Art A Level

Hailsham Sixth Form

Battle Road, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 1DT

GCE A/AS Level or Equivalent

Level 3

Available start dates

Monday, 01 September 2025

Hailsham Sixth Form

2 Year(s)

Full time

Daytime/working hours

What will I need? Students will be required to undertake practical self-study tasks outside of lessons. Therefore you will be expected to equip yourself with some vital kit prior to starting the course. Essential equipment: A basic set of drawing pencils, fine liner pens, a folder in which to carry and protect work, a memory stick to carry digital work back and forth, a small set of acrylic paints, paintbrushes and a tin of watercolours, oil pastels, a glue stick, a digital camera and a positive attitude is essential. Contributions: Students will be asked to make a payment (currently £20 but subject to change) to contribute towards the large amounts of expensive equipment and materials they use in addition to their own materials, as well as to help fund printing costs.

Course Summary

A-Level Fine Art & Graphics (Illustration)

AQA ‘Art, Craft & Design’ is a broad visual art course that focuses on the crazy, spectacular and very personal world of Fine Art and the hip’n’funky commercially-driven world of Graphics (Illustration).

When you choose to study any kind of Art you soon realise that it has a breadth that few other subjects can offer. As we encourage an individual approach this means that potentially you could make visual art about ANYTHING! Your work may encompass observation, social commentary, outrage, beauty, funkiness, humour, tenderness or the bizarre!

The HCC Art department promotes a fresh, contemporary focus. The course we are offering provides a diverse yet structured platform for every student’s artistic growth. We are flexible and will shape every individuals development based on their interests, the work they make and through discussion. We need you to be artistic, keen and able to draw.

Currently our themes are Vanitas, Band Promo and Meeting Points & Crossovers.

Course Details

How will I learn?

You will start the course with a structured Transition unit to help you explore different methods of working. This will boost confidence in your technical ability ready for when you embark on your own more individual artwork. You will explore a mixture of digital and traditional media.

You will then develop project work that will have a personally driven flavour. Individual one-to-one tutorials form the basis of most of our teaching at this point so you will regularly meet us and discuss your work.

You will need to be pro-active. You can’t pass this course in the classroom alone. Helpful materials will be available on the college’s Firefly learning platform. We also run a trip to London to look at some art in the flesh and gather resources / inspiration.

How will it be delivered and assessed?

Unit 1: A portfolio of artwork including an extended themed project. You will work in the areas of Fine Art, Photography & Graphics (Illustration). Worth 60% of the AS.

Unit 2: A themed project (with an externally set focus) incorporating an examined 10 hour session (which takes place at the end of the unit). Worth 40% of the AS.

Unit 3: A personal investigation on a theme of your choice. We will help you decide this. Worth 60% of the A Level.

Unit 4: A themed project (with an externally set focus) resolving itself in a 15 hour examined session. Worth 40% of the A Level.

Entry requirements

Grade 5 at GCSE Art where taken

If you have not studied GCSE Art an extensive portfolio may be used as evidence.

For more courses like this, check our courses page.