AQA A-Level Art & Design: Strategies for Success in the 2026 Exams

Course Code: T0330 £249.00

ABOUT THIS COURSE

Brand-New for Summer 2025, this course will help AQA A-Level Art & Design teachers prepare their students for maximum success in the 2026 exams. Delegates will explore effective teaching strategies to enhance students’ personal investigations and externally set assignments, ensuring students meet the demands of the specification. The course provides a detailed look at examiner expectations, alongside practical advice on structuring teaching and feedback to help students achieve top grades.

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

  • Deepen understanding of AQA A-Level Art & Design assessment objectives
  • Explore strategies to develop and refine students’ portfolios and final outcomes
  • Gain insights into the characteristics of high-quality work across different disciplines
  • Take away resources and exemplar materials to use in your teaching

PROGRAMME

Unlocking Excellence in A-Level Art & Design

10.00am
  • Key challenges in the AQA specification and how to address them
  • Reviewing characteristics of exemplar work at different levels
  • Strategies to structure teaching for high-impact learning and creativity

Break

10.55am
 

The Personal Investigation: Supporting Creative and Academic Rigour

1.15pm
  • Choosing themes that inspire and stretch students’ abilities
  • Developing intellectual rigour through essays: structure, content, and exemplars
  • Strategies for refining experimentation, development, and realisation in students’ work

Elevating Student Portfolios

12.15pm
  • Techniques for encouraging creative risk-taking and problem-solving
  • Understanding what moderators look for in evidence and final outcomes
  • Supporting students in achieving top-band marks

Lunch

1.00pm
The Externally Set Assignment: Strategies for Success 2.00pm
  • Planning and pacing the ESA effectively
  • Exploring starting points and facilitating meaningful responses
  • Common challenges in the ESA and how to overcome them
Planning for Long-Term Success 2.45pm
  • Structuring the two-year course to maximise outcomes
  • Using formative assessments and feedback to guide progress
  • Supporting high-achieving students in reaching A* grades
Final Q&A and Reflection 3.15pm
  • Addressing any outstanding challenges or questions
  • Sharing key takeaways and next steps for implementation

Depart

3.30pm
A-Level - Code: T0330

AQA A-Level Art & Design: Strategies for Success in the 2026 Exams

COURSE LEADER

Dr Helen Jones was a Director of Teaching and Learning in Art with 12 years teaching experience. She now lectures at the University of Chester working with Art PGCE Students, and leading national CPD in the visual Arts. She has been an AQA A level and GCSE Art & Design moderator for the past 5 years.

Helen completed an MA in Art Education and then completed a Doctorate in the subject. She has been assessed as an outstanding teacher by OfSTED, achieved record residuals at both GCSE and A level and delivered at a number of Art Education conferences. She has taught art primarily in Secondary schools in the UK, but also in Finland, Italy and Spain.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

  • All A Level Art & Design teachers
  • Heads of Art & Design
  • Heads of Creative Arts

THIS COURSE INCLUDES

  • A specially prepared folder of 50+ pages full of detailed notes, practical advice and guidance
  • Notes prepared by the educational experts leading the course
  • Expert produced PowerPoint presentations
  • CPD Certificate of attendance
Read more