Any Art Teachers ? Need advice re A level please

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DD1 is choosing a sixth form/college at the moment.She wants to do Art as she is very creative,She moved schools at the end of year 9 and all the Art GCSE class were full.She is doing DT Resistant Materials and has made an amazing Necklace (the tutor said its the best she had seen in her teaching career)and brilliant lamp .
DD also does lots of drawing/painting in her spare time.
However this evening she visited a college and the Art Dept head just kept saying 'well you have not done GCSE so you probably wont get in,you could submit a portfolio but its very unlikely you will get in '
DD is distraught, she adores Art and has really missed not doing it for GCSE. She is crying in her room now.
Please tell me she can still get in with her DT course( predicted A) and her portfolio and that this Teacher was talking out of his backside...please?

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Not an art teacher but I did an Art Foundation course as a mature student without having Art GCSE or A Level.

My college would probably have allowed a student to do Art A Level without a GCSE but it depends on the college and how popular the course is locally. Our college was quite undersubscribed and the course was at risk of being withdrawn if they didn't have enough students. GCSE art certainly isn't a prerequisite for A Level in the same way that Maths or Science is.

I would suggest she contact other colleges as they may be more flexible. It would also be a good idea to get support with her portfolio to broaden her range. Are there any art classes/workshops she could do locally? I am in London where there are a lot of life drawing classes, portfolio preparation courses etc.

DS is doing art at A level but had to have an A* at art to be accepted.

I assume she is not goingto college to do just one A level - can she not do GCSE Art in the first year and a levels in associated subject. It would mean an extra year if she is doing a decent course but if it what she really wants to do it mat be worth it

She will be doing Maths , Chemistry and Physics as well at A level.
She was seriously considering the IB diploma , but she still would have had to drop a science to fit Art in.
Its very difficult as she is torn between Science and Art. If she drops a science or Maths then she cant get on a Science based Uni course.If she drops Art she will be depressed (she is usually drawing most evenings anyway)and will not be able to get on an Art Degree course.
She does do some outside courses,she is doing Textiles at the moment and will be doing Life Drawing after Christmas.

I would encourage her to apply with her portfolio, it does sound quite broad and promising. Try to get advice on preparing her portfolio from the tutors on the courses she's doing, and if she has friends doing the GCSE/A Level, it would be a good idea to look at their portfolios for the breadth they're covering.

She might be able to do the Art A Level/GCSE as a night course elsewhere, if the college still won't accept her.

If she wants to do a Fine Art BA, she will probably have to do an Art Foundation course which is one year after A Levels as well.

Could you not ask her DT teacher to speak with the sixth form/college tutor to explain the situation. I teach DT and have often written a personal reference or made a quick call to the local college and it has done the trick (along with excellent overall GCSE results) and students have taken their DT design folder with them. Most teachers will know some of the staff at a local sixth form/college.
Seems a shame to prevent a student doing a course when it was not her fault in the first place.

It very much depends on the art course that she is looking to do. If it is fine art then it would not be too unrealistic to expect a GCSE in art but also for the college to be a bit flexible in looking at other candidates.

My school certainly does a number of A level type courses including fine art but also 3D design, sculpture and graphic products and has a national reputation for them. The head of the department would absolutely look at the portfolio of evidence before advicing what is most appropriate as a course.

If the college is a bit stick in the mud about not reviewing the portfolio of evidence then i would be tempted to say that they don't deserve to have a talented pupil and that your daughter should look elsewhere to an FE facility that can see the talent and nuture it.

Do they do Art & Design Applied A level ... that might be more accessible with the DT background

No Art and Design nearby, just Fine Art.
I have emailed a few tutors and waiting to hear back.
DD has signed up for various Art workshops at the local college and we have signed her up for a Summer Course at Central St Martins , we hope this will help with her Portfolio and to show her commitment.

Totally unrelated question i know but was wondering if it is at all possible to teach my daughter GCSE art from home? Does anybody know the logistics of doing this? In her options she chose 'Fashion' which in hindsight was a mistake and it may be too late to change to Art which is what i originally wanted her to do. Any ideas? There is no way we could afford private tuition!