Art and Design (Photography)

Course summary

Students studying Level Graphic Communication are required to complete two components, the ‘Personal Investigation’ and the ‘Externally Set Task’. The ‘Personal Investigation’ is a practical portfolio with supporting contextual research in which learners are expected to develop a personal response based on the center-set or learner-set theme leading to a finished realization (s) or outcome(s). It is worth 60% of the total A Level and will require learners to produce two elements: (i) a portfolio of practical work showing their response to either a starting point, brief, scenario, or stimulus, devised and provided by the learner or center. (ii) a related study: an extended response of a guided minimum of 1000 words. The ‘Externally Set Task’ is worth 40% of the total A Level and will require learners to undertake a 15-hour supervised design task. The paper will give learners a choice of seven themes, each with a choice of written and/ or visual starting points, briefs, or stimuli. From this paper, learners are expected to choose one option for which they will generate an appropriate personal response for assessment. It is worth considering that there is no written examination for this course!