BTEC First Diploma: Creative Media Production KS5
Course Guide 2011 - 2012
BTEC Edexcel First Diploma in Creative Media Production Course Guide 2011/12 CONTENTS 1 Glossary 2 Your Course 2.1 Introduction 2.2 List of staff – Media, Thomas Tallis School 2.3 Course Aims
3 Course Structure 3.1 Course Structure and Learning Hours 3.2 Course Structure Diagram
4 The Curriculum 4.1 Unit Outlines
5 Learning, Teaching and Academic Guidance 5.1 Learning and teaching methods used on your course
6 Assessment 6.1 Assessment 6.2 Appeals Procedures 6.3 Learner Discipline Procedures
7 Tutorial Feedback Form 7.1 Miscellaneous Information 7.2 Recording your Achievement 7.3 Sample Assignment Brief
Glossary of Terms Aims The purpose behind your work. Appeal The formal procedure whereby you challenge a decision made regarding your performance in assessment. Disagreement with academic judgment does not constitute grounds for appeal. Details about the appeals procedure are contained within this handbook. Assessment The processes through which the quality and standard of your work is measured and evaluated. Assessments are about what you have achieved already and not about your future potential, although the feedback provided by marks and comments should be of assistance. A sample of marks from all units will be verified to ensure the quality of marking. •
Formative assessment is an interim review of your work and can be oral or written. It provides an indication of your progress and allows you an opportunity to work with staff to improve your work. It does not contribute to the final unit mark.
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Interim assessment is a formal written interim review of your work undertaken 2 to 3 weeks prior to your final unit deadline. It provides an indication of your progress and allows you an opportunity to work with your unit teacher in order to improve your performance. It does not contribute to your final unit mark.
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Summative assessment is the assessment carried out at the end of a unit. It provides an evaluation of your progress during the unit, generates a unit mark, and confirms the conditions for referral and retake.
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Peer and Self-assessment requires you to assess your own work and that of fellow students. It encourages a sense of ownership of assessment, assists you to become an independent learner, helps to develop a range of transferable skills and makes assessment part of the learning process rather than something separate.
Assessment Criteria The features against which your work will be assessed. Course Leader The member of staff responsible for the management and organisation of your course of study. In your case Ms Lemmer. Content The list of topics or points that have to be covered to complete a Unit successfully. Guided Learning Hours The hours the Unit will take to study with your Unit teacher. Home Learning Additional time where you are working either at school or home in order to complete work and achieve your best. Learning Outcomes The knowledge you have gained, or skills you are able to use as a result of studying a Unit. There is a list of learning outcomes set out for each unit.
Pathway A pathway is a route through your course, which will enable you to decide on your future and help you prepare for application to Higher Education or employment. Referral This is the process that allows a student a further opportunity to be assessed in a unit, following initial failure. The opportunity is subject to qualifying conditions, and so may not be available to every student. Arrangements for referral would need to be negotiated with the course leader. Retake If a unit is failed because you have not completed and submitted the necessary work, after a referral, or where there is no opportunity for referral, a student will receive a retake (this opportunity is also subject to qualifying conditions so may not be available to every student). If a retake is failed, or the student does not qualify for a retake, they can elect to enter for a lesser Btec qualification if the appropriate compulsory units are completed. Study Visits Visits in the UK or overseas selected for specific educational and cultural purposes. Where they require a financial contribution, you will be notified of any costs well in advance. Such visits are not a requirement of the curriculum and are entirely voluntary, but they are invariably of great educational and social value to the students. However, if we do not receive enough contributions to cover costs, visits may have to be cancelled. Unit A self-contained unit of study. Each unit has a set of specific learning outcomes and will provide you with a grade and a raw score to contribute towards your overall qualification. Unit Teacher The member of staff responsible for the management and organisation of a designated unit. The unit teacher is responsible for organising group and individual tutorials, as appropriate, to provide you with advice and guidance on your progress on the unit. Unit Handbooks These are compiled by staff and provide clear information about each unit. They contain unit outlines, project briefs, and assessment criteria. They are available on your course blog at www.tallismediaks5btec2.tumblr.com on the department website at www.filmandmedia.weebly.com
2 Your Course 2.1 Introduction 2.2 List of Media Staff – Thomas Tallis, Kidbrooke, London 2.3 Course Aims
2.1 Introduction Dear Student Welcome to Thomas Tallis and to the Edexcel BTEC level 2 First Diploma in Creative Media Production course from September 2010. We are glad you chose to study with us and you can be sure the course team will do all they can to make your time with us enjoyable, challenging and successful. The following pages are intended to help you to discover and understand what is expected of you as a Creative Media Production student at KS5. The course you are on has been planned in great detail and copies of the specification can be downloaded from the Edexcel and are available on the Film & Media Department website at www.filmandmedia.weebly.com in the KS5 pages. This Course Guide contains only a summary of things like regulations and the various projects you will undertake. During your time with us you will have opportunities to engage in a wide range of Media disciplines such as Photography, Film and Video, and Animation. The BTEC First Diploma in Creative Media Production is an ideal qualification to enable you to progress on to Level 3 courses in a wide range of Media/Digital Arts specialisms. We hope this handbook will make clear to you what we are aiming to offer you and the range of learning activities you can expect. It also gives you practical information on the teaching staff and the specialist resources and facilities available. We really hope you will find the course stimulating and rewarding and that you will use your time with us to develop as a creative media practitioner. Please do make sure you seek help quickly if you feel unsure of what is expected of you, or of how to achieve our requirements. We are all committed to the same thing – your success. Deb Lemmer Curriculum Leader for the Faculty of Visual & Media Arts Course Leader for Creative Media Production
2.2 List of Thomas Tallis Media Staff Deb Lemmer Curriculum Leader for Visual & Media Arts - Course Leader for Creative Media Production – Creative Media Production Teacher KS4 and 5 - Full Time dlemmer@thomastallis.org.uk Jon Nicholls Arts College Manager – Creative Media Production Teacher KS4 – Specialisms Photography and Web Design - Full Time jnicholls@thomastallis.org.uk Peter Hodges Creative Media Production Teacher KS4 and 5 – Specialisms Film, Video and Animation – Full Time phodges@thomastallis.org.uk Tom Dennison White Apple Mac Manager – DofE Co-Ordinator – Creative Media Production Teacher KS5 - Specialisms Film, Video, Animation and Web Design – Full Time tdennison-white@thomastallis.org.uk Grace Amber Film, Creative Media Production Teacher KS5 and SEN teacher KS3 and 4 – Specialisms Advertising and Communications – Full Time gamber@thomastallis.org.uk Kate Hawkins Deputy Pastoral Leader - Creative Media Production and Art & Design Teacher KS3, 4 and 5 – Specialisms Print Production and Web Design – Full Time khawkins@thomastallis.org.uk Nicola Pankhurst Deputy Pastoral Leader - Creative Media Production and Art & Design Teacher KS4 and 5 – Specialisms Print Production and Photography – Full Time npankhurst@thomastallis.org.uk Andrew South Media Performance & Production Manager – Specialisms Sound and Video Production – Full Time
asouth@thomastallis.org.uk Ross O’Brien HE Co-Ordinator – Creative Media Production and Art & Design Teacher KS3, 4 and 5 – Specialisms Print Production, Photography and Animation – Full Time robrien@thomastallis.org.uk Gina Braden Creative Media Production and Art & Design Teacher KS3, 4 and 5 – Specialisms Print Production, Photography and Animation – Full Time gbraden@thomastallis.org.uk
2.3 Course Aims The Edexcel BTEC First Diploma Course in Creative Media Production is designed to provide specialist work related qualifications. It give learners the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to prepare for employment or further study by developing specific creative media sector knowledge and skills and generic personal, learning and thinking skills. These qualifications provide: • A nationally recognised qualification to enter employment in the creative media sector, or to progress to further level 3 study. • Opportunities for learners to develop a range of skills and techniques, personal qualities and attitudes essential for successful performance in working life. • A common core of study with related pathways into employment, professional or academic progression. The main features of the new Btec First Level 2 Diploma in Creative Media Production • There are 4 mandatory units • There are 4 optional specialist units • This will give you a combined total of 60 credits (where at least 31 credits must be at Level 2 or above). • There are 8 Units in the full qualification. • Mandatory Units represent essential knowledge, skills and understanding • Selected/Specialist Units allow us to study specific areas with the creative media industries. • Students with a PASS profile at First Diploma achieve SCAAT tariff points equivalent to 4 GCSE Level passes at Grade C. Students with a DISTINCTION profile at First Diploma achieve SCAAT tariff points equivalent to 4 GCSE Level passes at A grade. The course has the following aims: • To provide you with the opportunity to gain an understanding of employment opportunities, job requirements and working practices in the creative industry. • To enable you to start building the technical skills, knowledge and understanding relevant to a sector (or sectors) of the creative industries. • To enable you to make informed choices with regard to further study or a career in the creative industries. • To develop skills that may be applicable to other work or study situations. • To provide you with the opportunity to develop valuable personal. Learning and thinking skills. This is a year long course of full-time study and successful completion provides the educational experience and qualification that will enable you to: • Make application for further Level 3 study • Seek employment
3 Course Structure 3.1 Course Structure and Learning Hours
Course Structure 3.1 Course Structure and Learning Hours The First Diploma in Creative Media Production Course comprises 8 Units in total. The table below indicates the range and sequence of units throughout the Course. The Unit Number refers to the approved Edexcel Unit number. Unit Structure All units are defined in terms of ‘guided learning hours’. This means all times when a member of staff is present to give specific guidance towards the unit being studied. This includes in class tutorials, workshops and practical tuition. There is also the expectation that you will continue to work independently in the media rooms after school, or at home. Each mandatory unit is 30 guided learning hours and each optional/specialist unit is 60 guided learning hours. However, the course is project based, not unit based. This is because Edexcel units are not expected to be delivered in discrete blocks, instead they run concurrently. Evidence is built up throughout a project and it is quite likely that a project will provide evidence for a number of units. Mandatory Units Unit 1: Research for Creative Media Production Unit 2: Communication Techniques for Creative Media Production Unit 3: The Creative Media Sector Unit 4: Media Audiences and Products Optional Specialist Units Unit 7: Print Production Unit 9: Photography Techniques Unit 10: Animation Techniques Unit 18: Advertising Production
4 The Curriculum 4.1 Unit Outlines This page tells you briefly about the units you will be studying. More detail will be given when you start the unit and in the assignment. Unit 1 Research for Creative Media Production Unit 2 Communication Techniques for Creative Media Production Unit 3 The Creative Media Sector Unit 4 Media Audiences & Products Unit 7 Print Production
Unit 9 Photography Techniques
Unit 10 Animation Techniques Unit 18 Advertising Production
The aim of this unit is to enable learners to develop skills in the main research methods and techniques used within the creative media sector. Learners will do this through researching an existing media product and through undertaking research for one of their own production projects. This unit aims to develop learners’ communication skills in media production contexts. It covers oral and written, formal and informal communication using the formats, documentation and technologies needed to communicate effectively in the media sector. The aim of this unit is to develop learners’ knowledge of how the creative media sector is structured, what types of jobs are available, what those jobs involve, and how they might be obtained. The aim of this unit is to encourage learners to think about the construction of media products. Learners will develop their understanding of how the media industries think about their audiences, how these industries create products for specific audiences and how they themselves, as members of an audience, understand media products. This unit aims to develop learners’ understanding of print production techniques and technology. Learners will be introduced to ways of developing ideas for print products, and will investigate and practise hand, mechanical and digital print production methods. This unit aims to develop learners’ skills in photography. The unit covers generating ideas for photographic images, producing images and producing final prints. Learners will also explore past and current photographic practice, including techniques and styles, in order to inform their own photographic work. This unit aims to introduce learners to the practical processes of animation and to enable them to develop an understanding of historical and contemporary animation techniques. Learners will work on design, character, setting and narrative and will then focus on a specific technique for the production of an animation sequence The aim of this unit is to introduce learners to the way advertisements are created and the ways in which they work. Learners will study existing advertisement techniques in a number of mediums, and plan and produce an advertisement of their own in a chosen medium.
5 Learning, Teaching and Academic Guidance 5.1 Learning and teaching methods used on your course
Learning, Teaching and Academic Guidance 5.1 Learning and teaching methods used on your course We aim to develop independent learning and competence in visual, oral and written expression. These aims are embedded in the School’s Learning, Teaching and Assessment Policies and are reflected in learning outcomes. Learning Methods Include: Teacher Talks This involves the tutor addressing the student group, illustrating the lecture with slides, video, demonstration or other means. In some lectures information sheets are issued. At all times you are expected to make notes that are later used in the preparation of written or project work. Induction Workshops Covering areas such as photography, filmmaking and editing, workshop practice or particular computer software, where a body of theoretical and practical knowledge using specialist equipment needs to be assimilated. Following completion such studies are further develop in integrated project. Integrated Projects These bring together different units of Course work to encourage a broad interdisciplinary view of Creative Media Production studies. A sample of a project sheet indicating units, tasks and assessment criteria is attached. Tutorial Guidance Individual advice or instruction given during the course of the project, either as the tutor sees it to be necessary or at the request of the student. This can result in interim assessments targeting specific needs for improvement. Personal Study Work carried out outside of class hours, including research, essay writing, completion of projects, development of media skills through online tools, books etc. Successful completion of the Course depends on a full commitment to personal study. Discussion & Criticism Some projects are assessed via group discussion or individual presentations, such discussion/presentation and Q&A. These assessments are recorded on tutor observation or witness statement forms. Pastoral Tutors Your pastoral tutor will discuss your general progress and engagement on step review days and will offer you personal advice on any course matters of concern to you and you may request assistance and guidance from him/her at any time.
Assessment Points There are times when your tutor will examine your e portfolio with you. This opportunity allows a whole body of work to be examined and discussed. An interim assessment or scheduled whole school written report will be produced at these points. Educational Visits There will be a number of visits to museums, galleries, exhibitions or interesting locations to work from throughout your course. Where they require a financial contribution, you will be notified of any costs well in advance. Such visits are not a requirement of the curriculum and are entirely voluntary, but they are invariably of great educational and social value to the students. However, if we do not receive enough contributions to cover costs, visits may have to be cancelled.
6 Assessment 6.1 Assessment 6.2 Appeals Procedures 6.3 Discipline Procedures
6 Assessment 6.1 Assessment ASSESSMENT • The functions of assessment are to: • Indicate the quality/level of your performance in the course. • Provide ‘feedback’ to help you develop/improve your performance. • Present a profile/record of your performance across the course. There are 2 forms of assessment: • FORMATIVE provides guidance so you can continue making progress. This can be your discussions about work with your teacher, any marking of draft work and your interim assessments. Your termly progress reports are also this. • SUMMATIVE this is when we record your final Unit achievement grades for the course. The Course is made up of 8 Units which you must PASS to complete the whole Btec First Diploma. In order to pass each unit you must be able to demonstrate that you have met all the learning outcomes for the unit. Each of the project briefs for the unit will explain the work you must produce and how it covers the learning outcomes. Each unit will be graded PASS, MERIT or DISTINCTION. Each unit has its own criteria for determining the grade and this is stated on the respective unit descriptors. The 4 Mandatory Units and 4 Specialist Production Units are assessed internally. If your work is not of sufficient quantity or quality and is deemed not to meet the learning outcomes for the unit your work will usually be REFERRED. You will receive instructions on how you can recover a REFERRAL. In recurring or more serious cases your work may be FAILED outright. Assessment methods include: • Class based group criticisms involving students in assessing and commenting on their own and peers’ achievements • Tutorial based and individual based assessment (self/peer) • Student presentations • E-Portfolio presentation • Observations of class and workshop practice Assessment evidence can include: • E-Portfolio of Creative Media Production work • Blogs, sketchbooks, notebooks, visual development sheets, disks, samples, test pieces, models, films, printouts, maquettes, supporting statements
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Personal study, critical investigation, products and texts Personal reflective diary, annotations, reports, research journals, records from tutorials and critiques, skills workshops and visits. Records of self-evaluation and progression opportunities. CV, personal statement, letters of application, mock interview, witness statement, records of critical interactions with others.
The assessment process will: • Record each student’s achievement according to unit learning outcomes and grading criteria • Identify areas for further development to tutors and students • Provide regular feedback on student progress and is appropriate and encouraging. • Record student response to the programme along with evaluation skills in relationship to their development as creative practitioners. • Identify to tutors and students areas where further development of skill, knowledge, understanding or personal competencies is needed. Work will then be sampled by the school’s Lead Internal Verifier to check marking and standards. Feedback on Student Work Methods of feedback include: Tutoring When individual advice or instruction is given during the course of a project. Critiques Class based group criticisms and discussions involving students and staff in assessing each other’s achievements. Peer Group Discussion Formal and informal student centred discussion about Creative Media Production work. Assessment Written comments and grades. What happens if I don’t pass a Unit? If you do not pass a unit then you will be offered a referral. This allows you a further opportunity to be assessed in a unit, following initial failure. The opportunity is subject to qualifying conditions, (such as absence due to ill health) and so may not be available to every student. Arrangements for referral would need to be negotiated with the course leader. If a unit is failed because you have not completed and submitted the necessary work, after a referral, or where you were not given the opportunity for referral, a student will receive a retake (this opportunity is also subject to qualifying conditions so may not be available to every student). This means you will be given an alternative assignment to complete in order to demonstrate your ability to address the learning outcomes for that unit.
If a retake is failed, or the student does not qualify for a retake, they can elect to enter for a lesser Btec qualification if the appropriate compulsory units are completed.
6.2 Appeals Procedure Internal Appeals Advice for students All students have the right to appeal the marks they have been awarded for an assignment. The following procedure should be followed for internally marked assignments (internally marked assignments are ALL the assignments that you do to complete your course); Once your assignment has been marked and given back to you, you have the right to appeal the mark if you feel the grade is unfair
Step 1
If you are unhappy with the grade that has been awarded for your assignment you should report directly to the teacher who marked your assignment. You should state your case for the appeal which will be recorded by the teacher on the ‘Appeals Incident Form’. It may be helpful to you, and the teacher, if you write down the reasons why you think your grade is unfair.
Step 2
The teacher who marked the assignment will then respond to the appeal by investigating your statement and re-marking the assignment where necessary. The teacher should then respond to you, informing you of their decision on the appeal within 7 days of the appeal being made. All appal documentation is held in the ‘Course File’, which is held by the Curriculum Leader.
Step 3
If you are still unhappy about the response to the appeal, you should the contact the Internal Verifier and state the appeal to them. The Internal Verifier will the moderate your assignment and consider the appeal which will be recorded on the ‘Appeals Moderation Form’. The decision of the appeal will be communicated to you in writing within 7 days of the appeal being made. Again, it may be helpful to you and the Internal Verifier if you state your reasons on paper.
Step 4
If you are still unhappy with the decision made by the Internal Verifier then you should contact the Exams Officer who will forward your case to a member of the Leadership Team. The LT member will then examine your case and decide on the most appropriate action. You should be informed within 7 days of contacting the Exams Officer of what action is being taken or what you should do now.
External Appeals Procedure Advice for students The appeals process is available to candidates who remain dissatisfied after the outcome of an enquiry about results (EAR). • • • • • •
Appeals can only be submitted after the outcome of an enquiry about results (EAR) has been reported to the Internal Verifier. Appeals must be made within 14 calendar days of the enquiry result. Only the Head of the Centre or a private candidate can submit an external appeal. Appeals must be made in writing and clearly state the grounds of the appeal. The Awarding Body may charge a fee for an appeal. This fee will be refunded if the appeal is upheld. Details of the Awarding Body’s appeal procedure are available on request from the Exams Officer.
Your appeal will be sent to the Awarding Body via the School’s Exams Officer. The outcome of the Stage 1 Appeal will be notified in writing Stage 1 to the School. The appealing candidate of the Exams Officer must make any further appeal to Stage 2 within 14 calendar days.
The case will be presented to the Appeals Panel of the Awarding Body. The Appeal Panel will comprise of at least 3 members, one of whom will be an independent member. The Appeals Panel is NOT authorised Stage 2 to RE-MARK candidates’ work. The Appeals Panel can instruct the Awarding body to reconsider the case and may offer recommendations. The outcome of the stage 2 appeal will be notified in writing. A report of the stage 2 appeal hearing should be provided. Acknowledgement – all appeals should be acknowledged within 7 working days. If an acknowledgement is not received within this period then the centre should assume that the appeal has not been received and contact the Awarding Body immediately.
6.3 Learner Discipline Policy As a student of the school it is hoped that you will observe the rules of the School. These are a necessary part of the running of a School with over 1,000 people in the building. Many of these rules will be familiar to you e.g. what to do in a fire alarm. It is expected that students will observe; • Fire regulations by signing out when leaving • Smoking regulations by not smoking on the site • The College’s Equal Opportunities Policy • The College’s Health and Safety Policy • The plagiarism policy There are odd occasions when students fail to observe the policy of the college. In these cases, it is necessary to instigate discipline against the student. What happens will depend on what you have done and how serious this is. • • • • • •
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Usually minor discipline failures will be dealt with by your teacher. This may involve a telephone call home and should be recorded on an incident slip. Some failures may be dealt with by the Curriculum Leader. This should be recorded on an incident form and passed to the school office to record. More serious failures will be dealt with by the Pastoral Leader for that year group. These will also be recorded on incident forms. Very serious offences may be dealt with by a member of LT. This will be recorded on the student’s school record. Offences which contravene laws may be referred to the police. Plagiarism - The work you submit for assessment must be your own. If you copy from someone else or allow another candidate to copy from you, or if you cheat in any other way, you may be disqualified from at least the subject concerned. Any help or information you have received from people other than your subject teacher(s) must be clearly identified in the work itself. It is not wrong to get help with your assignment, IT IS WRONG to not declare this! Any books, information leaflets or other material (e.g. videos, software packages or information from the Internet) which you have used to help you complete this work must be clearly acknowledged in the work itself. To present material copied from books or other sources without acknowledgement will be regarded as deliberate deception. Students who disregard this policy will be reported to the Awarding Body and may be excluded from other course assessments.
7.1 Miscellaneous Information Assignments • • • •
Assignments should be completed on your own with any help you receive coming from your teacher. You MUST declare any help you receive from any other source. You will be given a GRADE and a POINT SCORE for each assignment. After two or more assignments are complete, your teacher will show you how many points you have in total, any how many points you need overall for a Pass, Merit, Distinction or Distinction* grade. The overall grade is achieved by adding together the point scores from your individual assignments. You MUST make a reasonable attempt at EVERY assignment.
Deadlines •
You should submit assignments by the set deadline in order for your work to be returned promptly to you.
Appeals •
The appeals procedure is detailed in this handbook. You should discuss any appeals with Ms Lemmer Curriculum Leader of Visual & Media Arts, or your Head of Year. This is not to stop you making an appeal but to advise you of the procedure and what you need to do.
Discipline
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We hope that you enjoy the course and achieve well in your BTEC First Diploma. However, there may be a need for disciplinary action to be taken against you. This is detailed in the Student Discipline Policy contained in this guide.
Attendance •
Attendance is important in this course as students who attend regularly benefit from teaching and achieve better grades. Students who receive EMA payments must attend regularly and hand their EMA slip to the teacher for signing.
Future Plans •
The School aims to offer courses which will develop your skills further. Information on courses at Level 3 is available from Ms Barton Head of KS5. Media or Art & Design course information is available from Ms Lemmer, CL Visual & Media Arts.
Results • The results given to you before you finish the course are preliminary results and include work which may have not been moderated fully. Your results slip issued in August is the first official confirmation of your course result.
7.2 Recording your Achievement Recording Your Achievement
BTEC First Diploma in Creative Media Production Your course is made up of 8 Units that consist of a specific number of guided learning hours (*GLH). These units are internally assessed through assignments set and marked by your teachers. As you complete each unit your tutor will tell you what grade you have achieved - Pass, Merit or Distinction. To ensure that your assessed work has been marked fairly the marking is verified by an additional member of the Department. Edexcel checks samples of tutors’ marking. This process usually takes place between January and May; the grades for your assessed units can change as a result. When you have completed all the units of the course you will receive four overall grades for your qualification – again Pass, Merit or Distinction. These are the grades that will be shown on your certificate and that you should give when you apply for employment or for a place in further education. To calculate your overall grades, points are allocated to the unit grades you have achieved. These points are based on the size of unit (or how many credits that unit is worth) as follows: Size of Unit (*GLH) 5 credit Unit (30 GLH) 10 credit Unit (60 GLH)
Pass Grade 35
Merit Grade 40
Distinction Grade 45
70
80
90
The points are added together to give your final grades as follows: Points Range 330 - 339 340 - 379 380 - 399 400 and above
Grade PPPP MMMM DDDD D*D*D*D*
Thomas Tallis School takes considerable pride in the academic quality of its courses. In
this context your course is subject to a process of rigorous quality assurance, entailing continuous monitoring and improvement. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within your Handbook (this Guide). However, the School reserves the right to introduce changes to the information given, including the addition, withdrawal, or restructuring of courses. In view of the possibility of future changes, details relating to your course of study as contained in this Handbook are not intended to form part of any contract between the School and yourself. The regulations, policies and procedures applicable to your studies at Thomas Tallis are stipulated in the School’s Prospectus and your Student Planner. You should read this Course Guide, the Prospectus and the guidelines within your Student Planner thoroughly, and consult your Course Leader or other members of course staff on any points that require further clarification or expansion. Any changes to School Policy are also published on the School website www.thomastallis.co.uk which you should check for frequently.