Head of Faculty: Mrs T Hunt (Associate Assistant Principal)

Teacher of Art: Miss E Fothergill

Teacher of Technology: Miss H Arnfield

Photography provides Students with the tools to be creative, ambitious, and resilient. Every great artist must, at first, fail to achieve their goals. At Serlby Park Academy we stretch and challenge our students through experimentation and expression. We aim to give our students the skills and knowledge to further their education at college and beyond.

Our students look at their work and the work of others with a critical mind and contextual knowledge. They will experiment with a wide range of materials and techniques. This broad approach will give students an opportunity to discover their specialist pathway for when they enter higher education.

Students will work on sustained units of work that show how they have developed as a photographer. Here at Serlby Park, our curriculum is designed to build passionate and reflective students who will have a brave approach when developing skills with media and their techniques, using the physical act of photography as a tool for looking, experiencing and learning.

When addressing the requirements of AO3, students must record their ideas, observations and insights both visually and through written annotation using appropriate specialist vocabulary, as work progresses. Annotation must be explicitly evidenced. The content and presentation of annotation will be determined by what the student wishes to communicate, including how it supports the development of their work through the creative process. For example, as ideas are developed, explored, and recorded annotations might relate to initial thoughts, practical considerations, the communication of intentions, responses to sources, critical reflection on personal work and self-evaluation. The teacher encourages students to appreciate the purposes of annotation and understand where and how annotations can feature as an integral aspect of the creative process. As such, annotation can also contribute to evidence for AO1, AO2 and AO4. Annotations can be presented in handwritten and/or digital form as appropriate.

There is synoptic assessment in both components of the GCSE that provides rigour and presents opportunities for students as follows:

In Component 1 (portfolio) students develop responses to initial starting points, project briefs or specified tasks and realise intentions informed by research, the development and refinement of ideas and meaningful engagement with selected sources. Responses will include evidence of drawing for different purposes and needs and written annotation.

In Component 2 (externally set assignment) students respond to a starting point provided by the exam board. This response provides evidence of the student’s ability to work independently within specified time constraints, realise intentions that are personal and meaningful and explicitly address the requirements of all four assessment objectives. Students are encouraged to actively engage in the creative process of Photography to develop as effective and independent learners, and as critical and reflective thinkers with enquiring minds Develop creative, imaginative, and intuitive capabilities when exploring and making images. Become confident in taking risks and learn from experience when exploring and experimenting with ideas, processes, media, materials, and techniques. Students will develop critical understanding through investigative, analytical, experimental, practical, technical, and expressive skills, developing and refining ideas and personal outcomes or solutions with increasing independence. Students will acquire and develop technical skills through working with a broad range of Digital and Manual manipulations with purpose and intent. Develop knowledge and understanding of Photography in historical and contemporary contexts. They will develop an awareness of the purposes, intentions and functions of Photography in a variety of contexts and as appropriate to students’ own work and demonstrate safe working practices.