Photography

Director of Study: Mrs J Grzywna

Teacher: Mrs G Whitehurst

Teacher: Mr B Burgoyne

Key Stage 4 - GCSE Photography

This course offers those students who enjoy being creative but without the pressure of draughtmanship. It will offer students the choice to practice the elements of photography through traditional and contemporary approaches. It gives students a foundation to build upon if they wish to study the subject further at A-Level or vocational course.

All students will complete two projects; SCALE - getting to know the camera and ENVIROMENTS - exploring picture manipulation. They are encouraged to produce work exploring a wide range of concepts and ideas, expand their knowledge of systems and techniques as well as refining their photography skills in a personal and individual way.

These two completed projects completes their Portfolio of Work (Coursework) equating to 60% of their overall Final GCSE Grade.

During the course students will sit a Mock Exam in Y10 and Y11. This Mock Exam is an opportunity for students to experience working in the Art and ICT rooms under exam control conditions and gain the knowledge they need, along with working closely with their subject teachers, of the expectations required to be successful in their Final 10hour Exam.

Compulsory elements for each project are:

• Research - a collection of photographs, images and written annotation.
• Recording - photography inspired by their research as initial ideas.
• Experimentation - developing ideas through exploration of systems and concepts.
• Personal Response - a final outcome which demonstrates a clear connection with the project theme with individual style.

It is vital that each of the above elements are completed to ensure each of the assessment criteria is met.

Assessment

At the end of each project students receive direction through written and verbal feedback to support them complete any outstanding coursework before their Portfolio of Work is submitted for marking. This is marked against GCSE assessment criteria along with the work they produce for the Final Exam (40%) to award them a Final Overall Grade. All feedback given is of a supportive nature to ensure students are able to develop and refine their work and aim towards achieving their full potential and exceed expectations.