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A Level Photography

In the Art department we offer 2 A Level courses:

• Art & Design: Fine Art
• Photography

A-Level Photography

The full A level in Photography is a 2-year course with 1 Externally Set Assignment (exam) at the end of the second year.

This is a course for students who want to study an introduction to Photography and is ideal for those who want to go on to study an Art or Photography related course at University.

A Level Photography students will have the opportunity to explore a wide range of ideas and develop skills in studio, documentary and landscape/architecture photography. They will learn about contemporary and historical photographers and develop relevant industry skills in both the use of DSLR cameras, software packages such as Adobe Photoshop and studio lighting equipment.

In Photography, students follow a course similar in structure to A Level and GCSE Art. They produce a coursework project (portfolio) worth 60% of their final mark and sit an externally set exam worth 40%.

Both the coursework portfolio and the exam are marked using the same Assessment Objectives:

• AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.
• AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.
• AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.
• AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.

 Component 1 – Personal Investigation (60%)

 1.   Coursework Portfolio/ Personal Investigation

Students produce a body of work that takes the form of a sketchbook supported by an A3 portfolio of their own images. They explore an idea or theme developing work in a way that reflects their personal interests or strengths until they reach a final outcome. Work produced should satisfy the Assessment Objectives above and demonstrate that they have researched and responded to photographers relevant to their theme, experimented with their images and objects through photography and then produced a relevant final piece.

2.   Personal Study

This is a separate piece of critical and analytical writing (1000-3000 words) making links to the student’s own Personal Investigation, and supported by artists research and references. Through the personal study, students will demonstrate understanding of relevant social, cultural and historical sources. Students will also express personal interpretations or conclusions and use technical and specialist vocabulary.

Component 2 – Externally Set Assignment (40%)

Students will be issued with a paper from which they will select a title/starting point to develop ideas. They will have time to produce preparation work that satisfies the first 3 AO’S (just as they have done for their coursework) before they begin their exam. With Photography, students will spend their exam editing one (or a series) of their own images selected as a final piece using Photoshop.

The A Level exam is 15 hours long typically split into a series of sittings of up to 5 hours. As in other subject areas exam conditions are observed. The focus in the exam is to produce a final outcome that satisfies AO4.

A Level Fine Art

In the Art department we offer 2 A Level courses:

• Art & Design: Fine Art
• Photography

A-Level Art & Design: Fine Art 

The full A level in Art & Design: Fine Art is a 2-year course with 1 Externally Set Assignment (exam) at the end of the second year.

This course is for students who want to study Art to a higher level and is ideal for those who want to go on to study an Art related course at University.

The A level course is made up of two components that stretch across the 2 years:

Component 1 – Personal investigation (60%)

1. Practical work

The Personal Investigation is an extended practical project based on a personal response to a theme or starting point. Students will generate ideas and experiment how to express them through a variety of materials and processes. They will develop and refine their ideas through experimentation and research into different techniques, styles of art and the work of other artists.

2. Personal study

This is a separate piece of critical and analytical writing (1000 words) making links to the student’s own Personal Investigation, and supported by artists research and references. Through the personal study, students will demonstrate understanding of relevant social, cultural and historical sources. Students will also express personal interpretations or conclusions and use technical and specialist vocabulary.

Component 2 – Externally Set Assignment (40%)

This is an externally set assignment from the exam board. Students will produce another practical project in the same manner as their Personal Investigation, developing their skills to a higher level in response to a starting point set out in the exam paper.

Students will be expected to submit all their preparatory studies (sketchbook work) and an outcome that will be completed in a Controlled Assessment (15 hours).

GCSE Art & Design

This is a broad course exploring practical, critical and contextual work through a range of 2D and/or 3D processes and new media and technologies.  This course is made up of two separate units across years 9, 10 and 11.

Unit 1 Portfolio of Work

Supporting Unit

• Completed throughout Year 9

• Students are given the opportunity to experiment and develop their skills in a wide variety of techniques, media and materials through a series of workshops and tasks

• Will develop drawing skills, critical understanding, use of materials and experimental techniques

• Materials and techniques are inspired and supported by research of a range of contemporary and historial artists and makers

Portfolio Unit – ‘Identity’

• To demonstrate that students can sustain work from an initial starting point to the realisation of intentions

• Includes evidence of research, the development of ideas and meaningful links with critical and contextual sources.  

• The theme of Identity is very wide ranging and allows all students to be able to find a relevant starting point to take their work forward.

• The use of a sketchbook throughout the ‘Portfolio of Work’ unit allows students to experiment with ideas and materials, using their book for recording changes to their ideas, composition ideas, artists references and experiments with techniques.

Unit 2 Externally Set Task (Exam)

• This unit is externally set by the exam board

• Students will further develop the skills they have acquired through Unit 1 choosing another theme from the exam paper to create a body of work.

Throughout both units, students are encouraged to evidence the relationship between process and outcome, reflect on and evaluate their experimentation process and research and visit galleries and museum to inform their own work. Students can explore any number of methods and materials such as photography, video/film, animation, installation, ceramic forms, sculptures, mixed media, printing, textiles, drawing and painting.

Art in Year 8

Year 8 allows students to build on their experience and develop their skills using the visual elements in a thematic curriculum. They will be introduced to how and why artists create work that communicates a concept and deeper meaning in preparation for GCSE Art & Design.

During this year pupils will:

• Be able produce creative and imaginative outcomes that critically analyse and question a given theme/concept
• Continue to explore a wide range and combination of materials and techniques such as: drawing, colour blending, perspective drawing, mixed media layered collage, decoupage, wax relief, biro mark making, printing, textiles, 3D construction, needle/wet felting, portrait drawing…
• Investigate and research the work of contemporary and historical artists and makers such as: Owen Gildersleeve, Claes Oldenburg, Leonardo da Vinci, France Bourley, Andy Warhol, Chris Crites…
• Develop their visual literacy skills through critical analysis of the work of others and the critical evaluation and creation of their own artwork
• Generate ideas, plan and produce work in collaboration with others
• Build an awareness of the further applications and functions of Art & Design in society (art practice, scientific recording and observation, advertising)

Topics will include:

In the Kitchen: This unit explores the concept of Recycle and Reuse (rationing, food waste, using recycled materials) through a focus on mixed media techniques. Outcomes may include watercolour burger, wax transfer ketchup bottles, French knitted food, ceramic foods, felt and ceramic food packaging, cardboard constructed plates of food…

Inside the Body: Students are encouraged to experiment and take risks with their use of materials within this unit, which explores the use of Art for scientific recording and observation. Outcomes may include wax trapping, poly-block printing or felted cells, clay hearts, mixed media layer abstract cell forms…

Caged: This unit acts a stepping stone to GCSE Art & Design by looking at meaning and concept in Art, giving students the opportunity to explore the themes of Endangered Species or Prisoners in a variety of materials and techniques. Outcomes may include collage portraits, endangered animal babygros, Andy Warhol inspired polyblock prints, plastic bonding sealife animals…

Art in Year 7

Year 7 is an experimental year where students will be introduced to the building blocks of Art (the Visual Elements) and have the opportunity to explore a wide range of materials and techniques in Art.

During this year pupils will:

• Be introduced to the Visual Elements: Line, Tone, Colour, Texture, Pattern, Form and Shape
• Explore a wide range of materials and techniques such as: drawing, mark making, colour blending, biro, watercolour, ceramics, cardboard construction, wire, collage, scraffito, printmaking…
• Investigate and research the work of contemporary and historical artists and makers such as: Ernst Haeckel, Andy Goldsworthy, Frida Kahlo, Jeff Koons, JR, Anastasia Savinova…
• Take informed creative risks
• Analyse and comment on own work and the work of other artists
• Begin to understand the creative process and their own personal style in art

Topics will include:

Natural Forms: Students will explore all the Visual Elements in turn use artists to inform their explorations. Outcomes may include ceramic poppies or seed pods, watercolour fruit, collagraph print leaves, wire shells…

Celebration: This unit explores different forms of celebration such as parties and birthday, sport celebration and success and cultural celebrations such as Day of the Dead. Outcomes may include watercolour doughnuts, scraffito party poppers, cardboard constructed cakes, sports collage, clay sugar skulls…

Built Environment: Students will be introduced to the meaning behind creating Art and will explore social and cultural surroundings and issues such as poverty and homelessness.  Outcomes may include cardboard constructed shanty towns, wire landscapes, identity houses, constructed building collages, mixed media birdhouses…

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