Would 32GB of an iPad mini be plenty to fit word documents and photographs on for my English Literature and Photography A-levels over the next two years - to use to type up in class?

Word documents - Yes, definitely.

Photos are a little harder. It depends on the quality of the photos and how many you are looking to store. If they are high quality, then they will be bigger and you will be able to fit less onto your iPad. I might recommend a portable hard drive. They are cheap.