STUDYING

Whichever course you choose to study, the overarching Study Programme will grow your professional and personal skills to move you on to your next steps.

At Level 2 the Study Programme consists of:

1. Vocational Programme (e.g. Music or Games)

2. English & Maths, for those who need to retake GCSEs

3. Professional Development Programme

4. Personal Development Programme

5. Enrichment Programme

6. Termly Professional Development 1-2-1s

At Level 3 the Study Programme consists of:

1. Vocational Programme (e.g. Music or Games)

2. English & Maths, for those who need to retake GCSEs

3. Professional Development Programme

4. Self-Directed Study (Year 1)

5. Blended Learning (Year 2)

6. Enrichment Programme

7. Termly Professional Development 1-2-1s

8. Independent Study

Your vocational programme is where you learn how to work in your intended career area, whether that is music, games, media and computing - vocational means job-related. You will gain occupational skills, knowledge and behaviours to prepare you for work and/or further study. At the same time you will develop important essential skills and personal/life skills for wider work and life. 

Levels

Programmes are offered at:

• Level 2: GCSE equivalent - these are 1 year programmes usually for students who need to improve their English and Maths and other academic skills for Level 3 work.

• Level 3: A Level equivalent - these are 2-year programmes for students who have sufficient Level 2 qualifications to undertake more advanced study.

• Level 4: equivalent to the first year of a degree.

Delivery & Assessment

There are no exams on vocational programmes (with the exception of the Software Development T-Level). Instead you’ll work on industry-relevant project assignments which are internally assessed and externally verified. This project-based approach mirrors how the industry works

It means that self-directed study and project work are essential for you to develop the skills and produce the work required for assessment. We’ll help you to manage your time effectively to deliver project work to set deadlines.

Deadlines are an important part of life whether that be in work, education or general day to day life. Whenever you need to complete something, we’ll make sure things are crystal clear. That means:

1. written instructions and an explanation of how your work will be assessed/reviewed;

2. a clear deadline and a date to expect feedback on your work (provided you hand completed work in on time, you’ll get feedback no later than 15 working days after submission, unless otherwise stated).

Qualifications

Your Vocational Programme will lead to a qualification at either Level 2 or 3. The college currently uses three awarding bodies: BTEC, UAL and RSL. The awarding body will depend on which course you are on.

Your project-based course work will be assessed by your tutors and this is then quality checked via internal and external moderation to make sure the assessment is accurate.

At the end of each year you will be given a grade based on all the work you have done. On RSL and UAL, this will be either a Pass, Merit or Distinction. On Pearson this will be a combination of these grades for example DDM or PPP. It’s really important to do your best in each assignment, making sure you get it in before the due deadline.

At Level 3, your grades have a big impact on the number of UCAS points your final qualification generates. UCAS points are what universities use to set entry requirements for their degree courses. As a rule of thumb, a Pass grade is worth about one third of the UCAS points for a Distinction, with a Merit in between. You can find out more about UCAS points in the Next Steps section below.

Presentation of work & ACC Awards

For you to move on successfully to your next steps it is important that you can present your work, skills and achievements to a standard expected for professional practice. You will be encouraged to develop a Google Site to showcase your work, potentially linked to other online portfolios and social media accounts.

We also encourage you to critique your best work and submit it for a category in the annual college Awards, which take place at the end of the year. Nominations open in March and continue through to May, with Award ceremonies taking place in late June or early July.

You will need to study these if you have not yet gained a Grade 4 or above in Mathematics and/or English Literature or Language GCSE. Maths and English GCSE are essentials for most jobs and higher education courses. This is an opportunity for you to achieve the grades you need in order to progress further in study, training, or employment.

At the start of your course, all students will undertake a written task which is composing a letter to your future self. We will use this to assess your skills in written English as well as gaining an insight into your aspirations.

The Professional Development Programme supports all other areas of the Study Programme. It helps to develop the broad range of skills, knowledge and behaviours you will need to achieve your best next steps as you move on into work or further study.

The programme takes you on a progressive journey by year/level and the content is structured into termly phases, which follow a theme.

Level 2

The syllabus here is based around essential skills development, project management and teamwork. You will put your skills into practice by working as part of a team on organising an event. The three phases are:

1. Preparing for Success

2. Teamworking

3. Teamworking & Next Steps

Level 3 Year 1

This starts with you - who you are and your inspirations and aspirations. It progresses to developing skills, knowledge and behaviours, before ending with a look at the bigger picture and your future career. You will complete related practical project work, which is showcased in a Professional Development site. Some of the time spent doing this will be part of your self-directed learning. The three phases are:

1. Inspirations & Aspirations

2. Preparing for Success

3. Your Future Self

Level 3 Year 2
The 2nd year starts with your post-course options and preparing for these, before moving on to preparation for professional practice. It ends with developing your wider life skills and preparing you for your transition to the next part of your career journey. The three phases are:

1. Next Steps

2. Preparing for Professional Practice

3. Moving On

You will need to fully engage in the Programme to ensure you are best prepared for your future in a fast-changing world. That means attending the weekly sessions and undertaking all related projects.

Gaining independent study skills is key for working at Level 3 and for your next steps. When you move on, universities and employers will expect you to be able to work independently.

Level 3 Year 1 (Media, Games, Music and some Sport pathways)
Here you will undertake a Self-Directed Programme of study linked to your Vocational Programme as well as projects linked to the phases of the Professional Development Programme. You will create and develop a Professional Development Google site to showcase your work and reflective blogs about your learning. It consists of:

Online Lessons
You will access a weekly 1.5 hour online lesson comprising of video demonstration, discussion or teaching, and activity you will undertake yourself as part of the online lesson. These lessons are designed to enhance your studies and increase your chances of success as a student and as a practitioner.

Reflective blog
A weekly reflective post that evidences your online learning. Each week as part of your self directed studies you will complete an entry showing and discussing what you have learned. A template and accompanying guidance for this blog will be provided for you.

Professional Development Projects
Each term you will complete a Professional Development Project. You must undertake self directed work on these projects accounting for 7 hours per project.

Level 3 Year 2

Here you will undertake a blended learning programme which will include classroom time and independent study time working towards the development of skills and knowledge to aid you in undertaking projects. You will create and develop a Professional Development site to host a reflective blog about your progress.

Blended learning

This comprises 3 hours classroom time per week, followed by you undertaking planned independent work - an average of 3 hours per week - towards your Vocational Programme. You will plan your independent study on a Project Planner devised with your teacher and carry out the hours each week.

Reflective blog

A weekly reflective post that evidences your independent skills and project development. Each week you will complete an entry showing and discussing what you have done. A template and accompanying guidance for this blog will be provided for you.

Your development journey also takes place outside the classroom. You will benefit from talks and workshops from industry professionals, you will showcase your creative works at events and exhibitions, and you will go on visits to places of work, galleries, exhibitions/events and university fairs.

You will also undertake skills development workshops and activities and participate in an annual Awards celebration and Charity Project work experience.

You will complete the following enrichment hours, depending on year group:

• Level 2: 24

• Level 3 Year 1: 64

• Level 3 Year 2: 48

Awards & Awards Ceremonies

Awards and end-of-year Award Ceremonies are an annual celebration of student talent and achievement. Their aim is to reward success and provide a talent pipeline to the industry.

At the heart of the Awards are national and regional Industry Awards, covering categories such as Best Song, Best Game, Best Goal and Best Photo. To these are added Education Awards celebrating outstanding student achievement and progress, as well as a set of Personal Achievement and Level 2 Awards.

There are regional awards ceremonies for each centre and centre winners are put forward into the National Awards, which are judged by industry partners where winners receive an Amazon voucher, plus prizes from sponsors. This equated to £150 for some music awards for the 2024 year. The National Awards Ceremony takes place at 12 noon on Friday 11th July 2025.

Critiquing, selecting, preparing and submitting work for an award is excellent preparation for your next steps and winning an award will look great on your CV. The nomination window for submitting your work is from March to May. Ideally submissions should come from an Award page on your Professional Development site.

You can watch the 2024 National Awards Ceremony here.

Charity Project

In Term 3.2, Level 3 students work on a Charity Project. This provides you with an excellent work experience opportunity for your CV, while supporting and fundraising for a charity. It links through to citizenship themes in the Professional Development syllabus.

For 2025, the project will be an environmental project delivered in conjunction with a leading charity. You will work to set briefs over a specific time period, producing outputs which will help raise awareness of the environment.

You can view last year’s Mind Matters Charity Project here.

Other Enrichment Activities

During your Study Programme at Level 3 you should expect to have:

1. Several encounters with employers and industry professionals, such as guest talks/workshops, industry project briefs, mentoring and visits to places of work.

2. Several encounters with organisations offering advice and guidance to support your personal development, such as wellbeing, staying safe, welfare and citizenship talks/workshops. These should include topics/issues which are relevant to your region.

3. Several encounters with higher education and training institutions, such as guest talks/workshops and visits to events/exhibitions and universities.

4. Several visits out of the college to events, exhibitions, places of work, charities and organisations. These should include activities which offer wider enrichment outside of the vocational area of your course.

5. Opportunities to showcase your work in public via exhibitions and events.

6. The opportunity to have a personal online Personal Career Guidance session delivered by an impartial Careers Adviser.

At Level 2, you will have a reduced range of encounters, with an emphasis on preparation for Level 3 work.

Your termly 1-to-1 with your personal tutor is an opportunity to talk about your aspirations, development, achievement and progress and create actions and clear agreed targets to allow you to move forward.

Your 1-2-1 is about you. It's your chance to talk about what you have done and what you want to do in the future. You should expect your 1-2-1 to be a quality experience lasting around 30 minutes. It should be conducted in a suitable space to allow you to openly discuss your progress and development.

You will prepare for each 1-2-1 via activities in your Professional Development session with tasks in your ILP and via your reflective blogs.

Target setting is based around SMART goals, that is: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and

Timebound. To help you stay on track, we’ll help you craft your SMART goals.

Each 1-2-1 will generate a report with clear targets, which will feature in your eILP (Individual Learning Plan) and on the Parent Portal. This report will include key performance data, such as attendance, punctuality and achievement, as well as giving you an overall BRAG rating (Blue, Red, Amber, Green) which summarises how you’re doing against your targets.

Sequence of 1-2-1s - Level 3 Courses

1. My Aspirations - in Term 1 to check your career goals and make sure you are on the right course.

2. My Development 1 - in Term 2 to discuss your progress and achievements.

3. My Options - in Term 3 to review your aspirations and post-course options.

4. My Choices - in Term 1 of Year 2 to review your progress and achievements and decide post-course choices.

5. My Development 2 - in Term 2 to discuss your progress and achievements.

6. My Next Steps - in Term 3 to discuss moving on. If you are not sure of your next steps then you can book a personal online Personal Career Guidance session delivered by an impartial Careers Adviser.

Sequence of 1-2-1s - Level 2 & Level 4 Courses

1. My Aspirations - in Term 1 to check your career goals and make sure you are on the right course.

2. My Development - in Term 2 to discuss your progress and achievements.

3. My Next Steps - in Term 3 to discuss moving on. If you are not sure of your next steps then you can book a personal online Personal Career Guidance session delivered by an impartial Careers Adviser.

Moodle is a virtual learning environment where you can access, via your Course Page, session resources and projects, as well as submitting work and networking with others.

Moodle also hosts a Study Dashboard or ILP, where you will manage your studies, progress and performance.

When you first visit the Moodle and the Study Dashboard you’ll be shown your course info, which includes all areas of your studies.

You can access Moodle on a computer and tablet/mobile, both at college and at home.

Via the Moodle and the Study Dashboard you can:

1. Access course material.

2. Log in to your Google Apps account to access a suite of collaborative tools, including email and Google Drive.

3. Review your Individual Learning Plan (ILP), reflect on your progress and plan for the future.

4. Submit coursework and read feedback from your tutors.

5. Take part in quizzes, questionnaires and other learning activities.

6. Prepare for Professional Development 1-2-1s

7. Connect with students from around the country.

8. Engage in online self-directed study.

9. Listen to music and watch videos.

Your ILP - Individual Learning Plan

Your Study Programme is progressive and works in stages and themes to help you focus, improve and progress to the next step. You’ll use your Individual Learning Plan (ILP) to chart your progress, set targets and plan your work across the year.

You will also use it to prepare for your Professional Development 1-2-1s in Professional Development Programme sessions.

BRAG Rating

You will be given a BRAG (Blue, Red, Amber, Green) rating in your ILP which summarises how you’re doing against your target grades, attendance and punctuality along with submitting work and meeting deadlines.

Blue: you’re rated as an outstanding student, predicted to achieve above target grade/aspirational grade on your current performance.

Green: you’re predicted to achieve on your current performance.

Amber: you’re predicted to achieve below target on your current performance.

Red: you’re identified as being at risk of not achieving on your current performance.

You will use a variety of software during your studies on either Apple Macs or PCs. One of our aims is to grow your digital literacy and this means creating documents, spreadsheets and even websites.

Your main study tool is Google Drive and its associated suite of apps. You will use this to create documents and to store the work you produce. You should see your Google Drive as a storage location and for internal assignments. It is not a showcase to present your work to the public.

The main Google apps you will use are:

1. Google Docs: a flexible and powerful word processing programme like Microsoft Word, which is ideal for written work. You can add tables and images and even go pageless!

2. Google Sheets: a spreadsheet app which is perfect processing and presenting data. You can use this for numeracy work, such as budget spreadsheets. It is similar to Microsoft Excel.

3. Google Slides: a really useful tool for creating presentations, which can also be used for other design work. You can easily add Google images and YouTube videos, as well as text boxes, images and drawings. You can even animate sections. It is similar to Powerpoint.

4. Google Forms: these are great for questionnaires and quizzes. They are easy to set up and they present your results in graphic format as well as a spreadsheet.

5. Google Sites: create a website in minutes with this intuitive and easy-to-use web app. You can add content from Google images and YouTube videos. We will get you to create a website and show you how to take these with you when you move on.

6. Google Drawing: an app for creating charts, shapes and diagrams.

In addition to Google, you may use specialist software relating to your Vocational Programme. For example, Media students use the Adobe Creative Suite, while music students use Logic music production software.

The college supplies all the essential equipment to undertake your studies. However, some courses will require you to bring in your own equipment. This may include items from your course’s starter pack, such as headphones or a USB drive. It may be a specific piece of equipment, such as a guitar or keyboard on a music course.

You will submit course assignments in Moodle via the Assessment icon. Due assignments will display at the top of the list and you can also check for upcoming assignments.

To submit work, just click on the assignment and scroll to the button at the bottom. Then click the Add submission button. For written reports, make sure you have converted your file to a PDF and downloaded it. All media files, must be accessed from your Google Drive, so you may need to upload them to there. You will then need to link your Google Drive to Moodle as a one-off activity.

Go to the button below for a presentation which takes you through the full process.