Photography

Photography Department Intent

The department curriculum is structured to engage and inspire students to believe in their potential and to enable them to take risks to explore a range of materials whilst refining and developing creative skills. We ask students to form opinions whilst exploring the work of others and offer students the opportunity for self-reflection whilst broadening their cultural experiences.

The curriculum makes natural links to other subjects and underpins student’s development of knowledge through schemes of work that challenge and inspire students to learn with increasing independence and challenge throughout the key stages. The foundation of the department is that if a student receives the highest quality experiences, they will have the confidence to independently take risks in their work so that they are able to accelerate their learning. This is evidenced in our department results. ALL department staff have positive aspirations for ALL students and the positive atmosphere the department creates is essential to the success of our curriculum. Students feel secure and so are able to take risks and explore their work making meaningful personal connections.

The curriculum has been developed to enable students to develop the skills and knowledge needed for A level and no student is deemed incapable of developing those skills even if their prior starting point from KS2 is low. Staff work closely with local primary schools on projects and workshops to ensure transition is strong to maximise the right level of challenge in year 7. The curriculum is planned to assess current knowledge and skills of individuals before adapting a learning sequence to address gaps in knowledge or skills.

Students in Y7, 8 and 9 are taught elements of art simultaneously to enable teachers to maximise the challenge they are setting between year groups and for students to be able to confidently identify the progress they are making to take advantage of that feeling of success to drive excellence and further challenge.
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The department offers a broad range of extra-curricular opportunities through art clubs, competitions, exhibitions, community projects, whole school impact days, the Arts Award, visiting artist workshops and trips both in the UK and internationally. We actively target disadvantaged groups to ensure uptake is at least at 25% of the cohort. Praise is widely used through our stars and artwork of the month, parents are engaged with this through email notifications and use of Facebook to showcase students work.  

Key stage 5

Introduction
Students will be introduced to photographic & film media and also techniques such as composition, lighting, colour and B&W images. They will get to experiment with  state of the art technology such as Adobe Photoshop Creative suite6. Our darkroom facility offers the opportunity to create photography using the traditional darkroom and chemical techniques including making your own pinhole cameras and processing your own photographs and film as well as other mixed media techniques.
In addition, students will explore relevant images and resources relating to Photography as well as a wide range of art and design, both from the past and more recent times. . This will all be part of the investigating and making process and will culminate in the production of original  photographic works of their own.
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We will also go to London and on an international trip ( such as Paris, Barcelona) to understand better the work of leading artists and cement your understanding of the subject.
 
What can this lead to?
This can lead to a career in the UK’s world leading creative industries including careers in film, television, graphics, design, Web design, New media, lighting backstage  careers  and many other opportunities

What will I study?

•  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, photojournalism
• fashion photography
• experimental imagery
• multimedia
• photographic installation moving image (video, film, animation).

How are students assessed?
Your work will be assessed using 4 assessment objectives. The A level consists of personal study and an externally set assignment of which 15 hours are carried out under examination conditions.