Art, Craft & Design - Photography - A level

Student entry into our Sixth Form requires 5 grade 4 GCSE's or above including English and Maths.

If you studied the applied subject at GCSE we are asking for a grade 5 in that subjects (Grade 6 in Maths)

Art, Craft and Design

If you have an interest in, enthusiasm for, and enjoyment of Art, Photography and Three-Dimensional Design then studying for an A level in Art, Craft and Design will allow you to explore and develop your own interests in a wide range of disciplines across the visual arts, crafts and design, and give you the experience of working with a broad range of media.

This is a broad-based course that provides flexibility in content and approach. Possible areas of study include Fine Art, Three-Dimensional Design, Printmaking and Photography. All disciplines are co-taught within the same lessons and you have the opportunity to work across more than one discipline or to specialise in just one. It is up to you how you would like to approach this subject.

Whichever discipline or combination of disciplines is followed, the course encourages creativity, sustained investigation and analysis, experimentation, designing and making, and includes an awareness of different roles, functions, audiences and consumers of art, craft and design.

THE COURSE – Photography

You may ultimately decide that you want to specialise in Photography though. As with Art the first term will be a series of taught skills-based workshops and challenges across all techniques to help you to learn, develop and refine your skills and help you decide what kind of photographer you want to be.

The Photography element of the course is designed to enable you to learn through discovery and exploration what kind of photographer you are. You will have the opportunities to engage in all forms of lens-based light and media techniques as you develop your own style and interests. Possible areas of study include portrait photography, landscape photography, still life, experimental imagery and documentary photography to name a few. This work will also form part of a portfolio in readiness for degree course applications or employment. You'll be introduced to a range of materials to develop your ideas and make decisions about how you want to work. Every student is unique and the course provides potential for each of you to follow an independent project and content. The Photography A level gives you the fantastic opportunity to go on to study in many creative fields, such as Fine Art, Advertising, Graphic Communication, Film and Media Digital Marketing and Fashion Photography, as well as fields such as Medical or Forensic Photography. This A level also compliments other subjects to allow you to build self-motivation, problem solving, commitment and initiative to become an independent, well rounded individual.

Component 1 Personal Investigation

The Personal Investigation is the main focus of the course worth 60% of the qualification. You choose a project focus, select and specialise in art techniques, practises and materials that interest you and produce a series of outcomes that will form your final exhibition. Evidence can be submitted as a series of sketchbooks; a portfolio, or using a digital format.

Component 2 Externally Set Assignment is worth 40% of the qualification.

This is in response to one of 15 starter points or themes set by the exam board. You will have three months to complete your supporting studies/preparatory work in response to the start point you choose followed by a 15-hour period of sustained focus work completed in exam conditions, both of which are assessed together.

This course places equal value on creative processes and their outcomes. All work across the course is assessed and contributes to your grade. There are 4 assessment objectives that encourage you to combine Contextual Understanding, Creative Making, Reflective recording and Personal Presentation.

Student entry into our Sixth Form requires 5 grade 4 GCSE's or above including English and Maths.

If applying for an A Level course that you have studied at GCSE it is expected that you would attain a minimum of a Grade 5 in this subject.

If you are keen to pursue a career in this area or want a subject to complement the Arts, Sciences or Humanities then Photography may well be for you. Previous students have followed a wide variety of pathways including: careers in journalism, fashion, business, fine art, illustration, film industries, design fields including Graphics and the music industry. Past Photography students work as self-employed Photographers or for companies such as Archant, Vogue, Dazed & Confused, Channel 4, Itv and BalloonDog.