Course Summary
* Are you creative and imaginative?
* Do you enjoy exploring ideas and looking at things in different ways?
If so, you should consider a course in Photography.
This course is focused on looking, learning, thinking and communicating. You will enjoy developing your understanding of the visual world, learning practical skills and responding to ideas and issues in ways that are personal to you. Photography is a great companions to all other subjects as creativity, imagination and problem solving skills can give you great ideas for your other subjects.
Course Details
You will enhance your investigative and analytical skills through research, recording, development and refinement of ideas; and build confidence in creative and practical skills through consolidated studio-based studies.
* Understand the relationship between intellectual ideas and resolved artworks
* Respond personally and meaningfully to stimuli, including historical and contemporary photographers, artists and designers, across a wide range of techniques and media both darkroom and digital.
* Develop a range of transferable skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, information synthesising, project management, organisation and presentation skills
How will it be delivered and assessed?
A Level Photography is a practical course in which you learn by doing, so you will be able to create imaginative personal work. You will find out about a whole range of media, techniques and processes both darkroom and digital. You will develop your creativity and independent thought, learn to express yourself visually and let your imagination flourish.
During year 12 you will begin by building on your existing skills and further explore both these and new techniques and media. Following on from this you will develop work for a Personal Investigation into an idea, issue, concept or theme supported by written material. You will continue working on component 1 up until February. This will count for 60% of your total A-level marks.
In component 2, the Externally Set Assignment, you will produce personal work in response to one of several given starting points culminating in a 15-hour final piece. This will count for 40% of your total A-level marks
You will be expected to work independently a large proportion of the time both in and out of college; and will be expected to meet deadlines and produce work to the best of your ability.
Entry requirements
At least 5 GCSE Grades 9 - 4 to include English; and Grade 5 or above in Art or a similarly titled subject.
Your next steps...
This qualification builds on the skills, knowledge and understanding developed through study at GCSE. At the end of the A level course you will have the knowledge and understanding needed for higher education. This qualification carries UCAS points but if a student wishes to pursue a degree in an area of art and design, it is generally expected that students will progress to a foundation course at Level 4.
Here they will build their portfolio for further study at degree level. Some providers may accept students onto degree courses immediately after their A level course but you should always check the entry requirements for degree programmes with specific higher education.
For more courses like this, check our courses page.