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Year 12 - The Foundation
The foundation has 3 components:
- An intense digital photography foundation course, learning basic techniques of camera use, looking at exposure triangle.
- An Issues based project, which supports students in exploring both digital methods of manipulation using Photoshop and analogue techniques based in the dark room.
- A personal project using a theme decided upon by the group. Students are expected to develop the projects in personal ways and extend their projects based on an idea, issue, concept or theme which will eventually lead to a finished piece or pieces.
The emphasis of this year is experimenting with ideas, skills and techniques to support and scaffold their assessed work in year 13.
Students are also supported in developing the critical and contextual skills and will complete various reading and written tasks throughout the year. Again this is to support students in developing skills to be able to complete the 1000 - 3000 word essay as part of their submission in year 13.
Year 13 - Assessed Work
Component 1: Personal Investigation
Component 1 incorporates two linked elements, Part 1: personal study and part 2: a submission of a piece of continuous prose of a between 1000 – 3000 words.
The investigation and development for both the practical work and personal study will be shown through supporting studies.
In this component, students will have opportunities to generate practical work, ideas and research from primary, secondary and contextual sources. They will experiment with media and processes and develop and refine their ideas, presenting their outcomes.
Component 2: Externally Set Assignment
The paper consists of one broad-based thematic starting point set by the exam board. Students will develop preparation over a period of time and sit a fifteen hour examination under controlled conditions.â¨
Students should produce practical and critical/contextual work in one or more creative areas including:
- portraiture
- landscape photography (working from the urban, rural and/or coastal environment)
- still-life photography, working from objects or from the natural world
- documentary photography, photo journalism
- experimental imagery
- photographic installation, video, television and film.
The practical elements should be linked with some aspect of contemporary or past practice of photographers or artists.
Assessment
Students sit examinations in their A Level courses at the end of Year 13. All students will take internal end of year examinations at the end of year 12 to determine suitability to continue with the subject in Year 13. Students who do not meet the required pass grade in the Year 12 end of year examinations will not be permitted to progress into Year 13.
60% of marks come from the Personal Investigation component; 40% of marks come from the Externally Set Assignment component. Both components are assessed at the centre and then externally moderated.
Entry Requirements
Students require a grade 6 or above in Art and Design GCSE, and at least a 5 grade in English GCSE. Students maybe invited in for interview with a portfolio of artwork.
Career Progression
Progression to Higher Level Courses in photography or graphic design, film and media and can be through application to a Foundation course at Art College before applying to a degree course in a specialist area. Some students can apply direct to a degree course. Studying photography for its own sake develops transferable skills, which can take you into employment.