GCSE Photography - Key Stage 4

What will pupils do in the subject?

You will be given the opportunity to improve your skills in whatever area you choose to study  and will develop your own individual coursework projects from a range of themes provided.

You will be encouraged to skilfully use and experiment with a variety of media, techniques and approaches before deciding on what your own Personal Response is going to be.

The course follows on from your Art and Design work in years 7, 8 and 9, and concentrates on the process of developing your skills, your ideas and a range of Personal Responses. Our courses are all about having an imaginative and enquiring approach to Photography, while still developing the skills you need to express your ideas in the most effective way possible.

The course relies on Coursework for a large part of your grade, so you need to be aware that everything you do over the two years of the course could be assessed - it's not only about the exam at the end!

We expect students to put in maximum effort right from the start and keep that going to the end of Year 11...

 

Who is it suitable for?

To enjoy and be successful on our courses, you will want to be...

- Passionate about being creative and expressing yourself visually
- Self-­motivated, dedicated and engaged with the world of Photography
- Possibly thinking about working in an exciting creative industry in the future
- Someone who enjoys 'hands on' practical activities, being creative and using your imagination
- Able to take ownership of your own work and keen to work independently
- Someone who sees Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking and/or Photography & Digital Art as an important part of who they are Art and Design

If you want to be creative but are not confident in your traditional Art & Design skills, and enjoy taking photographs or working with digital technology to manipulate images then this is the course for you. Beware though - just because you have an amazing AI powered camera on your phone and like to play with filters, it doesn't make you a photographer!

 

What might the subject lead into?

If you are successful on this courses you could go on further with an A Level or vocational qualification in the Art and Design area (or a related subject like Fashion, etc.). You might then go on to College or University to study for a career in the Creative Industries such as; advertising, marketing, design, architecture, publishing, fashion, game design or the media. The number of jobs in the creative industries in the UK has risen by 20% over the last 5 years, compared to other jobs in general which have only by around 6%, so in terms of future careers, it's a good place to be!