The KS5 Fine Art course, following the AQA Fine Art specification, is designed to develop students’ skills, creativity, and understanding of traditional and contemporary fine art practices.

Over the two years, students will explore media, techniques, and processes richly, enabling them to produce original artwork that reflects their personal vision and artistic intent.

The course encourages independent thinking, critical analysis, and the cultivation of technical excellence.

Year 12: Coursework (Component 1 – Personal Investigation)

In Year 12, students focus on Component 1, the Personal Investigation, which accounts for 60% of the final grade. This component is designed to develop students’ creative skills, technical abilities, and artistic understanding through a deeply personal and reflective approach to their work.

• Personal Theme Development: Students begin by choosing a personal theme or topic that reflects their interests or concerns. They will explore both traditional and contemporary fine art techniques, selecting from a wide range of media such as drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, and digital art. The focus is on developing a sustained and thoughtful exploration of their theme.

• Traditional Media and Classical Techniques: Students will engage with traditional techniques, such as oil painting, drawing, and printmaking, building their understanding of these time-honoured methods. This exploration of classical approaches provides a solid foundation in artistic skills and helps students appreciate the historical context of fine art.

• Contemporary Media: Students will also engage with contemporary media, experimenting with digital arts, mixed media, photography, and installation work. This part of the course encourages students to think beyond traditional formats, incorporating modern techniques that are central to today’s fine art practices.

• Development of Portfolio and Sketchbook: Students will create a sketchbook or portfolio that documents their ideas, experiments, and progression throughout the year. The sketchbook will reflect their ongoing research, experimentation, and reflections, showing the development of their work. In addition to the practical work, students will carry out extensive research into historical and contemporary artists relevant to their theme. This research forms the theoretical backbone of their work, enriching their creative process and enabling them to make connections between their practice and the wider world of art history and modern art.

Year 13: Externally Set Assignment (Component 2 – Externally Set Task)

In Year 13, students focus on Component 2, the Externally Set Assignment (ESA), which accounts for 40% of their final grade. This is an externally set theme provided by AQA, and students will create a final piece of artwork in response to it.

• Preparation and Development: Students will spend several months researching and experimenting with the externally set theme, developing a series of preparatory studies and outcomes. This phase encourages independent thought, allowing students to refine their concepts, techniques, and final idea.

• Technical Skill and Artistic Maturity: The externally set task provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their technical skill, artistic maturity, and critical thinking in a final piece. Whether through traditional media like painting and drawing, or contemporary methods such as digital manipulation or mixed media installation, the final piece should showcase a high level of personal engagement and sophisticated execution.

• Final Outcome and Reflection: The examination portion of the ESA involves creating the final artwork under controlled conditions (15 hours), demonstrating the culmination of the students’ work. Students are required to reflect on their artistic journey and the choices they made throughout the project, showcasing their development as artists.

Classical and Contemporary Fine Art Practices

Throughout the KS5 Fine Art course, students will be expected to engage deeply with both classical and contemporary fine art practices. The balance of these two areas ensures that students have a well-rounded understanding of art as both a historic and living discipline.

• Classical Techniques: Students will build strong technical foundations through the study of traditional media such as pencil, charcoal, ink, oil painting, and clay. These techniques allow for precise representation, expression, and an understanding of the fine art canon, encouraging students to appreciate the skills of historical artists and incorporate them into their work.

• Contemporary Practices: Alongside these classical methods, students will explore contemporary approaches to art, including photography, digital media, installation, and conceptual art. This exposure to new media broadens students’ ability to innovate and experiment, while also encouraging them to consider how art responds to Independent Inquiry. The course emphasises independent learning, where students are encouraged to take risks and push boundaries with both traditional and contemporary techniques. The balance between technical mastery and creative exploration is at the heart of the course, encouraging students to express their ideas with both clarity and originality.

Conclusion

The KS5 Fine Art course is designed to encourage students to explore their creativity to its fullest potential, developing technical expertise in both traditional and contemporary fine art media.

Through a combination of practical skills, contextual research, and independent exploration, students will create a body of work that reflects their artistic vision and mastery of fine art techniques. By the end of the course, students will have a sophisticated and personal portfolio that demonstrates their readiness for further study in art or other creative fields.

Students are supported throughout the course by Alumni practising artists and several universities and creative arts institutions. Progression to further education is also supported by visits to Art schools and creative industries.

The department has global connections to Arts organisations, and the Head of Department sits on several international boards and think tanks that promote and support post-sixteen education.