Exam Board and Specification Code: AQA (8206)
The Course
Our photography courses at David Game College offer focused, exciting and challenging learning strategies to develop knowledge, creativity and technical skills in the theory and practice of photography. The teaching and learning strategy for these courses is based on the AQA exam board, learning and assessment requirement.
The creative potential stimulated in this course will enable you to apply analytical, critical thinking and problem solving skills, in order to visually communicate ideas through photography skilfully.
Our Facilities
We have a wide range of facilities to accommodate enthusiastic exploration of project investigations which include the use of black-and-white darkroom to explore experimental photography and a digital studio with one personalised Mac per student to use postproduction in Photo Shop and iMovie for video editing. Our lighting studio offers flash lighting, light meters and studio equipment to engage the refinement and exploration of photographic techniques . In the main studio we participate in project development and engage an understanding for the theory side of photography through Image decoding presentations and student/ teacher discussion.
How is the Course Assessed?
We teach a curriculum around the AQA exam board which is assessed as coursework and a final exam. We offer intensive GCSE and intensive A-level courses as well as two year courses for each. At GCSE we investigate and manage two projects: Unit One- teacher set project and Unit Two- AQA set project. Each culminates in the development of a project and in the case of Unit Two a timed exam at the end of that development. At A-level second year or intensive, students generate a project title to develop Unit 1 'personal investigation'. In Unit 2 the project is set by the AQA exam board which again culminates in a developed project with a timed exam at the end of this period. GCSE and A-level Unit 1 accounts for 60% of the mark and Unit 2 for 40% of the mark.
Students will use sketchpads and workbooks to demonstrate all practical learning, ideas development and critical analysis.
Our students do incredibly well in the subject of photography and gain an understanding of project development and these transferable skills are invaluable to support other areas of study or employment. Most students go on to study a degree in art, photography, fashion, video and film, whilst others enjoy the subject purely as an exciting and rewarding course to balance well with maths, business, economics, psychology,
sociology etc.
What Careers and University courses can Photography lead to?
Photography could lead to academic or vocational degrees or employment relating to Art careers, Advertising, Commercial work, Editorial, Fashion, Film, Food, Forensic, Industrial, Architectural, Portraiture and Wedding photography, Sports and Travel, Press photography, Photojournalism, Fine Art, Editing, Fashion photography or Styling. Other areas include Forensic science, Curating, Image Library, etc. In the film industry it can be used for directing, lighting, DOP in film and TV.
