Art & Design (Photography) A Level

A minimum of 4 subjects at grade 5 or above at GCSE plus English Language and Maths at grade 4 or above. You should also have a grade 5 or above in either Art, Textiles or Graphics. We will also be happy to look at a digital portfolio of your work, and if you have the potential will offer you a place.

You are given the opportunity to learn and develop a range of skills in relation to a variety of photography processes and techniques.  This is taught initially through a six week induction period at the beginning of year 1 and continues during further project work throughout the course.

You will produce a body of work for all projects/units, following the art process from initial research and starting points, through development and experimentation towards a final response in the form of a finished piece. Alongside your development work, you will research a range of relevant artists and designers to gain inspiration for your own creative ideas and themes. You will also analyse existing designs, extracting techniques and methods of working, which can be mapped onto practical experimentations.

The studio-based practice is contextualised with potential educational visits to exhibitions of contemporary art alongside references to work in the College Gallery and the library's excellent facilities. Also, during the summer term your outstanding achievements are celebrated in an exhibition of work at the end of course as part of the Creative Show.

The photography course provides you with the opportunity to express yourselves imaginatively and creatively using a range of different photography techniques. It is a challenging course but a hugely rewarding one.

You will typically be in College four days per week with an emphasis on the practical elements of the course. In-College delivery is supported by online resources, and students develop strong independent learning skills to equip them for their next steps.

In Year One there will be formative assessment on project work completed.  

In Year Two there are two coursework units.
Personal Investigation: 60%
Produce a portfolio of practical work in response to a brief, scenario or stimulus provided by the student or centre, and a related written study of at least 1000 words.

Externally set Task: 40%
15 hours non-exam assessment (internally assessed and externally moderated). Produce a response to one of a number of provided themes, each of which will have a range of written and visual starting points.

You are provided with regular feedback throughout the units, with detailed feedback at the end of each project/ unit in relation to assessment objectives outlined by the exam board. It is important that you reflect on the feedback provided to improve your existing and future work and fulfil your potential.

This course can be taken alongside other creative A Levels or as a creative subject to give your A Level programme breadth and depth.

Having an A Level in a creative subject is an essential starting point if you want to pursue a career in Art and Design. After completing your A Levels, you can apply to do a one year post-A Level Art and Design Foundation Diploma or apply directly onto higher education degree courses at York College or other institutions across the country.

The Foundation Diploma Post Level 3 course helps you determine the most appropriate Art and Design degree specialism for them, is free for under 19 students and is offered at York College.