Advanced Higher Art
Topics taught
Both Advanced Higher courses are offered to pupils. The Enquiry is a practical course whereby a pupil can investigate at a deeper level both expressive and design. This will involve a pupil building up a folio which will be thematic, technically strong, imaginative and supported by sketchbooks. They will be expected to demonstrate a greater critical awareness and personal interest throughout their projects. This will involve them contextualizing their own work within contemporary art/design practice and a working knowledge of history of art/design. Personal vision and greater self-reliance is demanded throughout the course.
The Research and Appreciation course is separate from the Enquiry. This is a written course whereby a pupil will investigate at a deep level an area from art and design which will be presented in a dissertation of 4000-6000 words. They are expected to choose a field from art and design which they personally believe to be fruitful for in-depth study. The assessment of the dissertation will involve the coherence and depth of the pupil’s arguments and analysis, along with its visual presentation.
Homework requirements
The Enquiry course involves a lot of drawing, exploring a variety of techniques and approaches to image making. Photography will become a part of the homework investigation. Pupils are expected to keep Ideas books which act as a filter for lateral thinking: these consist mostly of doodles, annotated notes and scrapbook material. School holidays involve specific homework projects.
The Research and Appreciation course expects a lot of reading for homework as well as personal investigation from libraries and the internet. It may include annotated drawing which explores the work of artists and designers.
Assessment details (internal and external)
The Enquiry course is split into expressive activity and design activity. The pupil has the choice of placing their emphasis on one of these. One activity will consist of 60% of the course mark, the other 30%. 10% will be given to a written statement which explains their choice of theme and evaluates how they explored it.
The Research and Appreciation course has a 70% mark for the written content and 30% for the presentation of the dissertation.