Art and Design (Photography)

Assessment

Component One Coursework: Personal investigation This component is weighted at 60% of the total qualification and is internally marked and externally moderated. Boys will develop their assessed responses from themes developed from personal starting points. As part of this component, boys will process their black-and-white films and print photographs in the darkroom, using the traditional process. The idea is to produce images that make the ordinary look extraordinary. Digital photography is also used to bring colour into the personal investigation, experimenting with different camera techniques to produce a wide variety of interesting work. Work in sketchbooks will be set as prep. In the Upper Sixth, the aim is to develop boys’ ability to resolve successfully the problems that emerge as an inevitable part of the process of creating photographic work. This will challenge their independent creativity and they will also work closely on the work of other photographers. This component will include a personal study, which requires boys to research, evaluate, analyse and establish coherent and sustainable links between their understanding of their own emerging photographic practice and that of historical and contemporary references. The study will take the form of a formal dissertation of no more than 3000 words. Component Two Exam: Externally set assignment This component is weighted at 40% of the total qualification and is internally marked and externally moderated. The exam is based on a theme chosen by the examination board – a previous theme was Simple or Complex – and the boys have a term in which they must research and shoot their ideas. They have a 15-hour examination in which they must complete a sketchbook and final piece or pieces. This is a real test of organisation and planning. A boy with an enthusiasm for photography will find the course stretches his horizons, introduces him to the work of professional practitioners and the history of photography, and develops in him the critical faculty to evaluate his work and that of others. The course would suit anyone at Harrow, not just the boys already decided on a Photography or Art and Design course at university. The Photography course gives boys an Art and Design qualification at A-level, developing excellent research skills that are highly regarded by top universities.