Subject : Creative & Media Diploma
Mr M Hill
Exam Board : EdExcel
Specification/Syllabus : Level 2 (For download see Subjects page)
Diplomas are new qualifications which will roll-out in many subject areas over the next few years. The school is proud to have had its bid to offer the Creative & Media Diploma from September 2008 accepted by the DCSF. Indeed, our Creative & Media Diploma is the only Diploma on offer to Vale Royal students next year and is also the only Creative & Media Diploma in Cheshire. Our successful bid not only recognises our status as a strong Media Arts College but also the quality of our partnership institution, Mid-Cheshire College. This ‘Vale Royal Diploma Consortium’ was also successful in securing £1million to provide purpose-built facilities for Diploma students. Hence students following this course will study in the school’s new ‘Creative & Media Centre’ and also have chance to use the new ‘Creative & Media Academy’ at Mid-Cheshire College.
Diplomas are available at three Levels: Foundation, Higher & Advanced. The school is offering the Higher Level Creative & Media Diploma which as a whole is worth the equivalent of 7 GCSE’s at Grade A*-C and will take up two days per week of study (initially Tuesdays and Fridays in Year 10). The Diploma is made up of six ‘components’:
Principal Learning
(the main creative & media course)
A Project
(undertaken in Year 11)
Personal, Learning & Thinking Skills (developed throughout)
Functional Skills (Level 2 qualifications in English, Maths & ICT)
Work-based Learning (with local employers)
Additional Specialist Learning (a choice of a range of Level 2 courses
at Mid-Cheshire College, ½ a day per week)
A key feature of the Diploma is the employer input with visits to and from local employers forming a key part of the course, enabling students to apply learning in real-life contexts and develop the key skills needed for employment within the creative and media industries.
Described as a “great new way of combining classwork with hands on experience”, the Higher Diploma will give students the knowledge and skills needed for college, university or work in an exciting, creative and enjoyable way. It will provide a good ‘stepping-stone’ to either ‘A’-Levels or the Advanced Level Diploma on offer at Mid-Cheshire College.
The Higher Diploma at Leftwich will focus on Audio & Radio, Film/TV and Music. It will also cover Advertising, Creative Writing, Dance, Drama, Fashion, Graphic Design, Photo-Imaging, Product Design, Textiles and 2D/3D Visual Arts.
Examples of learning will include:
The study of local creative and media opportunities for both leisure
and employment.
The development of a performance, an artefact and a recording within
the disciplines outlined above.
The carrying out of a ‘campaign’ to look at marketing and
promotional skills.
A final production (eg concert, exhibition, etc) to showcase skills.
Interested students should see Mr Hill or Mrs Curry and ensure they collect a Diploma Information Pack. Students wishing to apply for a Diploma place should select Pathway 2 and complete a ‘Diploma Application Form’ (found inside the information pack). Please note that the size of the Diploma qualification means that inevitably it will not be possible to study any other elective subjects.
The other school in the partnership, Rudheath Community High School, is also offering a Higher Level Creative & Media Diploma which focuses on the areas of Dance, Drama & Music. This course is also available to students from Leftwich and interested students should select the ‘Rudheath’ option on their Diploma Application Forms to indicate this preference. Following this option will involve 1½ days at Rudheath each week.
For more information on choices and options at 14, 16 and beyond (including career matching software), visit our Careers page.