Intent

To offer an inspirational education for all learners. Photography can be an excellent way to relieve stress and relieve mood states and also helps learners develop their full artistic potential of taking and manipulating photographs and providing them with the skills for a lifelong enjoyment of photography.

Implementation

A learner’s understanding of images and the world, and how they can express themselves, can be enhanced through photography. We offer a diverse range of experiences and ensure all learners are included and are actively encouraged to take part.

Learners respond readily to looking at photographs and images and especially in taking their own. The satisfaction of seeing their own work developed into photographs is immense.

We take an experiential approach through which learners engage in photographic experiences and develop their appreciation through reflection and experimentation. However, photography can also be a social experience through sharing their images with other people and vice-versa. Although photography is very much a personal enjoyment, working in a group can give much satisfaction when sharing the same or different images.

The use of photography and the appreciation of looking at their own original and creative images can help support our learners’ ability to cope with the pressures of life, given its therapeutic benefits.

Impact

Research shows that learning photographic skills can enable children to excel in other subjects and enhance skills that children inevitably use in other areas. This is why, here at Oastlers School, we ensure that all learners access photography lessons, no matter what their prior knowledge of the subject is.

Photography can be an excellent way to relieve stress, which is significant for learners who may feel overwhelmed by schoolwork or even their everyday lives.  Photography can improve mood states. At Oastlers School, we never forget that most learners deserve a time to relax, enjoy themselves and be creative.

Photography has the distinct ability of integrating many different subject areas all at once. Not only does photography allow children to develop their creative/visual skills, it also gives them the opportunity to work on their numeracy skills, reading and writing skills, science skills, geography, art and performing arts skills.  Photography lends itself to cross curricular links that will support children to deepen their knowledge in numerous subjects.

Once completed the learners can earn an NCFE Level 1 Certificate in Photography which could lead to a Level 2 qualification if chosen. Learners could go on and apply for jobs in media, corporation or be self-employed/freelance.