A Level Photography

St Ivo Academy

St Ivo Academy, High Leys, St Ives, Cambridgeshire , PE27 6RR

GCE A/AS Level or Equivalent

Level 3

Available start dates

Tuesday, 01 September 2026

St.Ivo Academy with Sixth Form

2 Year(s)

Full time

Daytime/working hours

Block B

Course Summary

An exciting yet demanding course, A-level photography aims to develop photographic, creative and intellectual skills along with the ability to analyse contextual references, techniques and processes using written annotation.

Course Details

The A-level photography course consists of two components, both internally assessed and externally moderated, a thematic practical project and an essay of 1500-3000 words which relates to the contextual research within the practical work. Component 2 is externally set and thematically based.

How will it be delivered and assessed?

60% Component 1; 40% Component 2

Entry requirements

Five 5's including English and 4+ in mathematics

Art based or film GCSE grade 5+

If photography studied at GCSE grade 5+

If none, portfolio of 12+ photographs (landscapes, portraits) NOT holiday photographs

Equipment required

A bridge camera is sufficient, but students will not be able to rely solely on a phone camera. All computer equipment and related software is available at the academy.

Your next steps...

An A-level in photography is excellent preparation for higher education courses in photography, illustration, graphic design, animation, and game design.

For more courses like this, check our courses page.