Art and Design A-Level

What will I study? 

The Art course at Comberton is well-equipped to give students the best possible start to their potential career in the world of art and design. Our grades are among the best in the sixth form and we have recently out-performed the other main sixth form colleges in the area. Many of our students have gone on to study Art and Design subjects at foundation and degree level and we regularly have students accepted by London art colleges. 

The Art A Level course is split into three components: 

1. Foundation Skills 

2. The Personal Project 

3. The Exam Project 

Foundation Skills 

Pupils will develop advanced skills in oil and acrylic painting as well as extending their skills in drawing and printmaking. They will also experiment with photography and mixed media to help them develop ideas imaginatively. There is no house style and students are encouraged to find a path that suits their passions.  

Once the foundation stages of the course are completed, students are encouraged to combine what they have learned with their own personal passions in art and design to develop projects that suit their individual approaches. As the work advances, you will start to explore artists and contexts that you find inspiring and explore your own interests in particular genres of art and design. This leads to… 

The Personal Project 

This is your major coursework project and is worth 60% of your mark. You will begin in the third term of your first year and continue through the first term of the second year. This is a chance to explore a style of art and individual artists working in specific media, in great depth. You will explore relevant techniques, analyse context and develop imaginative responses of your own based on what you learn. The learning at this point will involve individual tutorials and personalized skills-teaching for your chosen style. Alongside this there will be further opportunity to attend an after school life drawing class to further develop your technical skills. 

The Exam Project 

This is a project that begins with a list of possible start points from the exam board (EDUQAS). You are encouraged to interpret these towards your own interests and goals as you explore and develop new styles. The project is worth 40% of the whole mark and culminates in a three day timed test.  There will be a residential trip as part of the project. Recent years have seen us visit London, Paris and New York. 

All students exhibit their work each year for moderation at the end-of year show. Your best work will be presented alongside your sketchbook and portfolio based work that documents the background work to your final pieces. Each year, a selection of work is chosen by NADFAS for an annual exhibition of artwork by local A level students at Cambridge Central Library. 

Art Extras 

 In addition we offer regular life drawing classes and the opportunity to learn advanced Photoshop skills in our dedicated editing suite. There will be study trips to Paris, Barcelona or Florence as well as regular visits to London museums and galleries of contemporary art.