6th Form Prospectus - 2025_26

Ar t and Design : Fine Ar t What’s it all about? This course is a dynamic, hands-on and energetic introduction to the world of making art in all its guises. You don’t have to cut your ear off or grapple with a pickled shark to do this course, but you do need an insatiable visual appetite! You will need to be excited about art and wanting to create art, have a thirst for knowledge and keep vivid and lively sketchpads. “The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery. I believe in deeply ordered chaos. If you can talk about it, why paint it?” Francis Bacon To get started: You will develop a series of art pieces exploring a range of media including oil painting, life drawing, printmaking and sculpture, as well as exploring themes of your own. This is an intensive, diagnostic course designed to teach you about the processes involved in making art works and as a foundation for future development in art and design. You will look at and respond to a variety of artists related to your own work and will be expected to research thoroughly at home. You will build on the acquisition of skills and develop your own distinct style and ideas based on themes developed by you. As well as practical coursework for the A Level you have to produce a ‘Personal Study’, which is a written/illustrated study about a theme closely related to artists’ work that will influence your own. This has a minimum of 1,000 words of continuous prose which will be illustrated. The theme would be the same as the practical work. Sixth formers have their own dedicated studio to work in during lessons and free periods. There are some costs involved in buying sketchpads and other equipment and life drawing. We sell a pack of equipment at the start of the course, including portfolios, sketchpads etc. What next? This course complements the A Level in Photography. You can go on from here to do a one-year Foundation course where you focus on an area you could study at degree level (e.g. sculpture or stage design). The A Level also allows you to apply directly for a degree course and is important for degrees such as architecture, film making, advertising, illustration, fine art or stage design. Exam and Assessment Information: EDEXCEL - 9FAO A Level, 60% marks = Coursework (Personal Investigation). 40% = Exam (externally set assignment) with a 15 hour exam at the end of the course. Art teachers examine all your work and this is externally moderated. Our students say … “Art is something I’ve enjoyed since I was in primary school, so being able to carry that interest into A level was something I was really excited about. A| level art is very different to GCSE, although it is a lot of work, you are given the freedom to explore your personal interests and have the course tailored to your individual strengths” Entry Requirements Five GCSEs at Grade 4 and above including English and Maths AND Grade 4 in GCSE Art or Digital Photography “Year on year the KJS students who come to York College to study on the Art Foundation Diploma bring with them some of the best portfolios we see. The students themselves are well informed and incredibly passionate abouit their work, which is no doubt due to the fantastic facilities they have access to.” Course Leader - York College 17