A Level Photography

Choose A Level Photography under the Art, Craft and Design title at St Edmund’s to further develop your critical, technical, theoretical and expressive skills.

This A Level course encourages sustained investigation, analysis, photographic skills, and experimentation. The course content promotes creativity and builds skills in critical and reflective thinking.

As you progress, you will also gain confidence in working innovatively and independently, skills that are highly valued by universities and employers.

Enrichment opportunities at St Ed’s include:

• Additional workshop sessions to support wider experimentation with digital photography, techniques and processes.
• Gallery visits to London and Cambridge
• The chance to join our Stretch and Challenge group, experimenting with ideas/media, helping younger pupils and aiming for competitions.

Course structure

Assessment for both components takes place at the end of Rhetoric II (Year 13). There is an internal assessment at the end of Rhetoric I (Year 12).

Component 1: Personal investigation (60% of final mark)

The personal investigation consists of two parts:

• A major in-depth critical, practical, and theoretical investigative project / portfolio and outcomes based on subject matter that has a personal significance. Photography covers a broad and changing area of study with light-based imagery spanning almost two centuries. Students might engage with early light based images and rudimentary technology, such as a pinhole camera, as well as the most contemporary, which may include the use of digital cameras, photocopiers, scanners and mobile phones. Outcomes can be screen or print based, comprise still or moving images and might be discrete to the subject area or combined with other art forms.

• An extended written element of 1000-3000 words, which may contain images and text. This must clearly relate to practical and theoretical work using an appropriate working vocabulary and specialist terminology.

Component 2: Externally set assignment (40% of final mark)

Part 1 – Preparatory study period
Assignment materials are released to students from 1 February (in Rhetoric II/Year 13). They consist of a series of visual and written stimuli.

• Students select one of the stimuli and use it as a starting point from which to elicit a personal response.
• Responses are developed during the preparatory study period. They should take the form of critical, practical, and theoretical preparatory work/supporting studies which inform the resolution of ideas in the 15 hours sustained focus study.

The start of the preparatory study period is defined as the date upon which the externally set assignment materials are presented to the candidate. The preparatory period may commence on or after the 1 of February the preparatory study period finishes on the commencement of the sustained focus work.

Part 2 – 15-hour period of sustained focus work

• The resolution of ideas from the preparatory work must be completed during the designated 15 hours and students must show how their planning relates to the outcome(s).
• The period of sustained focus work must be completed under supervised conditions.
• Both the preparatory work and sustained focus work will be assessed together using the assessment objectives.
• Students will be required to select, evaluate, and present their work for assessment.