The famous artist David Hockney once stated that photography is not appealing to him because it only captures one still moment in time. To his credit, Hockney then went on a creative journey using photography, as if to prove a point, to create a wide range of wildly inventive images. The point is that photography is not just one thing and it can be different things to different people. It may be a passion, a creative outlet, a career or simply a hobby but the important thing to remember is that the limits of what it can be are only imposed by you. What will you create?
Below you will find guides that will help students to analyse photographs and annotate their creative journey. Both of these things are crucial components of the Photography GCSE course.
Yr11 GCSE Photography Important Dates:
Photography Mock Exam (3 hours):
Photography (Option Group B), Mon 3rd November 2025
Photography (Option Group C), Thu 6th November 2025
Coursework deadline: Tue 6th Jan 2026
The coursework accounts for 60% of the students final grade.
ESA (Externally Set Assignment) preparation period begins: Tue 6th Jan 2025
The Externally Set Assignment is more commonly referred to as the exam. It accounts for 40% of the students final grade and is assessed against the same criteria as the coursework.
ESA (Externally Set Assignment) final preparation day (5 hours):
Option Group B = Thu 26th Mar 2026.
Option Group C = Fri 27th Mar 2026
Groups for the preparation days will be the students usual teaching group where possible but some changes will be made to accommodate GCSE Textiles exams.
The preparation day and the exams are held on different dates for each option group due to the amount of technical equipment required.
ESA (Externally Set Assignment) 10 hours supervised time:
Option Group B = Mon 13th April & Tue 14th April 2026.
Option Group C = Thu 16th April & Fri 17th April 2026.
External Moderation by AQA: TBC
Art, Photography, Textiles & DT Summer Exhibition: Wed June 10th, 5pm until 7pm at BHS.