Art & Design A Level
A Level Art and Design in our specialist sixth form provides a rich, flexible, and highly personalised pathway for students with additional needs to develop creative, technical, and independent working skills. It builds on earlier experiences while supporting students as they move towards adulthood, further education, or employment. The course is carefully adapted to ensure accessibility without losing the depth and challenge expected at A Level.
This inclusive and exciting course will develop your skills in drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, digital and mixed-media through a variety of materials and techniques. Inspired by your research of other practitioners’ work, you will learn to develop ideas through creative thinking, problem solving and experimental work, as well as to produce refined and meaningful final outcomes. Each student will be encouraged to interpret set projects in a personal way and use visual language to sensitively and thoughtfully support their intention.
How is the course structured and graded?
The Department organises visits to the rich variety of London’s art galleries and museums. We are fully committed to learning outside of the classroom when the timetable allows. Through understanding each pupil’s individual learning style, the department focuses on providing appropriate, engaging content and teaching methods conducive to the needs and interests of our learners. Throughout each stage of their artistic studies, pupils are introduced to stimulating lesson topics and processes, with opportunities to learn wide ranging skills and techniques.
Learners are encouraged to discuss their achievements through group critiques, one-to-one tutorials and exhibitions of work. This process provides a platform from which pupils can realise their achievements and excel in their creative endeavors.
Component 1: Personal Investigation – This is a practical investigation of a personally set theme supported by written material. This contributes towards 60% of the final mark. You will be encouraged to develop your creativity using a range of media. Many new skills will be introduced including experimental drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking and ceramics. It is vital that the art work demonstrates clear connections with the work of historical and contemporary artists. Students will also be required to complete a short critical and contextual personal study inspired by artists of their choice, presented in both written and visual form. This will include contextual references from books, journals, websites and galleries.
You will research a selected theme set by the OCR exam board and develop ideas for a final outcome in a fifteen hour timed examination at the end of the A Level year in Year 13. This contributes 40% of the final mark.
Will this course be suitable for me?
This course is for anyone who would like to continue to develop their artistic skills and contextual knowledge of art and design from GCSE studies. Art is time consuming therefore it will suit students who are enthusiastic, organised and passionate about the subject. Independent study outside of timetabled lessons is essential to underpin thorough investigation, experimentation and development of ideas leading to a final outcome.
How will you be assessed?
Work will be continually assessed using the OCR Assessment Objectives. Both components are marked by your teachers and moderated by OCR examiners.
Arts Award
The Arts Award is a personal learning accreditation that inspires young people to grow their arts and leadership talents, discover their creative skills in an art form of their choice and develop transferable skills such as creativity, communication, planning and leadership.
Through Arts Award, young people gain a nationally recognised qualification enabling them to progress into further education and employment. Arts Award qualifications are recognised on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF); at Burlington House Sixth Form we offer the Silver Arts Award Level 2 and Gold Arts Award Level 3 (which has 16 points on the UCAS tariff).
The Silver Arts Award will give you the opportunity to create a portfolio in any format. This will be a presentation around planning an arts challenge. You will provide evidence that you have completed all the Silver award tasks. In addition to this, you will take part in a project in which you will have a leadership role to help develop your communication and planning skills.
The Gold Arts Award will extend your own arts practice, as you will be required to experience another art form and create new work. You will also become involved in the arts world through placements, volunteering, training and/or research. In addition to this, you will review arts events/experiences, find out about artists and their career paths and make a case for an arts issue and communicate your findings to an audience. Alongside this, you will be responsible for leading an arts project which will involve planning the project, identifying the project’s aims and outcomes, organising the people and resources, delivering the project and evaluating the feedback from participants and audience members.
Undertaking an Arts Award will give you the opportunity to explore arts practices and develop your leadership skills in an area of the arts you find interesting. It will allow your creative side to flourish as well as developing professional skills for life. If you choose to do this at Burlington House Sixth Form you will be supported by teachers who have a wide range of expertise and professional experience in the arts and will help you realise your full potential in the arts area you decide to explore.
Parent Portal
Parents can find specific curriculum information in their child’s termly ICM reports. These can be accessed via the Parent Portal:
Explore the school
Book a Visit
The best way to understand our Sixth Form is to visit and meet our students. Come to an open morning, or explore the full curriculum.