In Year 10 and 11 students will have 5 hours of Art lessons a fortnight. They will work on a range of projects designed to build confidence and skills and enhance their enjoyment of this subject. This is a highly popular course and students fully engage with the highly supportive and creative environment that is created.
Course Content in Upper School Photography
Student studying Upper School GCSE Art at Hayesfield will follow the AQA syllabus
Year 10 and 11 will have five lessons per fortnight. Classes are taught in mixed ability tutor Groups. They will complete three portfolio projects from which the most successful work will be selected.
These will be
- Understanding the Camera, Image making, and Photoshop. A unit building knowledge and experience
- Surrealism and Documentary
- Mock exam project
Subject Specific Skills
In Upper School Photography lessons, students are expected to demonstrate a range of skills across all units including the following core skills, which are essential for GCSE success:
- Researching and responding to the work of other Photographers and visual artists of all kinds
- Developing independence and the ability to explore and experiment with a range of techniques including camera confidence and post production techniques
- Record ideas through taking and creating images drawings and diagrams and annotation of ideas
- Demonstrating the journey of ideas through careful presentation of sketchbook work and final outcomes
Assessment in Upper School Photography
How we assess
In Upper School Art students doing the Photography endorsement are assessed against the GCSE Assessment Objectives for each unit they complete.
In each lesson teachers will make assessments and will provide students with verbal feedback. Students are actively encouraged to conduct self and peer-assessments regularly in addition to staff comments within Photography lessons. The assessment objectives are A01 Develop, A02 Explore, A03 Record, and AO4 Present.
When we assess
Formal summative assessments, occur at the end of each unit in the form of a GCSE grade from 1-9 based on the GCSE Assessment Criteria for each Assessment Objective.
In addition to formal assessments, peer and self-assessment as well as verbal staff feedback occurs in each lesson. Students form their self-assessment against personal target after each activity in their sketchbook, which is followed by teacher comment.
Marking of Students’ Work and Feedback
Students’ work is expected to be marked by the teacher once every 6 lessons in line with the school marking policy. Teachers will specifically indicate what work will and will not be marked in order to give our students a clear idea of what is expected from them and so they can always present their best work.
Assessment feedforward sheets are used as part of the assessment marking process at the end of each unit which usually marries up to each term. Staff comments provide guidance on how students can improve their level of understanding. Staff are expected to review all peer assessed and self-assessed work and provide guidance when necessary. Students are encouraged to self- and peer-assess their work with our Green and Purple pens.
Setting in Upper School Photography Lessons
All students are taught in mixed ability classes in Y10-Y11 with clear differentiation of teaching to ensure that all students are stretched and challenged to achieve the highest grade they can in their final GCSE. There is of course an expected level of commitment and ability that is required to undertake a GCSE in Photography which will have been discussed carefully as part of the Options process in Y9.
Homework
- Photography homework can be set on a weekly basis or some projects are set over a longer period to ensure that students have time to produce high quality work. Students will record homework in their planners and teachers will share the work via SIMS Learning Gateway
- Homework at Upper School typically include production of Photographs from personal shoots, which may take considerable time outside lessons or research projects about specific artistic styles and artists
- Maximum intended length of homework per subject should normally be one per week although students in completion of their coursework will be expected to take significantly more time than this
Supporting Your Daughter in Upper School Photography
- Encourage attendance to the Period 6 LEAP support sessions to develop her confidence and extend her skills
- Making sure that your daughter has the correct equipment for her lessons including appropriate camera, memory card and sketchbook
- Where possible support the visiting of museums, galleries and exhibitions and generally developing cultural awareness