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The Gold Arts Award encourages in-depth research of any art form or arts practice, and how this can be influenced by exploring a new art form, genre or practice. You will develop your skills within an art form and reflect on this, through practical experience (workshops or work experience) in the creative industries. You will also plan and deliver a project to demonstrate your leadership skills. The Gold Award is designed for ages 16 and above and carries 16 UCAS points. The Award consists of two units: For Unit 1 Personal Arts Development – You will: Focus on your specialist art form and collaborate with someone else and their specialist art form; Involve yourselves in arts-based workshops and/ or work experience; Research a professional practitioner; Research opinions around an arts issue you feel strongly about, and formulate an argument For Unit 2 Leadership of an Arts Project – You will: Develop your leadership and management skills by planning and co- ordinating a team, working on a focused project that is presented to an audience. Examples can include a dance or music performance, an art, photography or design exhibition, or a video produced for charity fund- raising. The course starts in June of your first year and will normally be completed in March of year 2. Students will have one timetabled session per week on the programme, and you will be expected to work independently on your projects, supported by an advisor. You will need to prepare a digital ‘portfolio’ of evidence to record your work against the assessment criteria Students do not need to have completed the Bronze or Silver Arts Award prior to this

The music theory class is designed to help students pass Grade 5 Theory and to progress to higher grades in Theory of Music. Students should have a good grasp of basic theory (Grade 3 standard) and be hoping to take Grade 6, 7 or 8 practical (A-B-R-S-M). Each element of the course is taken in a group situation and students will be expected to practise past exam papers in their own time. Theory of Music – Advanced A-B-R-S-M (4th) This class is for those students who have already taken grade 5 theory but who want to progress to grade 6, 7 or 8 Theory. These A-B-R-S-M Theory exams carry UCAS points and are especially useful to students wanting to go on to study music; but not exclusively so. Each element of the course is taken in a group situation and students will be expected to practise past exam papers outside of these sessions.

This qualification prepares learners for employment as a coach in sport or physical activity. Level 2 coaches are able to plan, deliver and review sport and physical activity coaching sessions, either working independently or as part of a larger coaching team. The qualification introduces learners to the practical and theoretical aspects of planning, delivering and evaluating linked and progressive coaching sessions in sport and physical activity. The qualification is directed at learners who have an interest in coaching sport and physical activity. You do not need to be a PE student or member of a sports team to participate. The course is especially useful for those who wish to become involved in coaching, and to have responsibility for the planning, delivery and evaluation of linked and progressive coaching sessions, it can also be used to develop skills around confidence, leadership and education, making it useful for those interested in teaching as a career. The qualification is recognised as the industry standard level 2 qualification for coaches by UK Coaching, the lead technical agency for the development of sports coaching in the UK. It has been aligned to the UKCC criteria and will allow progression onto a UKCC-endorsed qualification. Following successful completion of Level 2 in your first year, you could progress on to the Coaching Level 3 Sport & Physical Activity in year 2. The skills and knowledge developed through this qualification may also be used to progress to other industry-relevant qualifications in coaching sport, activity leadership, supporting PE in school sport or sports development. The course will form part of the Programme of Study for all BTEC Sport L3 students (although is not compulsory for A-Level P-E students). Students will participate in coaching sessions at a local primary school every other week, with a theory lesson at College in between.

Those who have successfully completed Level 2 in their first year can choose to progress to Level 3 in their second year. The qualification is recognised as the industry standard Level 3 qualification for the coaching sport and physical activity by UK Coaching, the lead technical agency for the development of sports coaching in the UK. It has been aligned to the UKCC criteria and will allow progression onto a UKCC- endorsed qualification. This qualification may lead to employment, paid or voluntary, as a lead coach in a sport and physical activity. Indeed, a number of our students have gone on to become paid coaches as a result of taking the Level 3 course at College. Students will participate in coaching sessions at a local primary school every week.

Various option available – including critical risk or statistics (to be discussed further at enrolment) Level 3 Mathematical Studies (Core Maths) is a course which is intended for students who have achieved a grade 4 (or equivalent) and above at GCSE but aren’t planning on taking Mathematics at A-Level. It helps to develop students’ mathematical thinking and skills in preparation for the mathematical demands of study, work and life. The course builds on work that you have studied at GCSE. The course is quite applied in nature and seeks to teach students new concepts and techniques for solving a variety of both theoretical and “real world” problems. The course is also useful for those who may wish to study a number of degree courses with mathematical, statistical or numerate elements including politics or sociology degrees Students taking the following A-Levels will find Core Maths a beneficial 4th Course: accounting, biology, business, chemistry, computing, economics, electronics, environmental science, geography, geology, product design, psychology. However, Core Mathematics is open to any A-Level student who wishes to study the course and who has previously achieved grade 4 to 9 in GCSE Mathematics. Successful candidates gain a Level 3 qualification - which is equivalent to an A-S Level (half an A-level) at grade A to E. The qualification also carries UCAS points

The College’s Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award group welcomes interest from first year students, with or without previous experience. As numbers are limited, interested students need to attend meetings in September to formally apply and if there is exceptional interest, we will need to run a ballot. The College also offers its support to all students who wish to participate in local groups, who may wish to use another additional study to count towards achieving their Gold award. There are 5 sections at Gold level. Within each category, participants have a wide choice of activities, approaches and time scales necessary to complete these.

These sections are:

• Volunteering: Helping someone, your community or the environment.
• Physical: Becoming fitter through sport, dance or fitness activities.
• Skills Developing: existing talents or trying something new.
• Expedition: Planning training for and completing an adventurous journey. This eventually involves four days and three nights away in wild country in groups, unaccompanied but supervised. Prior to this, participants will have been trained in map reading skills, emergency procedures, first aid and other relevant matters.
• Residential: Staying and working away from home as part of a team. Students will undertake a purposeful enterprise involving voluntary service or training away from home, with people unknown to them, over a period of at least five days.

There are endless possibilities, e.g. canal clearing, an outward-bound course, helping with holidays for children with additional needs etcetera. All the expedition training takes place outside College hours. The Skill, Volunteering, Physical and Residential sections are completed in the student’s own time. The College Additional Studies programme helps students to complete these sections and we therefore recommend that students enrol on at least one other Additional Study. The total cost of expedition training over the two years is approximately £650. This includes two 6-day Wild Country expeditions as well as a local training weekend and is competitive with other providers and effectively ‘covers’ two years. As the fee is paid in instalments, it is often possible for students to save from their part time jobs, Christmas and birthday presents to meet much of this cost. Apart from being very rewarding and enjoyable in itself, the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award is highly regarded by many employers and universities. For more information, visit the Duke of Edinburgh Award website (www.dofe.org) or see Graham Rayner, room 642

The AQA Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is highly regarded by universities. The EPQ provides students with a choice regarding what they decide to produce, research and write about. Most students will start their project at some point during first year and complete it in the early part of their second year. Students will be expected to work in a highly independent and self-motivated way, with a significant amount of work taking place outside of the classroom. The course assessment consists of: A ‘plan’ or production log which records the stages of the project A final product (a 5000-word essay; or an ‘artefact’ accompanied by a 1000-5000 words report detailing how the artefact was developed) A presentation to a non-specialist audience about the project, and opportunities for questions The qualification is regarded as carrying the same weight as half an A-Level, many universities do not formally award ‘UCAS points’ to EPQ’s, but all recognise that it is a valuable qualification for university entrance and will often make an alternative (lower) offer including EPQ. The following routes are available: General EPQ route Allows for any topic or task to be undertaken, subject to approval. Most students choose this route. Additional study EPQ route Builds upon skills / interests from Additional Studies, such as Creative Writing, 3D Modelling, or Work Experience. Extension EPQ route Allows for extension in areas closely related to the A-level curriculum in subjects such as Art, Dance, English, History, and STEMM.

Managing your money is an essential life skill. This qualification, offered through the London Institute of Banking & Finance (L-I-B-F), is divided into two units: Unit 1: Financial capability for the immediate and short term Unit 2: Financial capability for the medium and long term There are no entry requirements for this course; students must simply be interested in effectively managing their finances at university, in their first job and beyond. You will learn about managing your money, how it will impact on your life and financial choices that you will have to make. Financial services products (such as credit cards, loans and mortgages) will be explained to you along with how they can help you meet your individual lifestyle needs. The certificate carries UCAS points, is equivalent to half an A Level and graded A-star to E. The course is available on-line and taught in one period per week, although students can access the full course materials at any time

Students who have successfully completed the Financial Studies Certificate in year 1 can progress to the Diploma in year 2. The Diploma has 2 units and is studied in one period a week. Assessment is the same format as for the Certificate. Unit 3: Sustainability of an Individual’s Finances Unit 4: Sustainability of the Financial Services System The diploma also carries UCAS points equivalent to an A-Level and is graded A-star to E

The Lessons in Financial Education certificate will give you a good understanding of money and finance and will provide valuable insight into a range of career opportunities within the financial services sector, while giving guidance on methods for enhancing your employability skills. This qualification equips you with the knowledge to cope confidently and effectively with basic financial encounters you are likely to meet. You will develop knowledge and understanding of spending and how to become competent at managing your own money. You will also explore various careers within the financial services industry. The qualification also provides a valuable insight into a range of career opportunities within the financial services sector, and gives guidance on methods for enhancing individual employability skills The course will be a compulsory part of the Advanced Foundation Programme. The course is examined online and taught in two periods per week. Each unit will have both a multiple choice and a written answer element. Students who are successful in the certificate have the opportunity to progress to study the Level 3 Certificate in Financial Studies in their second year at College. GCSE

A one-year accelerated course for complete or near beginners in the language who have significant interest and linguistic ability. This course is suitable for students with a proven aptitude and interest in languages and is particularly appropriate for students who have already gained a 6 or above at GCSE level in a foreign language or who have a strong alternative background in foreign language learning. It may be possible for some students who have not had the opportunity to study a GCSE in a foreign language to do this course, but it must be emphasised that a very high degree of commitment is required as grammar and vocabulary will need to be learnt on a daily basis. The course is taught in six periods per week Mathematics – extension lessons in

Many universities now require an extra qualification in Mathematics for their degree courses. Other universities who do not require it see it as an advantage. The College will support you with your entry for the following nationally recognised qualifications. S-T-E-P – Encouraged by many universities with a mathematical content. Required by University of Cambridge and University of Warwick for mathematics and combined mathematics degrees. M-A-T – Required by University of Oxford (degrees in mathematics, combined mathematics and computer science), Imperial College (degrees in mathematics and combined mathematics) and University of Warwick (degrees in mathematics). T-M-U-A - Most universities whose courses contain a significant mathematical content encourage this qualification (e.g. degrees in mathematics, physical and natural sciences, computer science, etc)