University of Gloucestershire
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Course Guide and Handbook 2010-2011
Welcome to the University
We would like to extend a warm welcome to you from all the tutors, technicians and support staff, as you embark on an exciting and
significant year, and on to what we hope will be a rewarding career in art and design. This handbook contains information about course
structure, important dates, and how to contact all the people who will be working with you on the course. It outlines how you get additional
help with your learning if you need it, and where to turn if you need extra support, if you have a problem we cannot solve within the team. It
also tells you where to find resources such as equipment, materials and specialist books.
The University (of which you are now a valuable part) and all those involved in your progress, will do the best we can to help you achieve
your ambitions.
The University of Gloucestershire
The University has four campuses in Gloucestershire, three in Cheltenham and one in Gloucester. There are over 8,000 full-time and parttime students studying across these sites, and the University aims to be a vibrant, friendly and progressive community offering a wide
range of academic programmes whilst retaining the qualities of an institution small enough to be able to take an individual interest in each
student. If you wish to visit any other campus, a free bus links all the sites.
The University has full powers to award its own first degrees, postgraduate taught degrees and research degrees. The University also
supports a strong research community, with significant numbers of full-time and part-time research students studying for MPhil and PhD
degrees. Many staff, in this Faculty, are also researchers and practitioners in their specialist fields, and are active in producing and
exhibiting their own work.
Pittville Campus
The Faculty of Media, Art & Communications is based here at Pittville. It accommodates Fine Art, Media, Music, and Journalism degree
courses and also Foundation Studies in Art & Design. There are dedicated painting, illustration, printmaking and sculpture studios, and a
purpose-built media centre, with excellent facilities for photography, digital film production, design and media courses, together with a
specialist Art and Design Library.
The Foundation Course at Pittville – History and Tradition
There has been a Foundation Course at Pittville for over 40 years – the course evolved from a pre-diploma course taught mostly at Stroud
School of Art, with students making weekly visits to the Pittville campus for further tuition. In 1967 the course was established full-time at
Pittville, and dedicated course staff appointed.
The course you are now embarked upon is therefore part of a long tradition, and over the years the Cheltenham Foundation Course (as
most people know it) has gained an excellent national and international reputation.
Course Philosophy
In the long term, the Foundation Course provides the basis of what is possibly a life-long development. In these circumstances, it is
essential that the philosophy of the course provides each student with an inspirational platform from which to build their future as artists or
designers and to become confidently creative individuals.
The course philosophy rests largely on the provision of a suitable learning environment, and way of teaching in which students can, in the
short term, successfully adjust from school-centred learning to the requirements of full-time higher education.
The course attempts to provide an enlightened environment in which students are provided with a well organised and well tried support
structure that allows them to experience, consider and evaluate new ideas and working methods, and if necessary, relinquish previously
held old ones. In this environment the notion of play and experimentation is central, in which playing and experimenting with ideas is
encouraged, as is playing and experimenting with materials and processes.
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You will be encouraged to become bold and ambitious in your approach to creative work, and to feel secure in an environment that
promotes the validity of everybody’s point of view; one in which students and staff can confidently share their experiences, opinions,
thoughts and feelings.
This philosophy informs all the planning, structure, and tone of the course throughout the year.
The course – what we aim to give you
As its name suggests, the Foundation Course is concerned with fundamental learning common to all areas of art and design. The course is
organised through a series of intense workshops, grouped in stages, and intended to harness the individual student’s creative energies by
developing practical expertise alongside theoretical understanding. During the initial stage of the course, all students follow a similar
programme of activity, which provides a base and platform from which to extend and develop their emerging individual needs.
The subsequent stages of the course provide an opportunity for the educational content gradually to change from tutor-centred learning to
student-centred learning, and the course as a whole is seen as a bridging experience between the differing educational requirements of
school and higher education.
The diagnostic nature of the course will enable each student to discover which area of the many options in art and design is most
appropriate for them, and to make successful applications to art and design courses in higher education, and for a small number of
students each year, to identify that they wish to pursue an alternative career path. The course is viewed as a unit of education in its own
right, and whilst the majority of students go on to join specialist courses in art and design, some seek other routes and means by which to
extend their abilities.
The course aims to be a place where, through study, practice, discussion, critical assessment and tutorial guidance students are
encouraged to develop a feeling of confidence and personal accomplishment; to develop their own critical faculties and informed aesthetic
judgement and to be able to hold and communicate their ideas, opinions and feelings about art and design in visual, oral and written form.
In addition students learn to value and experience, in a meaningful way, the cultural heritage of this and other societies, past and present.
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Staff
Management Roles
University Vice-Chancellor & Principal
Dean of Faculty
Paul Hartley
Ben Calvert
Course Roles
Course Leader
Nick Pride
Email
npride@glos.ac.uk
Telephone
01242 715023
Subject Tutors
Drawing / Painting
Isabel Young
Jen Whiskerd
Room
MB102
TB111A
Email
iyoung@glos.ac.uk
jwhiskerd@glos.ac.uk
Telephone
714966
715030
3D / Sculpture
Jack Southern
Jane Jobling
MB018A
jsouthern@glos.ac.uk
714947
Graphic Design & Illustration
Nick Pride
Jen Whiskerd
TB105A
TB111A
npride@glos.ac.uk
jwhiskerd@glos.ac.uk
715023
715030
Printmaking
Sarah Mulhall
Mark Unsworth
TB109B
TB109B
smulhall@glos.ac.uk
munsworth@glos.ac.uk
715028
715029
Photography
Gemma Webb
TB106A
gwebb@glos.ac.uk
715027
Design Construction / Fashion / Textiles
Matthew Harris
TB106A
mharris@glos.ac.uk
715026
Fine Art Combined
Jack Southern
jsouthern@glos.ac.uk
715030
fwilsoncopp@glos.ac.uk
jboyd@glos.ac.uk
715018
TB111A
History and Theory of Art and Design
Frances Wilson-Copp
MB006
Jean Boyd
MB006
Course Technicians
Chie Konishi
Ashley Benson-Wilson
TB105A
MB032
ckonishi@glos.ac.uk
abensonwilson@glos.ac.uk
715022
715376
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Term Dates 2009-10
Autumn Term
Spring Term
Summer Term
Monday 13th September 2010 Monday 17th January 2011
Tuesday 3rd May 2011
-
Friday 17th December 2010
Friday 8th April 2011
Friday 17th June 2011 (results and sign off course)
Date for study trip to Berlin January 31st 2011 – 5th February 2011 (5 nights).
Please make sure you do not book holidays in term time
Course Hours and Attendance Requirements
If you receive EMA
Students who receive EMA are not allowed to self-register their attendance. Therefore, in order to receive your payment each week, you
must sign in at Pittville Reception twice a day.
You will need to show your student ID card to the member of staff, every time you sign in.
You will need to sign in at the following times:
8.45am – 9.15am
1.30pm – 2.00pm
If you know you will be absent you need to email ema@glos.ac.uk.
If you do not receive EMA
Please arrive at 9.15 am to sign the registers, and be ready in your studio for 9.30 am. Registers are sited in the Foundation corridor. For
the course to function properly and for all to benefit, it is imperative that you are punctual and regular in your attendance.
Monday - Thursday
Studio time
Morning Break
Studio time
Lunch
Studio time
09.30
10.45
11.15
13.00
14.00
-
10.30
11.15 (times may vary)
13.00
14.00
16.00
Friday
History of Art/Design Lecture
9.30am – 13.30pm (two groups)
You can often continue to work in the studio after normal teaching finishes, by negotiation. Studios are often open until 6pm. Studios are
also open after the Friday lecture times by negotiation with appropriate tutors and technicians.
The course hours above are the minimum number of hours you should aim to be in the studios; but we encourage you to make a
commitment to working in the studios beyond 4pm. You should not work alone in the studios and if you wish to work late please let a tutor
or technician know where you are. For those working late, the refectory is open from 8am – 6pm Mon – Thurs, and 8am – 4pm on a Friday.
The student union bar is open, as is the Pittville Learning Centre. If you do stay on to work please ensure that there is a member of staff or
other students present.
If you have any difficulties, which prevent you attending full-time, then please let your tutor or the Course Leader, Nick Pride, know as soon
as you can.
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Course Structure
The course is divided into three stages:
Stage One - Exploratory Stage
Stage Two - Pathway Stage
Stage Three - Confirmatory Stage
These three stages are composed of nine units that are common to all Foundation Courses across the country. We deliver the course
through a series of workshops, designed to cover the content of the individual units at each stage. As you complete all the workshops in a
stage you have automatically covered the content of the units.
The stages do not conform exactly to the terms - stages two and three bridge the Christmas and Easter holidays.
This table shows you what units are in each stage:
Stage One
Exploratory Stage
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Information and Research
Recording and Responding
Media Experimentation
Stage Two
Pathway Stage
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6
Unit 7
Information and Interpretation
Combined Experimental Studies
Media Development
Preparation and Progression
Stage Three
Confirmatory Stage
Final Major
Project
Unit 8
Unit 9
Integrating Theory and Practice
Personal Confirmatory Studies
The full unit descriptions appear in Appendix A at the end of this guide.
Stage One – Exploratory Stage
Autumn Term
Weeks 1 - 9
In the first eight weeks you will complete four two-week workshops, which you will choose from a possible seven subjects. You will
choose your next workshop near the end of each preceding one, enabling you to change direction as the term progresses, and you will be
able to see the work completed by other students in the other workshops, which can inform your choices. In week nine you will have a
detailed tutorial to discuss your progress and future direction, and we will visit a careers fair in London to research your University choices
after this.
The aim of Stage One – the Exploratory Stage - is to undertake a period of experimental and divergent study dealing with the fundamental
language, ideas and materials of art and design. It offers a broad based introduction to art and design as a subject to study, and promotes
and encourages the development of skills and responses across a wide range of subjects. Stage One provides the basis upon which the
student should understand the aims of the course, and become familiar with its purpose and content. The workshops in this stage are
characterised by learning through experience, taking risks and trying out new things. You will also learn how to research, record and
observe information more closely, become familiar with experimentation, and develop a growing awareness of the importance of your
personal responses, creative methods and the role of discovery and the unfamiliar.
The choices are:
Drawing
Sculpture/3D
Graphic Investigation
Photography
Design Construction
Applied Drawing & Printmaking
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Workshops in Stage One
Drawing
This workshop aims to develop the students looking skills through objective drawing and image making activities. This workshop is about
recognising and enhancing a personal response to drawing. Ultimately it will encourage you to have confidence in your drawing skills and a
good drawing facility that you can utilise in all other workshop disciplines – Fine Art Painting, Sculpture, Animation, Illustration, Graphics,
Print, Textiles and Photography.
Sculpture / 3D
Broad-based, experimental, open, flexible, creative, ideas led;
This workshop will put an emphasis on understanding, exploring and making links between different mediums such as painting/drawing,
photography, and sculptural/3D objects. With an emphasis on combining different mediums, you could work in a range of ways; but
however you chose to work, you will be encouraged to explore your ideas in an ambitious and energetic way, using the fantastic space of
the sculpture studios to develop large scale, 3D/sculptural and installation based works. You might experiment with materials such as,
tape, wool, paper, tracing paper, acetate, card, wood, wire, matchsticks, plastic, found materials/objects.
Graphic Investigation
This workshop introduces research methods, design strategies and technical processes that will allow students to make adventurous and
experimental solutions to a design brief. Students will be shown how to use any brief as a starting point for the generation of many different
possible outcomes, and translate these ideas into visual form that communicate successfully.
The workshop encourages a lively and open-minded approach that challenges the conventions of 2D design and emphasises that a brief
does not pre-suppose a typical solution. We will integrate traditional mark making with computer-generated Imagery, Photography and
Printmaking processes.
The workshop will introduce students to how images communicate, through the use of image, typography and narrative content. We will
also consider the social context of the designer and illustrator in a rapidly changing environment.
Photography
This workshop will give students the opportunity to become confident with professional photographic equipment and will encourage the
student to develop an awareness of the position photography takes in the wider visual world. Although some emphasis is placed on
technical competence, the project is primarily concerned with research and the development of ideas. This stage will introduce the student
to various structures and approaches of photographic image making.
Design Construction
The aim of this workshop is to introduce students to a range of materials and processes that are generally related to Fashion Textiles, but
which may have application across a wide range of other areas, including Fine Art, Sculpture, 3D Design, Theatre/Costume and Jewellery.
Emphasis is placed on the development of ideas through experimental and exploration of the full potential of any number of materials and
processes. Students will be given basic technical introductions to a variety of techniques and workshop skills, but will be encouraged to
use these purely as starting points for the development of individual and creative solutions to a project brief.
Applied Drawing & Printmaking
This workshop provides students with a broad based and experimental approach to a range of simple drawing and printmaking techniques.
It aims to introduce the language of printmaking into the many approaches to image making, and equip the student with an extensive range
of possibilities in their approach to constructing images, many of which will be unfamiliar and rewarding. This practical workshop will cover
basic relief processes, card printing, gum Arabic transfers, woodcuts and simple stencilling.
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Stage Two – Pathway Stage
Autumn Term
Spring Term
Weeks 10-14
Weeks 1 – 9
-
2 two-week workshops with UCAS week in between
including Berlin Study Trip
Stage Two - the Pathway Stage - runs through the second half of the Autumn Term, and through most of the Spring Term. The initial part
in the autumn enables you to take two more workshops, and to decide on your choice of specialism for the Spring Term. You will receive
guidance and support with making your UCAS choices for degree courses during this first part of Stage Two, and to understand more fully
what each area of specialist study is like.
In some ways this is the most important part of the course, as you will make important decisions that will affect your direction for many
years to come.
For the second half of the Autumn Term you will choose two workshops during your tutorial in Week 9. The workshops are tailored towards
potential degree course specialisms and are as follows:
Painting
Fine Art Combined & 3D Design
Fashion / Textiles
Graphic Design / Illustration
Photography / Digital Imaging
Printmaking and Image continues until the end of the Autumn Term, and is of interest to all students as an additional skill, particularly (but
not exclusively) if you are to specialise in Painting, Illustration or Graphic Design.
There is also the opportunity to take Life Drawing classes in this stage on a weekly basis during the Spring Term.
After the first workshop of this stage (Weeks 10 and 11 of the Autumn Term) there is a week of further tutorials and discussion of your
UCAS choices (Week 12), to help you make your choice of specialism and to make your UCAS choices. This is followed by a final two
week workshop before the end of term (Weeks 13 and 14). After this point in the course your choice of specialism is decided, and you will
remain in that subject area for the rest of the stage during the Spring Term, and for the final major project in Stage Three.
Stage Two is a period of more detailed and specific diagnostic study. It follows directly from discoveries you will have made at Stage One
and, in parallel with your practical work, the specialist tutors in each area will explain more about the subject in detail as both a degree
choice and career path in order to inform your eventual choice.
At this stage students should show an increasing ability to discuss the development of their work in relation to a range of historical and
contemporary cultural contexts, and with growing critical awareness.
Your focus during the Spring Term part of the stage will concentrate on the production of strong and individual portfolio work for interview
and a fuller understanding of your subject through a series of practical projects of varying length.
Workshops in Stage Two – Pathway Stage
Painting
The Painting Fine Art workshop will introduce students to the visual language through which they can develop their own ideas, interests
and feelings about the world in which we live. Students will be encouraged to research a range of historical and contemporary Fine Art
issues. You will learn to use a broad range of materials, ideas and processes that can be used in the making of paintings.
Combined Fine art
With a basic understanding of the breath of Fine Art practise from the stage one workshop; student will be encouraged to further develop
the application of a varied range of materials and ways of thinking to develop a more personal practice.
This workshop will push ‘ideas’ as a vital currency within Art and Design and place emphasis on using a diversity of materials and
approaches to realising those ideas.
Developing the students understanding of the inherent links and overlaps between different disciplines and mediums, student will have the
opportunity to work across 2D disciplines such as drawing/painting, 3D sculpture/installation as well as being introduced to time based
media process such as film/animation.
3D Design
During Stage Two, students wishing to experience 3D design as a potential area for specialisation, are given projects that provide a set of
objectives which have to be met, while still allowing for personal interpretation and invention. It is seen as an introduction to the notion that
3D design is generally speaking functional sculpture whether it be related directly or indirectly to long term specialisations in jewellery,
furniture design, theatre design or industrial design, for example. 3D design students are encouraged to be playful and inventive in their
search for 3D solutions, whilst acknowledging the requirements of an externally set brief.
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Fashion/Textiles
As a Stage Two Pathway Fashion/Textiles encompasses a range of specialisms that, as well as fashion and textiles, may include surface
design, costume and theatre design, fashion promotion, marketing and jewellery. The emphasis in this workshop will be preparing students
for entry into a highly competitive field by encouraging an increasingly personal direction of study, that continues to explore the full
potential of materials and processes to express ideas and provide creative solutions to design problems.
Graphic Design / Illustration
During this stage students work on a series of projects that develop skills in design and illustration methods that enable information to be
assembled and communicated in an original and effective way. Students will gain an understanding of graphic design and illustration
through the use of type and image, using both traditional media and computer-based technologies. The course structure will be broad and
flexible and allows for a wide range of approaches. Students will learn how to generate creative and visually powerful responses to briefs,
how to evolve effective strategies for approaching a wide range of different situations, and how to organise and present their ideas clearly.
During this stage students will also be encouraged to investigate visual culture and the nature of mass communication, including films,
television, print media and the internet.
Photography / Digital Imaging
Increased emphasis is placed on the students to research all potential areas of photographic image making in order to discover where
individual strengths and interests might lie. Students will do this through wide-ranging critical and analytical investigation and through
continuous experimentation with the camera. This stage will introduce the students to contemporary and historic genres of photographic
image making such as documentary, reportage, fine-art, fashion, etc. Students will be encouraged to become increasingly confident and
independent in both their ability to make work and their decision making.
Life Drawing
The figure drawing and drawing workshops reinforce each other in their objectives of developing sound looking skills, and an awareness of
how to manipulate various methods, mediums and approaches. In addition to this, the figure drawing workshop will encourage students to
identify their limitations when drawing from the figure.
The workshop will encourage students to translate the reality of the figure into a visual language that shows an understanding of the
physical structure of the figure, with a knowledge of the bone structure and surface muscles. A student should be able to translate this
physical structure into a pictorial structure, through the use of pictorial rhythm, movement, tension and balance. Above all, they should
leave the workshop feeling confident about their ability to make successful figure drawings.
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Stage Three - Confirmatory Stage
Spring Term Weeks 10 – 11 plus three weeks during Easter break for research
Summer Term Weeks 1 – 6 preparation and display of final major project for the exhibition for two weeks
Each student will have continued to work within their specialism during this final stage. You will devise a personal Final Major Project
specifically designed to show your individual development in relation to both practical work and theory and practice, and describe this
proposal in a Statement of Intent sent to the External Examiners for their comments. The eight weeks of studio time will lead to a body of
work that is bold and ambitious in nature, and demonstrates individual and independent work. Each student will deliver their Final Major
Project in the form of an exhibition as the culmination of the course, with supporting research and a critical investigation of other artist
work.
Tutors at this stage act as personal tutors and facilitators for students' individual progress. Emphasis is placed on generating a supportive
environment in which students can evolve in an increasingly self-motivated way of working.
The Final Major Project is assessed by both your tutors and the External Examiners. Details of the grading criteria appear at the end of this
handbook, and will be explained fully at the beginning of the stage. The grade awarded for this stage is the only grade on the course.
History and Theory of Art and Design and the Critical Investigation
The HTAD lecture series takes place on Fridays from 09.30 am to 1.30 pm, in two groups.
The programme will take the form of lectures and seminars exploring the history of art, applied art, architecture, film and design, ending in
our post-modern present. The aim is to make you familiar with the major art and design movements, and the cultural, conceptual and
historical forces, which created ‘modern art’. You will be expected to devote sufficient time outside the Friday morning lectures in order to
both assimilate the lecture content through further research and to complete their supporting notes. This is required as part of the portfolio
submission for most UCAS courses.
Throughout the course many lectures, small seminar discussions and visits to exhibitions will take place. It is essential that you become
adept at collecting this information, and being able to see the relevance to you as an emerging artist or designer. This means that it is
useful to cultivate an appetite for knowledge from a wide range of sources, and not just those areas that interest you primarily.
To this end we will introduce the concept of an ongoing critical investigation throughout the course, and indeed outside of its parameters –
investigations that you undertake in your own time. This knowledge and experience is valuable, and we will show you methods of keeping
notes and ideas in a book kept for the purpose. This is distinct from your sketchbook, and you may regard it as a repository for information
gleaned from lectures, conversations, seminars and discussions. It should, like your sketchbook, become your constant companion, and if
well kept, will serve you well in your development as a creative individual.
Please note that the formal lectures are an important and integral part of your course, in which tutors aim to give the best possible start to
understanding the visual arts, whether pure or applied. You must ensure that you attend all lectures and keep a complete set of notes
throughout the year in your critical investigation notebook.
Each subject area will set an essay to be completed over the Christmas holiday, in order to prepare you both for interviews through UCAS,
and as a means of thinking more incisively about the issues surrounding your chosen subject. This will be discussed at a tutorial meeting
at the end of the Autumn Term.
Support for study skills is available if you feel you need it, through the learning resources centre. Students can attend study skills
workshops to help with note taking, essay writing and general academic learning. Details of these workshops are available from the
information desk in the Learning Centre.
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Berlin Study Trip
The study trip forms an integral part of the course, and a substantial amount of work in the second term is devised from the experience of
visiting Berlin and its art collections. Our dates are 31st January 2011 – 5th February 2011. The cost of the trip will be approximately £350
- £450.
A non-refundable deposit of £100 is collected in early October at which time you will also need to provide us with a copy of the photo
page of you passport. Without this we will be unable to accept payment. Please ensure that you have at least 6 months remaining on your
passport until it expires. The balance is due by the end of October. We will introduce the trip fully in the first stage of the course, and
explain what is included in the cost. The course aims for all students to travel.
The Library and Learning Resources - and where to find what you need
The Pittville Learning Centre holds an excellent collection of specialist books, exhibition catalogues, image and film resources, and a wide
range of art and design journals. There are also extensive computer (both Mac and PC) and digital printing facilities (for example the large
format AO colour printer). You will find up to date professional design, multimedia and video editing software running on high spec G5
Macs, all of which are available on a bookable basis. There are also suites of PCs for word processing and internet research.
Students are reminded that they are responsible for any items borrowed, so please take care of them, and don’t give them to friends (or
leave them in the Studio). A fine is enforced for late or lost items.
The Learning Centre is also where you will find additional film and video equipment, bookable through Roger Puplett 01242 714920 or
email to book on rpuplett@glos.ac.uk A list of items for loan is on the website.
Learning Centre Opening Times (times may vary slightly) - check by phoning 714908 or look on the website
The course encourages students to take every opportunity to discover more about the vast subject of art and design through the resources
in the Learning Centre. Particular books will be recommended to you as necessary, and on an individual basis during the daily teaching
programme. The Centre will also undertake off-air recordings and order specific books for you subject to funds.
It is very important to begin to know the subject you are studying, and to be able to reference your research and ideas. In order to do this, it
is essential that you spend time in the Pittville Learning Centre, and to become familiar with what it has to offer.
Pittville Materials Shop
While most of the materials you are likely to use on the course will be supplied by the course, there may occasionally be extra items you
will be required to purchase.
The shop stocks a range of art materials, which is comparable with most local art shops, and retails them at a reasonable price. Opening
times are: 09.00 - 10.50, 11.10 - 13.00 and 14.00 - 16.30
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Personal Work
In much the same way as the course hours described earlier are the minimum we expect students to work in the studio, the amount of
work completed in the subject workshops should not be all that you produce.
In recent years there has been increasing interest taken at UCAS interviews in so-called ‘personal work’ - that is work that has been
initiated and produced outside course hours, and is other than course work. We strongly advise and encourage students to continue
working at home, either in the evening, at the weekend, or during the holidays, on work that extends and supports studio work. One of the
best ways for this to occur during the first stages of the course is through the development of drawing and ideas in sketchbooks, and
advice will be given on how to develop your sketchbook into a valuable resource near the beginning of the course.
When you go for interview, your sketchbooks may be the first item the interviewer will look at, and their significance may be explained by
the fact that the interviewer has immediate access to a mirror of you, and your interests. Sketchbooks give an immediate impression of the
level of involvement, ways of thinking and the variety of your interests.
Assessment
Recording of Assessment and Performance
You may be relieved to find out that there are no formal grades or marks for the first two stages, enabling students to take risks without
fear of failure, and to extend their abilities beyond what has previously gained academic approval. On completion of each workshop each
student’s achievement is recorded by both student and tutor on a workshop assessment sheet, these are kept in your assessment file.
Students and tutors also fill in a Logbook, which forms a record of each workshop and contributes to an overview of the stage. Each
subject also has its own educational criteria which we record on the same sheet, which assists students in understanding their
performance and suitability to the subject and collectively indicate strengths and weaknesses across the range of subjects studied.
Each workshop assessment results in a grading indicator, awarded by student and tutor, which are acknowledged at tutorials and may
form a useful guide to subject specialism during early stages of the course. Grading indicators are only guides, and do not contribute to
final grades for the qualification, which is based solely on the Final Major Project in Stage Three. Your file is always available by
appointment with your tutor, and is formally reviewed at tutorials.
In order to complete Stages 1 & 2 a series of workshops must be successfully completed. The workshops are carefully designed to cover
the underlying units in each stage, as outlined in the course structure above and described in detail in Appendix A. These are nationally
agreed units, common to all Foundation Courses rather than the individual workshop that a course devises to reflect its particular skills and
emphasis.
Each unit has its own assessment criteria and evidence, and formal tutorials at the end of Stage 1 & 2 will identify that sufficient work has
been produced to meet each unit, and therefore complete the stage. At these formal tutorials work will be assessed collectively against the
national unit criteria. Completion of a stage is recorded in a students file, and a student may not progress to the next stage until all
assessment criteria for the stage have been met. Your personal tutor will review your progress at the formal assessment points, and will
agree with you any work outstanding that prevents progression.
As mentioned above, both the Course Tutors, and the Edexcel External Examiners assess the Final Major Project in Stage Three, during
the exhibition at the end of the Summer Term. This final grade becomes the only grade awarded for the qualification; all grading indicators
are discounted.
The Final Major Project starts with the production of a self-initiated brief by each student, submitted on a ‘Statement of Intent’ to your tutor
and the External Examiners. The scope and amount of work should meet the assessment criteria for Units 8 & 9, and those falling short
will be asked by the Examiner to modify and re-submit their proposal. Grades awarded are against the national criteria for the stage as
detailed in Appendix B. Students will be carefully briefed by tutors prior to the start of Stage Three on all assessment procedures.
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Grading Indicator Bands for Stages One and Two:
D
Distinction
Outstanding achievement, all educational criteria met, distinctly personal work
M
Merit
Strong work, good understanding and critical awareness of subject area
P
Pass
Satisfactory performance in workshop, adequate amount of work and commitment
R
Refer
Satisfactory in some areas, unsatisfactory in others, lack of attendance
A student receiving a referral in any particular workshop will be asked to submit further work in order to obtain the required pass grade.
F
Fail
Unsatisfactory in all areas, or no attendance in workshop
A student receiving a fail in any particular workshop which consequently prevents them moving to the next stage will be asked to repeat
the workshop, if time allows.
Grading Criteria for Stage Three
These are the final grades awarded for the Final Major Project and are attached as Appendix B. The criteria will be explained in detail
before the commencement of the Final Major Project in the Spring Term.
Referral and Fail Grades
Students who are marked as ‘refer’ for the Final Major Project are asked to re-submit a further amount of work detailed in an action plan
from their subject tutor and agreed with the External Examiner for re-assessment. Referred students can gain a successful outcome only
by completing all additional work within the time agreed, and cannot gain a higher grade than Pass after successful re-submission.
Students who fail in their Final Major Project assessment are usually students who have failed to meet the course requirements through
lack of attendance, and who have produced little or no work. Students who are considered likely to fail the course are advised of this
possibility as soon as it becomes clear that they are not participating at the required level. Every opportunity is given to help and support
the student through his or her difficulty in meeting the course requirements.
It is not the policy of the course to seek to fail students and it is recognised that the diagnostic nature and value in the course is to allow
students to discover, by negative as well as positive response, that they may be unsuited to further study and a possible career in art and
design.
Extenuating Circumstances and Appeals
If the circumstances are agreed to be extenuating at the point of assessment, the student will be given an extension to the deadline or
work assessed accordingly, or allowance made for circumstances that prevented completion of the work which was outside the students’
control. Upon completion of required coursework, or consideration of the circumstances, the full grade will be awarded to the student
without penalty.
Both the University and Edexcel have established procedures for students wishing to appeal. Students should contact the Course Leader
for details in the event of a situation arising where an individual has grounds for an appeal.
Students wishing to appeal against a grading decision must appeal within 3 days of publication of the results. It must be based on one of
two grounds which can be briefly summarised a) there is hitherto undisclosed evidence which should have been taken into account b)
assessment has not been carried out properly; there has been an irregularity. Appeals are not allowed on the grounds that in your view
you should have been awarded a higher mark
Formal Warnings
In the event of consistent referral grades or through lack of commitment to the course, students will receive a formal warning. A final resubmission deadline for outstanding work will be set by the Course Leader, and failure to re-submit at this stage will result in the student
being asked to withdraw from the course.
Plagiarism
A student’s work submitted for assessment is expected to be their own. Plagiarism is defined as the unacknowledged use of the work of
others. This means that students must not copy, closely follow, paraphrase or present another’s work within their own without
acknowledgement.
Material that must not be treated in this way includes, amongst other things, books, journals, the internet or other electronic sources, audiovisual resources, photographs, corporate literature and the work of other students.
12
Progression Route to the Degree Courses at this University
The University recognises that in this era of reduced financial support for students, an increasing number may wish to continue their postfoundation education on one of the degree courses at the University. In addition this route will be of interest to students with local
commitments. Applications within the University are known as Progression Route applications
Art and Design degree courses available at the University include:
Advertising
Fine Art, Painting and Drawing
Fine Art, Photography
Digital Film Production
Graphic Design
Illustration
Photography Editorial & Advertising
Photojournalism and Documentary Photography
Application Procedure for Progression Route
During the latter half of the Autumn Term, students from the Foundation Course who express an interest in continuing their education on
one of the degree courses at Cheltenham, are invited to an information talk about the course in which they are interested, given by the
course leaders. These talks provide an opportunity for students to ask questions about the course, and to be shown round its studios and
facilities.
Interview arrangements for students who wish to apply to any of the degree courses at the University are made through the Foundation
Course Leader, or your personal tutor. Interested students should inform the Course Leader of their wish to apply to a particular course
before Week 12 of the Autumn Term.
Students who have been successful in gaining a place at the University will be expected to place it as their first choice on the UCAS form
in order to 'confirm' and make official their acceptance of the place offered. You may also choose one of the University’s courses as one of
your 5 UCAS choices.
Applying to Degree Courses through UCAS
Most students will apply from the Foundation Course to a degree in their chosen specialism at several Universities and specialist Higher
Education Colleges.
Because of the intense competition that exists for all Art and Design courses, we advise all students to make four applications through
UCAS via route A. This method has been seen through experience to give past students the best method of gaining a high number of
offers from high ranking Universities.
Lectures and presentations outlining the UCAS procedures will take place in the Autumn Term, where all the details of the application
procedures will be explained, and as mentioned above there will be time set aside in Week 12 to discuss your choices thoroughly.
You will be taken to the UCAS ‘Design your Future’ Careers Fair which is a valuable opportunity to talk to admission teams from over one
hundred universities across the country. Particular attention will be given to your possible choices in the tutorial in Week 9. In addition in
Week 12 (UCAS week) you will have further opportunities to gather more information from tutors about their subject area, visit colleges and
contact past students for feedback. You will also complete your personal statement, and start to finalise your choices.
Route A application forms have to be submitted to tutors by Tuesday 14th December. More details on all aspects of the UCAS process are
available on:
www.Ucas.com/students/beforeyouapply/artanddesign/
The majority of past students received four or five offers from their choices. We will help you prepare both you and your folder during the
Spring Term, and advise you on how to present your work at your interviews.
Areas of Study at Degree level include (see also Ucas.com)
Fine Art
Fine Art Painting & Drawing
Sculpture
Printmaking
Time based media
Fine Art Photography
13
Fashion / Textiles
Fashion design
Textiles print design
Textiles weave design
Shoe design
Contour design
Carpet design
Embroidery
Theatre design
Surface pattern
Graphic Design / Illustration/Film and Animation
Graphic communication
Information design
Multimedia design
Animation
Moving image, film and video
Typography
Photography
Advertising
Illustration
3D Design
Ceramics
Interior design & architecture
Silversmithing
Jewellery
Transport design
Product design
Glass
Theatre design / costume
Multi-disciplinary art and social context
Tutorial Groups
Tutorial groups are established in Week 2 of the course, and each student is given a personal tutor for the first stage leading to Week 9.
After this your subject tutor of the specialism you choose becomes your personal tutor, and will help you with all aspects of your progress.
Tutorial groups meet during Stages One and Two of the course at key points in the curriculum. The main purpose of the tutorial group is to
establish fixed reference points during the course at which tutors are able to locate any student problems and difficulties, monitor student
feedback, present course information and discuss important issues. It is the responsibility of the tutor to follow the academic performance
and attendance record of each of his or her tutees, and if necessary, through the arrangement of a personal tutorial with the individual
student, reflect these concerns back to the student. At the same time, it is possible for a student to arrange with his or her tutor for a
personal tutorial, during which advice, assistance or help may be sought.
Student Representatives
The new Course Representation system represents a joint project between the Students’ Union and the University. It is designed to
enhance both your experience, and that of your lecturers.
The course will elect two to sit on a Faculty Staff Student Liaison Committee (SSLC).
More information can be found at www.yourstudentsunion.com/coursereps
As soon as possible in Stage One of the course, student representatives are elected in each of the seven workshops. It is the
responsibility of these students to represent the students in their workshop groups and to give advice to the Course Leader about any
problems that may arise. These students represent the student group at Course Committee, which are held once per term, and play a
decisive role in the development of the course.
It is important that students play an active part in electing and advising their group representative. Student representatives may change in
Stage Two of the course in order that subject areas are represented. Student feedback is gathered both at tutor group meetings and by an
anonymous evaluation form at the end of each stage. Student representatives and subject tutors summarise these evaluations, and
present their conclusions for discussion at Course Committee.
14
Looking after your work
You are expected to keep all your 2D coursework in a portfolio. During tutorials, your tutor will be as interested to see where your work
fails, as well as where it succeeds, and you should therefore keep everything carefully. Remember also to back up digital and moving
image work, as the course servers and computers may not be able to reliably store your files.
There are no facilities available within the course for the storage of 3D work, and you are required to take your work home on completion of
the 3D / sculpture workshops, and ensure you have a good photographic record for your folder.
Studio Rules and Health & Safety
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted anywhere within the University.
Food
Please do not bring cups, knives and forks or plates of food from the refectory into the studios. Eating and drinking in studios is not
permitted for health and safety reasons.
Tools and Equipment
The University provides most of the tools and equipment necessary for use while you are on the course. They are available to be
borrowed from the tool store in the 3D studio. If you need to use any item from this store, please make sure that you return it to the store
when you have finished with it. Be responsible for it, and do not leave it lying around in the studio. We do not have the resources to
replace these items continually. Please assist us by always returning the tools to the store when you have finished using them - especially
at the end of the day. If you wish to bring a portable electrical item in of your own it must be tested for safety before use. The caretakers
have facilities to do this, but please ensure that you allow at least one working day before item is used. This may take longer during busy
periods. For power tools, please check with the technical team to ensure that you are competent to use the equipment.
Personal Possessions
The University cannot be held responsible for the loss of personal items by students while on the course. Please make sure that your
equipment box and portfolio are clearly marked with your name, and that any items of value (purses, wallets, cameras, ipods etc) are not
left unattended in the studios or corridors.
Health and Safety
For the successful management of the course it is essential that all students adhere to safe working procedures. All studios have health
and safety notices and information about hazardous substances and procedures, which you should read, and ensure you have been
introduced to working safely with all tools and equipment before you use them.
Fire escapes and safety in all Studios
There is a statutory requirement to keep all passageways clear and unobstructed to a minimum width of 1.2 metres. Spaces between work
benches and tables should be kept clear.
Each studio has a water based fire extinguisher and powder based fire extinguisher, which are wall mounted and close to the door. First
aid and fire action notices are displayed close by and should not be removed at any time.
3D / Sculpture Studio
Students are not allowed to use power tools after 4pm or when a tutor or technician is not present.
It is mandatory to use gloves, masks and goggles when required, and to ensure you are aware of all hazardous materials and are wearing
the appropriate protective clothing.
Painting Studios
Due to the build-up of fume levels when using oil based paints, it is necessary that extractor fans be used at frequent intervals during
working sessions, or kept on at a low level. Build up of volatile organic fumes is a fire explosion risk. The fumes can also cause damage to
your health. White spirit should be decanted into small containers with screw-top lids which should be kept on at all times when not in use.
White spirit is a combustible material and the fume is hazardous to your health.
Rags should not be dropped on the floor after use but placed in sealed bins. Spirit soaked rags can, in certain circumstances, selfcombust.
15
Accidents and pre-existing medical conditions
In the event of an accident at the University, First Aid staff must be informed, and you should immediately gain attention for any injuries.
Look for the green and white notices around the campus with names of staff that are trained in First Aid and their telephone numbers.
Alternatively, you can phone Reception on 01242 714940 and ask them to call a First Aid person.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition that could affect you working safely in any aspect of the course, it is advisable to contact one
of our Disability Advisers. This information would be in the strictest confidence.
Pittville Student Helpzone
The Student Helpzone is based at Pittville Campus, opposite the Main Reception and is staffed by a Helpzone Manager and Helpzone
Adviser. It is a year-round drop-in advisory service where students can seek information and advice in confidence on any issue that is
affecting them.
Contact Details
Opening Times
Pittville Student Helpzone
Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm
Tel: 01242 71 4444 (extension 4)
Email: helpzonepittville@glos.ac.uk
For academic advice we can help you with:

Progressing through your course effectively

Academic regulations

Mitigating circumstances
For personal and welfare issues we can help you with:

Finance

Faith

Accommodation

Disability

Medical Services

Mental Health/ Counselling

Childcare advice

General welfare
We are here to help, all you have to do is ask! www.glos.ac.uk/helpzones
Funding
You may be eligible to apply for EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance). For more details and for an application pack visit
www.direct.gov.uk/ema , or telephone the EMA helpline on 0808 10 16219.
16
Insurance
Due to changes in Insurance policies, it is essential for all students to check that their car insurance covers them for ‘business use’, such
as when using your car during university hours, for example, travelling between campuses. Failure to do this means that in the event of an
accident you would not be covered. Please contact Finance and Planning on 01242 714166 if you have any queries.
Students are also reminded to check that their personal possessions are also covered under a ‘home contents’ policy, as any loss resulting
from theft or damage cannot be claimed against the University insurance. Please contact Finance and Planning for any further details.
Medical Centre
Students who are unwell should wherever possible make an appointment with their GP. NHS Direct can be a useful and relevant service to
access, particularly when any illness falls outside of a GP's opening hours.
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
In an emergency students are advised to call the emergency services for assistance.
The Medical Centre is situated at the Park Campus close to the Refectory.
For an appointment please telephone 01242 714400. The appointments line will be closed over lunchtime.
Sports Facilities
The University has extensive sports facilities, which are available for your use.
Oxstalls Campus
Sports Hall – Badminton, Basketball, Cricket etc.
All weather pitch – Hockey, Football etc.
Tel: 01452 715200
Useful Telephone Numbers
Citizens Advice Bureau
Student Finance Advice
Finance Office
Pittville Reception
Pittville Learning Centre
Pittville Students Union
01242
01242
01242
01242
01242
01242
522491
714535
714231
714940
714906
715008
Finally..
We hope you will find the Foundation Course a rewarding and stimulating year. Your tutors, technicians and support staff will do everything
possible to help you achieve your aims and ambitions as young artists and designers.
17
APPENDIX A
Unit 1
Information and Research
Exploratory Stage
Unit Rationale
In art, craft, design and communication, research and information underpin the development of understanding, ideas and personal
development. Students will be encouraged to research contemporary, historical and cultural contexts and precedents, and begin relating
their own emerging practice to the work of others. It also introduces students to the attitudes and processes that will enable them to foster
their own creativity and engage in self-reliant learning.
This Unit will be assessed through the student’s portfolio against the Unit outcomes. Students’ work will be graded at key stages and at
the end of the programme against overarching criteria.
Assessment Criteria
To achieve this Unit, students must include in their portfolio of artwork, evidence that they can:




Clarify, plan and carry out thorough and broad research from a wide range of resources.
Suspend judgement, in order to open out the field of enquiry into the unfamiliar.
Analyse, evaluate and communicate attitudes, achievements, methods and findings.
Seek out and use advice to support the development of potential.
Assessment Evidence
Work for this Unit will typically consist of:


In investigations into materials, techniques and processes e.g. sketchbooks, notebooks, visual development sheets, disks,
samples, test pieces and maquettes.
Deconstruction and reconstruction of ideas, products and texts e.g. personal enquiry, critical investigation analysis and
evaluation e.g. personal reflective diary, annotations, reports, records from tutorials and visits.
Content
Knowledge and
Understanding
Of visual and textual research techniques
Practical Skills
Personal Competencies
Applying research techniques
Identifying how to develop creativity by taking
risks
Of an increasing range of art, craft, design and
communication and associated working processes
Applying working processes
Of how to develop own skills and learning
18
Applying personal development
skills
Identifying how to get results through building
self confidence
Unit 2
Exploratory Stage
Unit Rationale
In this Unit students will be encouraged to develop skills in observing and recording what they see, hear, think and feel. The student will
then work with this information, to push forwards into new and unfamiliar areas. In particular, students will learn to recognise the
importance and functions of drawing for their development as creative practitioners, through critically reviewing how it feeds the creative
process across the disciplines of art, craft, design and communication.
This Unit will be assessed through the student’s portfolio against the Unit outcomes. Students’ work will be graded at key stages and at
the end of the programme against overarching criteria.
Assessment criteria
To achieve this Unit, students must include in their portfolio of artwork, evidence that they can:




Record animate and inanimate life, the environment, ideas and creative solutions.
Analyse own experience and given objectives, as a means of stimulation personal response.
Create a personal response to observations, feelings, situations, events, others work and set objectives.
Maintain records of own skills development and working methods.
Assessment evidence
Work for this Unit will typically consist of:



Records of exploratory work in an appropriate format, e.g. sketchbooks, note books, visual development sheets, disks,
samples, test pieces, maquettes.
Extended personal responses, e.g. preparatory and presented work in response to given stimulus or briefs.
Records of working methods, e.g. research journal/file, annotations, records from tutorials and skills workshops.
Content
Knowledge and
Understanding
Of the components and power of visual
language and communication
Practical Skills
Personal Competencies
Developing skills in using visual language
to communicate
Exploring ways of managing and
developing self by exploring new ideas and
concepts
Of the potential of oral and written
language
Developing skills in using words to
communicate
Of personal development techniques
19
Unit 3
Media Experimentation
Exploratory Stage
Unit Rationale
Media and materials are an essential component of art, craft, design and communications work. These may range from traditional media
through to the more unusual forms found in some contemporary work. In this Unit students will need to carry out extensive
experimentation in order to explore the potential and limitations of a variety of media. Students will be encouraged to recognise the
intrinsic formal qualities of different media as essential elements in visual communication and to build relationships between theory and
practice.
This Unit will be assessed through the student’s portfolio against the Unit outcomes. Students’ work will be graded at key stages and at
the end of the programme against overarching criteria.
Assessment criteria
To achieve this Unit, students must include in their portfolio of artwork, evidence that they can:




Carry out wide ranging experimentation with traditional and more unusual media and materials.
Analyse, identify and present the potential and limitations of media for creating ideas and developing solutions.
Recognise the characteristics, features and uses of a wide range of media.
Manipulate media, tools and technology safely, using suitable techniques and processes.
Assessment evidence
Work for this Unit will typically consist of:



Records of experimentation across a wide range of media in an appropriate format, e.g. studies, samples, test pieces,
models, film, printouts.
In-depth experimental work and presented outcomes, e.g. single or multidimensional, mixed media or multi-media, static,
space, form and time.
Technical information, e.g. research journal/file, notes, sketchbook, records of discussions and tutorials.
Content
Knowledge and
Understanding
Of media and associated techniques and
technology
Practical Skills
Personal Competencies
Developing skills in working with a range of
media and associated techniques and
technology
Managing and developing self by beginning
to identify and focus on preferences
Of working processes
Developing skills in selecting and applying
suitable working processes
Applying personal development techniques
20
Establishing an ongoing commitment to
developing creativity
Unit 4
Information and Interpretation
Pathway Stage
Unit Rationale
Creative practitioners use their understanding of the contemporary visual world and their awareness of historical developments to inspire
and inform their own creative work. This Unit will enable students to develop their own critical understanding of contemporary, historical
and related contexts. Students will be able to use this awareness in developing their own creative intentions in preferred pathways.
This Unit will be assessed through the student’s portfolio against the Unit outcomes. Students’ work will be graded at key stages and at
the end of the programme against overarching criteria.
Assessment Criteria
To achieve this Unit, students must include in their portfolio of artwork, evidence that they can:



Explore and explain others work, in terms of visual and or textual language, characteristics, content and meaning.
Draw on others work as inspiration and reference in developing their own ideas and solutions.
Analyse others work and create a personal response in terms of interpretation of ideas, feelings and information.
Assessment Evidence
Work for this Unit will typically consist of:



Visual/textual references in an appropriate format, e.g. reference file, sketchbooks, note books, research sheets.
In-depth enquiry, e.g. essay, personal study, critical investigation, personal response, seminar paper.
Critical analysis and evaluation, e.g. annotations, illustrated essays/reports, records from tutorials, presentations and
seminars.
Content
Knowledge and
Understanding
Of the range of art, craft, design and
communication practice
Practical Skills
Personal Competencies
Developing skills in recognizing art, craft,
design and communication work
Gaining confidence in thinking and taking
decisions
Of how visual language and words can be
used to communicate
Applying visual and textual language skills
to researching others work
Practising techniques involved in getting
results
Of analysis and evaluation techniques
Developing skills in applying analytical and
evaluative skills to own and others work
21
Unit 5
Combined Experimental Studies
Pathway Stage
Unit Rationale
Creating successful art, craft, design and communication work involves a selective synthesis of skills, processes and understanding. In
this Unit students will learn how to bring together their skills in working with media and techniques, their ability to select research methods
and processes and apply their understanding of the creative process.
This Unit will be assessed through the student’s portfolio against the Unit outcomes. Students’ work will be graded at key stages and at
the end of the programme against overarching criteria.
Assessment Criteria
To achieve this Unit, students must include in their portfolio of artwork, evidence that they can:





Carry out radical and extensive experimentation with chosen pathway media, techniques and processes.
Enhance their awareness of their own creative intentions when researching ideas.
Apply understanding when selecting and prioritising approaches to meet identified objectives.
Outline and propose effective plans for making work.
Take an increasingly independent role in developing skills and realising final work.
Assessment evidence
Work for this Unit will typically consist of:




Records of experimentation within a chosen pathway, in an appropriate format, e.g. studies, samples, test pieces, models,
films, printouts.
Proposal for in-depth experimental work within a chosen pathway, including aims, objectives and deadlines.
Records of in-depth experimental work, e.g. preparatory work, studies and final outcomes, self directed and in response to
given briefs.
Records of self development, e.g. personal reflective diary, annotations, records from tutorials and peer group discussions.
Content
Knowledge and
Understanding
Growing understanding of research
techniques
Growing understanding of the potential
of visual language
Growing understanding of how to
select media and associated
techniques/technology
22
Practical Skills
Personal Competencies
Applying research techniques to developing ideas
Using visual language and words to communicate
intentions
Maintaining a commitment to
developing creativity
Applying understanding of chosen media to selecting and
using suitable working processes
Using analysis and evaluation to push ideas forward
Thinking and taking decisions by
identifying personal theories
Getting results through determination
and application
Unit 6
Media Development
Pathway Stage
Unit Rationale
The choice of media and materials has an influence on people’s appreciation of the form, nature and function of images and objects. In
this Unit students will explore how their own ideas, development and solutions can be influenced by the ways in which they exploit the
characteristics and properties of chosen media and materials.
This Unit will be assessed through the student’s portfolio against the Unit outcomes. Students’ work will be graded at key stages and at
the end of the programme against overarching criteria.
Assessment Criteria
To achieve this Unit, students must include in their portfolio of artwork, evidence that they can:




Research, evaluate and select media and materials to suit their creative intentions.
Understand and exploit the potential and limitations of selected media and materials in their own work.
Combine and manipulate media, techniques and technology to achieve technically competent outcomes.
Analyse and evaluate the technical and aesthetic qualities of their developmental work.
Assessment Evidence
Work for this Unit will typically consist of:



Records of research into selected media in an appropriate format, e.g. studies, samples, test pieces, models, films, printouts.
In-depth and wide ranging developmental work with a preferred range of media, e.g. preparatory work, final outcomes.
Analysis and evaluation, e.g. personal reflective diary, annotations, reports, records from tutorials and critiques.
Content
Knowledge and
Understanding
Growing understanding of the potential of
chosen media and associated techniques
and technology
Growing understanding of research
techniques
Growing understanding of how to develop
own skills
Practical Skills
Personal Competencies
Applying understanding of chosen media to
creating effective outcomes
Developing creativity by exploring
alternative ideas and contexts
Applying research techniques to developing
ideas
Thinking and taking decisions about an
increasing range of alternatives
Using visual language and words to
communicate intentions
Getting results by testing personal theories
Using personal development techniques
Managing and developing self on an
ongoing basis
23
Unit 7
Preparation and Progression
Pathway Stage
Unit Rationale
The opportunity for students to identify future aims and possible progression routes is a significant component of the Foundation Studies
Diploma. This Unit will enable students to spend time analysing their own interests and ambitions, evaluating skills, and investigate
directions to pursue and prepare for interview. Identifying a personal direction within the breadth of current creative practice is a selfrevelatory process, which requires time for personal and shared reflection with peers and tutors. The skills that students learn in this Unit
can be transferred to meeting their progression needs in the future.
This Unit will be assessed through the student’s portfolio against the Unit outcomes. Students’ work will be graded at key stages and at
the end of the programme against overarching criteria.
Assessment Criteria
To achieve this Unit, students must include in their portfolio of artwork, evidence that they can:




Identify progression aims and opportunities that match your own interests and aspirations.
Prepare information about yourself to suit your progression needs.
Select, organise, prepare work for presentation using appropriate techniques and sequencing.
Present themselves and their work to others.
Assessment Evidence
Work for this Unit will typically consist of:




Records of self evaluation and progression opportunities in an appropriate format, e.g. journal, annotated prospectuses,
records from tutorials and visits to studios/courses.
A portfolio of artwork suitable for progression, with supporting developmental material.
Supporting information, e.g. CV, personal statement, letter of application (paper based or electronic).
Records of critical interaction with others, e.g. mock interview, witness statement by teacher/tutor, audio/video recording.
Content
Knowledge and
Understanding
Understanding of how to use research
techniques to identify progression aims
Practical skills
Personal competencies
Application of research techniques to
identifying potential progression routes
Managing and developing self in line with
identified progression aims and aspirations
Understanding of how to use analysis and
evaluation to select suitable progression
routes
Application of analytical and evaluative
skills to selecting and preparing for
progression
Thinking and taking decisions on the basis
of thorough research
Understanding of how to use personal
development techniques to support
progression ambitions
Applying self development skills to making
the most of identified opportunities
Getting results by making informed choices
24
Unit 8
Integrating Theory and Practice
Confirmatory Stage
Unit Rationale
The ability of students to manage their own personal learning and development is a skill that will help them to achieve their progression
ambitions. In this Unit students will be encouraged to develop their creative and technical skills by extending their experience and
understanding of a chosen pathway in art, craft, design and communications. This will involve researching and discussing in written and
visual form their understanding and insight into those aspects of contemporary and historical practice which relate most closely with their
own creative intentions and preferred contexts.
This Unit will be assessed through the student’s portfolio against the Unit outcomes. Students’ work will be graded at key stages and at
the end of the programme against overarching criteria.
Assessment Criteria
To achieve this Unit, students must include in their portfolio of artwork, evidence that they can:



Develop and integrate their practical skills and technical understanding, within a chosen pathway.
Apply experience, skills and understanding when creating solutions to problems within a chosen pathway.
Maintain an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.
Assessment Evidence
Work for this Unit will typically consist of:




Records of skills development in an appropriate format, e.g. developmental work, experimentation, samples, test pieces,
feedback from tutorials, witness statements by teachers/tutors.
Self-identified proposals of intention, including aims, objectives and deadlines.
Application of skills in a chosen pathway, e.g. research, developmental and final work.
Application of knowledge and understanding of aspects of professional practice and how these relate to your own work, e.g.
critical investigation, dissertation.
Content
Knowledge and
Understanding
Extending understanding of the use of
research techniques and working
processes to develop ideas and realize
outcomes
Practical skills
Personal competencies
Extending own skills
Managing and developing self through
bringing together experience and
understanding
Extending understanding of media,
techniques and technology within an art,
craft, design or communications pathway
Extending skills in using research, analysis
and evaluation techniques to develop ideas
Extending awareness of professional
practice within a chosen pathway
Extending skills in using chosen media to
create effective outcomes
Extending skills in using visual language
and words to communicate intentions
Developing creativity by challenging
conventions
Thinking and taking decisions to push ideas
forward. Getting results by consolidating
theory and practice
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Unit 9
Personal Confirmatory Study
Confirmatory Stage
Unit Rationale
In this Unit students will be able to bring together their art, craft, design and communication skills, knowledge and understanding to carry
out a major project. This will involve identifying project objectives, clarifying and agreeing the scope of the work, managing their time and
resources to achieve a final outcome.
This Unit will be assessed through the student’s portfolio against the Unit outcomes. Students’ work will be graded at key stages and at
the end of the programme against overarching criteria.
Assessment Criteria
To achieve this Unit, students must include in their portfolio of artwork, evidence that they can:





Research and negotiate a project brief which enables their skills to be clearly demonstrated.
Plan and manage their own project effectively to produce a finished piece of work(s).
Create, develop and realise a final outcome within the time available.
Select, organise, prepare and display their personal confirmatory study in a professional manner.
Evaluate their working methods and outcomes, identifying opportunities for additional development and improvement.
Assessment Evidence
Work for this Unit will typically consist of:



Records of negotiating and managing the project in an appropriate format, e.g. sketchbook, notes, personal reflective diary,
records from tutorials and critiques.
A significant body of work, e.g. research showing a range of ideas, developmental work, final outcome.
Supporting statement, e.g. written and illustrated, audio/video recording.
Content
Knowledge and
Understanding
Extending understanding of the use of
analysis and evaluation to develop ideas
and realise effective outcomes
Extending understanding of working
processes to negotiating and working on a
major project and managing a portfolio for
assessment
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Practical skills
Personal competencies
Synthesising skills in using research
techniques, visual, oral and written
language and chosen media to develop
ideas and present outcomes
Managing and developing self
Developing creativity within a chosen
context
Extending skills in analysis and evaluation
to create effective work
Extending skills in working processes
Thinking and taking decisions to realise
effective outcomes
Getting results through ongoing
commitment and effective time
management
Appendix B
Grading Criteria for Final Major Project – Stage 3
To Pass Units 8 and 9 you must demonstrate that you can:
Unit 8 Integrating Theory & Practice
Produce a self initiated Statement of Intent to form the basis of
your Final Major Project
Unit 9 Personal Confirmatory Stage
Develop your FMP to meet the Unit criteria at a minimum Pass
level enabling your skills to be clearly demonstrated
Develop and integrate practical skills and technical
understanding, within a chosen specialist pathway/s
Research, plan and manage your FMP effectively to produce a
finished piece of work/s
Apply experience, skills, practical and contextual understanding
when creating solutions to problems within a chosen specialist
pathway/s
Create, develop and realise a final outcome within the time
available
Manage a time constrained project from concept to completion
Select, organise, prepare and display your personal
confirmatory study in a professional manner
Evaluate your working methods and outcomes, identifying
opportunities for additional development and improvement
Maintain an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and
personal development
In order to gain a Merit or Distinction you must demonstrate that you can:
Knowledge &
Understanding
Merit
Initiate and explore opportunities for media research
and experimentation in the development of ideas
which express personal response
Demonstrate a robust attitude to the Final Major
Project through commitment and time management
Distinction
Demonstrate a systematic, imaginative and
flexible approach to media research and
experimentation, in devising individual solutions
to problems and realising your full potential for
development through a high level of decision
making and continuous review and analysis
Understand and consistently resolve problems
from concept to realisation through technical
understanding and the inventive use of
appropriate materials, procedures and
technologies
Personal Development
Demonstrate a good level of skills in working practices
Manage a personal synthesis of wide ranging
research, communicating informed and reflective
perceptions
Demonstrate an independent, significant and
mature contribution to the learning process
through ongoing initiatives and independence
Manipulation &
Translation
Translate problems from concept to realisation,
through the exploration of ideas in the use of
appropriate materials, procedures and technologies
demonstrating decision making and continuous review
and analysis
Demonstrate self-critical awareness in the
development of inventive and distinctly personal
ideas throughout the FMP
Demonstrate ongoing personal development of
creativity within a chosen context through the use of
analysis, evaluation and judgement in the
development of ideas throughout the FMP
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