Specification/Exam Board:   CCEA

Criteria for Entry: Grade B or above in GCSE Art.

The AS and A2 courses in Art and Design requires students to develop practical and theoretical knowledge and skills. Pupils are timetabled for 9 periods a week with a minimum of 4 additional study periods being allocated to the subject. The AS Level will be completed in Year 13. It may be used as a stepping stone to the A2 advanced level in Year 14 or used as a ‘stand alone’ qualification.

Students are encouraged to develop: intellectual, imaginative, creative and intuitive powers; investigative, analytical, experimental, practical, technical and expressive skills an understanding of the interrelationships between art, craft and design processes and an awareness of the contexts in which they operate; knowledge, understanding and application of art, craft, design and media, and technologies in contemporary and past societies and cultures; and an awareness of different roles, functions and audiences and consumers of art, craft and design practice.

AS Level

Unit 1 – Experimental Portfolio

• Coursework combining a number of 2D/3D strands allowing for experimentation of various disciplines.

Unit 2 – Externally Set Assignment - Personal Response

• This unit consists of an externally set task requiring preparatory work and a final response completed as a controlled test component. The theme/starting points for this unit will be presented in an examination paper.

A2 Level

Unit 1 – Personal and Critical Investigation

• A personal study combining practical and written work leading to a final outcome.

Unit 2 – Externally Set Assignment - Thematic Outcome

• This unit consists of an externally set task requiring preparatory work and a final response completed as a controlled test component. The theme/starting points for this unit will be presented in an examination paper.

Summary of the structures of AS and A2