals 40% of total marks 

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Expectations

All students produce at least 1 whole sketchbook of developed ideas, observations and annotations for each unit, but many produce 2. Students also develop work outside of the sketchbook on a larger scale, using a range of materials, some of which are not available to younger students. We have developed a unique approach to outcomes as most of our students create an Installation space or an environment of visual triggers, viewers have to enter the space and become part of the Artist's journey. 

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Drawing from Life/ LIfe classes



All 6th form art students are invited to life drawing sessions after school, from time to time once a week, for a period of 6 weeks. A subscription is charged for this privilege. 



Subject Mentoring



Every year, at least 2 students from the Sixth are chosen as Art subject mentors. These students not only help on open days, parents evenings and help to set up exhibitions, but their key role is to aid those in the lower years who may struggle with some aspects of the subject. The mentors are expected to be available after school and during some lunch hours, as needed.  



Photography Photoshop Provision 



Despite WHSB not offering a qualification in photography, we have recognised the importance that all of us place on documenting our life experiences in photographic form.  The Art department, having been generously supported by the Parent's Association, now owns a number of Canon EOSs, which are available for students to use in the activities sessions, as well as around the school and on trips to document the broader life of the busy and active Westcliff students.  We understand and teach the importance of developing a "good eye" when taking every shot, considering lighting, exposure, composition and viewpoint. Post-processing using Photoshop is also taught, with the emphasis being on using image manipulation software to simply "tweak" an otherwise "perfect" shot, rather than as a way of correcting mistakes or changing colours or using effects arbitrarily. These images can support study pathways as well as becoming stand alone outcome pieces and are embedded in the OUTCOME spaces. 

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