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Starts

2 Sep 2024

Study mode

Full Time

Campus

Framwellgate Moor Campus

Duration

2 Years

Level

Level 3

Awarding body

OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and RSA)

Course code

ALEVF3001AS1

Fee Information

Standard Fees of £941.00 for the first year

Advanced Learner Loan Fees of £941.00 for the first year

Please note, these prices are for the current academic year and may be subject to change for our courses starting in future years. Many of our students are eligible for financial support when studying at college, please see Fees and funding for more information.

Age 16-18

FREE (If meet residency criteria and not enrolled at another educational institution).

If you are aged 16, 17 or 18 on 31 August in the year you begin your course, not enrolled at another educational institution and have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years, your course will be FREE. Some courses will have other costs associated, such as for materials and trips.

Age 19+

If you are aged 19 or older on 31 August in the year you begin your course, not enrolled at another educational institution and have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years, your course could be free dependant on the level of the course and your eligibility criteria. The rules regarding fee reduction are complicated, we would encourage you to contact our Advice, Support and Careers Team on 0191 375 4400, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or connect on live chat (bottom right of your screen).

Student Finance

If you are aged 19 or over and not eligible to get your course free, you could apply for an Advanced Learner Loan from the Student Loans Company to help towards the cost of some, or all, of your fees. If the amount of Advanced Learner Loan available to you is less than the Advanced Learner Loan Fee for your course, you would need to pay the difference. See our Funding Your Study page for more information or visit the Student Loans Company website to find out more.

Course details may be subject to change. If you are interested in studying A Levels at New College Durham please just complete one application form and you will be able to choose your subjects once you have had your interview. You do not need to apply for each of the subjects you are interested.

As an A-Level student on our Art & Design course, you will have the opportunity to fully develop your knowledge, understanding and skills in a range of specialist areas as you explore the specialism of Fine Art. The course will enable you to develop:

  • Intellectual, imaginative, creative and intuitive capabilities
  • Investigative, analytical, experimental, practical, technical and expressive skills
  • Aesthetic understanding and critical judgment
  • Independence of mind in developing, refining and communicating your ideas, intentions and personal outcomes.
Fine Art is a wonderfully exciting, rewarding, and enriching subject, and at our Sixth Form Centre we are committed to helping you realise your full potential. It is you and your ideas that will really make the course a success and we are really looking forward to seeing what you can achieve.

Entry Criteria

You will hold at least five GCSEs, including maths and English. It is expected that if one of your GCSEs is in art, you will hold a grade 5.

What are the next steps?

You will be invited into the College for an interview with one of our lecturers. You will also have the opportunity to take a tour of the College.

Study Aims

  • To develop the skills and understanding required to progress to higher education or within the creative industry
  • To explore appropriate materials, processes and techniques with purpose
  • To develop and demonstrate understanding of the language of Art and Design.
Choosing Fine Art will give you the space to blossom, it can be your release for you to come out of your shell and discover your passions.

Modules Studied

Year 1:

Induction Period (September - December)

You will meet the four assessment objectives through a guided series of practical workshops that cover a range of art disciplines (e.g. painting, drawing, photography, sculpture) to develop craft skills. You will then be encouraged to be more experimental with materials, techniques and processes through problem solving, as well as provoking critical thought in relation to contemporary art practices (e.g. sound, installation, video).

The intention is to build from your comfort zone and encourage healthy exploration without fear of failure.

Practical work is presented in a sketchbook that will evidence the clear development of your creative ideas through annotations and evaluation. It will not be assessed.

Personal Investigation (January-May)

  • Preparatory period
  • 10 hours supervised time
  • 80 marks
  • 100% of AS-Level
The task will be set by the board and offers a choice of starting points. You will be provided with a question paper consisting of five questions for you to choose your starting point and focus for the investigation.

Year 2:

Personal Investigation (September - December)

  • 120 marks
  • 60% of A-Level
The task will be set by the board and will again offer a choice of starting points. You will produce a practical portfolio and supporting contextual research, carefully selecting, organising and presenting work to ensure there is evidence of meeting all four assessment objectives. You will complete a practical investigation with supporting written material to demonstrate your ability to develop a cohesive concept whilst evidencing your practical and critical skills.

External Set Task (January-May)

  • Preparatory period
  • 15 hours supervised time
  • 80 marks
  • 40% of A-Level
  • The task will be set by the board and offers a choice of starting points.
You will choose one of five questions as the focus for your investigations.

Teaching and Assessment

You will be taught by lecturers who are specialists in their subjects. Teaching is classroom based and involves group work and individual work. Independent study is essential outside of the classroom and frequent homework will be given.

You will sit monthly in-class assessments, for which you will receive extensive feedback, as well as other assessments throughout the academic year which will help you track your progress.

Terminal assessments will be through both portfolio work and written exams.

Placement

Work placements are an important part of the programme and you will be given assistance in finding a suitable position.