2012 Entry
Level 2 Programme
1987-2012
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A one year programme of study in a variety of subjects
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Allows you to gain the qualifications and skills needed to progress of inspiring to Level 3 programmes or employment and vocational training
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Provides an opportunity to re-sit GCSE English and/or Mathematics if needed or to gain a Functional Skills qualification (your skills will be assessed at the start of term)
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Programme includes three BTEC Level 2 courses: BTEC Business, BTEC Creative Media & BTEC IT
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You may be able to combine this programme with an AS subject in which you have achieved a very high GCSE grade
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Dedicated staff will help you select from the programme in accordance with your individual needs and provide support throughout the year
25 Years
individuals
1987-2012 25 Years of inspiring individuals
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Level 2 Programme Programme Overview At Carmel we are pleased to offer a programme, developed over the last 4 years, which is designed to help you have a second chance to get the GCSEs and Level 2 qualifications which will set you off on your chosen career path. The programme allows you to mix and match – to retake certain subjects whilst starting new and exciting ones. You will be invited to an interview so that decisions about your programme of study can be made according to your GCSE results and your personal career preferences. At this meeting we will discuss your options and we will give you the opportunity to choose subjects that will bring some variety and challenge into your studies. Importantly though, some students may need to retake their English and Maths GCSEs, whilst others may be encouraged to follow Functional Skills Maths and/or English. In both cases students are encouraged to do this so that they will be equipped to move on to another course or to employment in 12 months time. In all cases students will choose a combination from the list below, however in certain instances students may also be invited to enrol for 1 of the AS subjects offered at Carmel. •
GCSE Maths or Functional Skills – Maths
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GCSE English or Functional Skills – English GCSE Science BTEC Certificate in Business – Level 2 BTEC Certificate in Creative Media - Level 2 BTEC Certificate in IT – Level 2
Please note the exact combination of subjects will probably differ from student to student, but generally students enrol for 5 subjects and these are negotiated and agreed at the interview. Students who start this course may wish to continue at Carmel for another 2 or 3 years but may equally decide to move on to another suitable course elsewhere and everyone is supported in their decision making. Where does the Level 2 Programme lead? Our experience is that students generally thrive at Carmel by making the most of their opportunity to attain good results. Success in examinations, combined with a good reference from the Senior Tutor normally allows students to progress to an A Level programme at Carmel. However this is not for everyone and we will be happy to see you leave for a course or job of your choice, provided that you have accessed advice and are making a well informed decision.
What support will I receive?
Meet the Tutors Pam Milligan Personal Tutor Katie Pearce Personal Tutor
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Our Personal Tutor programme is clearly focused on ensuring that you make good progress in your studies and get the right Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG). The Personal Tutor is the link between the college and parents/guardians and will speak to Subject Tutors on a daily basis to check on progress, attendance, sickness, work submission and quality of work. The Personal Tutor will help you make informed decisions about your progression, either at Carmel, another FE College or in respect of apprenticeships/employment. They work closely with Connexions and many other external agencies and will support you through an application process and preparations for interview. Personal Tutors will also provide help to improve on: organisation/time management skills; study skills; essay writing techniques; research skills; revision techniques/exam preparation.
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GCSE’s GCSE Maths (AQA) You will follow a modular course where you will sit 3 separate smaller exams during the course of the year. This means you don’t have as much to revise for each exam and revision can be broken down into smaller sections. Re-sits for modules can taken at any of the 3 exam periods throughout the year. Module 1: Statistics and Number Topics within this module include: collecting data, interpreting it and representing it, ranges and averages, finding percentages, fractions and decimals, ratio and proportion, probability. Module 2: Number and Algebra Topics within this module include: factors, powers, basic rules of algebra, solving equations, Using formulas, number sequences, drawing graphs. Module 3: Geometry and Algebra Topics within this module include: angle rules, triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, perimeter, area, volume, reflection, rotation and translation of shapes, 3D shapes, graphs, similar shapes.
GCSE English (AQA) What will I study? Your studies will be divided into the three main areas of assessment: reading, writing and speaking & listening. You will study a range of text types and also examine areas such as ‘Talk In Real Life’. Your tutors will use a wide range of resources and teaching approaches to help you to learn there’s something for everyone! How will I be assessed? Your assessment is split between what is called a ‘controlled assessment’, which will be produced and assessed in class time, and two external examination papers. Where does this qualification lead? This may well lead to further study such as A Level and will certainly
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Matty’s Perspective increase your chances of securing employment. Many employers insist on a grade C in English Language. Hopefully, by the end of the course you will have found a new sense of understanding, ability and confidence within English Language.
GCSE Science (AQA) What will I study? This is a single award GCSE covering the basic elements of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Biology: Units include - How do human bodies respond to changes inside them and to their environment?; What can we do to keep our bodies healthy?; How do we use/abuse medical and recreational drugs?
At Carmel you are given the opportunities to succeed in your future aims whether that’s at A Level or resitting GCSEs. The staff are polite and have a huge determination in order for you to achieve the best possible grades. So far I have been impressed with the standard in each department that I study in, at Carmel you are treated as an adult, which is helpful when studying a difficult subject. When I leave Carmel I hope to go to university to study Physical Exercise with the prospect of becoming a PE teacher, Physiotherapist or Gym/Fitness Instructor, these are my future ambitions as I am a sporty person and particularly enjoy watching St. Helens on a regular basis. I am also pleased with the progress I am making in my subjects.
Chemistry: Units include - How do we get fuels from crude oil?; What are the changes in the Earth and its atmosphere?; Why have some species of plants and animals died out?; How do humans affect the environment? Physics: Units include - How is heat (thermal energy) transferred?; What is meant by the efficient use of energy?; How should we generate the electricity we need?; What do we know about the universe and how it continues to change? How will I be assessed? GCSE Science is examined on a modular basis by a series of six, 30 minute objective tests which can be taken in November, March and June. There is also a coursework element known as the individual skills assessment. Where does this qualification lead? This qualification provides a pass at grade C in a Science GCSE that is a requirement in a large number of courses of further study or in employment. At Carmel, it will provide one of the entry qualifications for the National BTEC in Applied Science.
Matty Painter St Edmund Arrowsmith (Ashton) Studying: BTEC Media, BTEC Business, BTEC ICT, GCSE English, GCSE Maths
Meet the Tutors Paul Morrison Head of GCSE Maths Mark McGrath Head of GCSE English Daryl Doyle Head of GCSE Science
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Gareth’s Perspective I feel that Carmel has given me full support throughout the time I have spent here and there always seems to be a positive atmosphere everywhere I go, especially in class room environments. I’m really glad I chose to study Business Studies, the course has given me a better insight into how businesses function and how they cope in these tough economic times. BTEC Business specialises in coursework based tasks which is good for me as I have previously found written exams quite hard and challenging. I see myself hopefully one day opening an online business and have even thought of opening a shop which would sell art equipment and materials.
BTEC Level 2 Business Exam Board EDEXCEL What does it involve? BTEC Business is an exciting vocational qualification that is portfolio (coursework) based. It equates to one GCSE which is a Level 2 qualification and is respected by colleges and employers alike. It teaches you skills such as communication, problem solving and working with others. These are all skills needed in the world of work and for Further Education courses. Our BTEC Level 2 in Business is a 15-credit Certificate and you will spend nearly 5 hours a week in the classroom learning about the challenging and exciting world of business and a further four hours a week completing your homework. The course is made up of three units covering areas such as: How does a business work? What departments or functional areas does it have? and How does it set and achieve it’s targets? We also look at the people aspect of business and how people are recruited for a job and interview
techniques. The course is challenging, fun and will equip you with essential skills, knowledge and experience within the world of business. How will I be assessed? You will be assessed by producing a portfolio of evidence that will be marked by your tutor and then externally moderated (checked) by the exam board. Your portfolio will be presented in a variety of ways for example reports or posters. There are no examinations to sit and you will get the chance to improve work that you submit for your portfolio. Where does the course lead? The course can lead to a variety of paths; the perfect route would be to study at Carmel by taking AS Levels such as AS Applied Business which is also a portfolio (coursework) based programme at Level 3. You can choose from a variety of AS Levels at Carmel such as ICT, Film Studies, Languages, Tourism and Sociology.
Gareth Bulger Haydock Sports College Studying: BTEC Business, BTEC Creative Media, GCSE Mathematics, GCSE English, AS 3D Design
What are the facilities like at Carmel?
Meet the Tutors
Carmel’s learning environment is outstanding, providing modern and spacious facilities. All classrooms are equipped with multi-media projectors and interactive whiteboards. You will have access to several computer suites as well as being able to access a Wi-Fi connection throughout the college.
Susanne Maher Head of Level 2 BTEC Business Jennifer Taberner BTEC Business Tutor
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Course textbooks are complemented by our college library which stocks over 25,000 books as well as journals, newspapers and online resources. There is also a suite of computers here or you can borrow one of the laptops.
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BTEC Creative Media Exam Board EDEXCEL What does it involve? The creative media sector spans a broad range of activities across television, radio, film, interactive media, games development, publishing, photo-imaging, animation, and advertising and marketing. You will have the opportunity to learn about research methods and techniques that media producers use to try to make creative media products a success. You will use and develop your research skills to investigate an existing media product and gather material for the design of your own idea. You will also look at the way in which adverts are created and how they work. You will study existing adverts in a number of mediums and plan and produce an advert of your own. The course is very practical, creating mood boards and learning about the technical and practical skills necessary to translate your design ideas into reality. You’ll find that Creative Media Production is an adventure, limited only by your own imagination and flair!
and is completely assessed via coursework submission. This will include the completion of a range of written assignments, presentations, personal journals and research tasks. Overall you will complete one mandatory unit and one optional unit. Where does the course lead? You will obtain a qualification which will enable you to progress to further study, training, or employment, and allow you to make informed choices with regard to a career in the creative media sector. You will also have developed media technology skills that may be applicable in other work situations or will enable you to progress to Level 3 qualifications in Creative Media Production or other sectors, for example, Art and Design or Music Technology.
Hayley’s Perspective I enjoy coming to Carmel because it has such friendly students and teachers to work alongside and there’s a friendly feeling as soon as you walk through the doors. I like studying BTEC Creative Media because it is completely different from my other subjects. I have enjoyed the process of making my own advert because I have been given the opportunity to bring my thoughts to life and make it look professional and attractive looking. I enjoyed drawing the images for my advert and asking people questions to help me decide what idea looked the best and what I could improve on for my final idea. I am still unsure of what I want to do in the future but hopefully next year I will have another memorable year at Carmel College. Kier Outstanding Student of the Year Award 2011.
How will I be assessed? The 15-credit BTEC Level 2 Certificate offers a specialist qualification that focuses on particular aspects of employment within the media industry. It is broadly equivalent to one GCSE
Delivering Learning with a Buzz and a Sparkle Learning will be facilitated by your tutor in a variety of ways ensuring each and every lesson is engaging and productive. Examples of learning activities which will be used include:
Hayley Cartwright Lansbury Bridge School
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Studying: BTEC Creative Media, Functional Skills English & Maths, AS Textiles
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Tutor input during timetabled classes using exciting and interesting resources. Practical workshops using industry standard software. Lectures from guest speakers. Visits, projects, student presentations, group discussion. Open/flexible learning opportunities. Individual action planning. Supported self study.
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Meet the Tutors Laura Fowler Creative Media Tutor
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James’ Perspective At Carmel you have the time and facilities to complete your work which makes it less stressful. BTEC IT is good because you have plenty of time to complete assignments and you get support from the subject teachers. I really enjoyed my trip to Fiddler’s Ferry because it helped me with my Science coursework. As well as the range of trips, I have been impressed with all the facilities available to students at Carmel. When I leave college I hope to study sports science at university.
BTEC I.T. Exam Board EDEXCEL Why choose this course at Carmel? You will study 3 units over the course of the year leading to a qualification equivalent to 1 GCSE. This is an excellent grounding to go on to further education in an ICT based subject or to seek an apprenticeship/employment. The Certificate is a vocational course which means the emphasis is on developing skills in a variety of IT related topics. You will have access to 2 dedicated IT suites fully equipped with the essential hardware and software. You will build your portfolio of evidence using a range of techniques that will further enhance your general IT skills. The department promotes a relaxed and friendly atmosphere and there is plenty of help available if you need it. What will I study? You will study 3 individual units of work. The units studied are a combination of theory and practical work but all units will require you to use ICT to present your evidence. The units are: Unit 1: Communicating in the IT Industry - You will learn how to use a variety of IT tools to communicate information safely, securely and effectively to a range of audiences.
James Procter St Cuthbert’s Studying: Level 2 IT, AS PE and Applied Science
Unit 2: Working in the IT Industry – You will examine the range of jobs available in the IT industry and look at the characteristics of an IT professional that employers demand in this sector.
Unit 9: Customising Software You will examine the various tools and techniques that common applications such a spreadsheet package offer. You will learn how to customise these applications to develop tailor-made applications based on specific user requirements. How will I be assessed? Your work is evaluated throughout the course by continuous assessment, comprising of assignments and observed practical skills which make up a portfolio of evidence. This portfolio is assessed by tutors then externally verified. There are no external exams associated with this course. Each unit studied will have an assignment for which you will present a variety of evidence using different methods such as websites, presentations, podcasts, reports, brochures/leaflets etc. You must be motivated to work unsupervised during study time and work hard to develop your portfolio. Where does this course lead? On successful completion, you can progress into employment and/or continue your study in the same vocational area. You might decide to study a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in IT which leads to a qualification broadly equivalent to 3 A Levels, or go on to other A Level programmes. You may decide to seek employment or take up an apprenticeship.
Frequently Asked Questions What if I already have a C/Pass grade in an IT related subject?
Meet the Tutors Lesley Atherton Head of BTEC Level 2 IT Craig Foulkes-Jones BTEC IT Tutor
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These courses are graded Pass, Merit and Distinction/Distinction*. This will give you an opportunity to improve on your C grade and also provide you with a taster of BTEC IT at level 3. What if I haven’t studied ICT at GCSE level? It doesn’t matter; we welcome students with a variety of skills and experience and would never assume that you have certain skills. We will ensure you have the skills necessary to complete your assignments.
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Functional Skills The Functional Skills programme offers you the opportunity to develop your literacy, numeracy and ICT skills alongside your programme of study. A skills assessment is carried out at the beginning of the autumn term in literacy and numeracy to determine where there may be skills gaps in your knowledge and an individual learning plan is created to help meet your specific literacy, numeracy and ICT needs. What will I study? Functional skills are practical skills that equip you with the necessary knowledge and understanding to use and apply English, Maths and ICT in everyday life, to help you get the most out of work and education. Functional skills underpin all educational and training choices. They have been designed in response to employers’ perceptions that many young people and adults are not achieving a firm enough grounding in the basics. Functional Skills qualifications are available from Entry 1 to Level 2 (five levels). •
English: three separate components – Reading, Writing, and Speaking, Listening and Communicating. Learners must pass all three to qualify for an award.
Chelsea’s Perspective •
Maths: one component (This is equivalent to half a GCSE)
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ICT: one component (only available at Entry 1 – 3)
How many points are these qualifications worth? A Functional Skills English or Maths qualification at Level 2 is worth 23 points. This is equivalent to half a GCSE at grade B. The performance points awarded by the DfE for Functional Skills English, Maths and ICT are as follows: Entry 1 (5 points), Entry 2 (5 points), Entry 3 (7 points), Level 1 (12.5 points), Level 2 (23 points).
I love Carmel College because it is a friendly place and in my department the staff are really supportive. The course is really good because I can learn about English, ICT and Maths again which will help me when I leave college to do something different.
What support will I receive? Your tutor will support you throughout the year constantly reviewing your progress through your individual learning plan. If you require additional support, classroom support and study support is available. Where does the programme lead? Functional Skills is becoming recognised by employers as proof of the problem-solving and communication skills needed to perform effectively in the workplace.
Chelsea Samson St Cuthbert’s Catholic College Studying: Functional Skills English, Maths and ICT
Meet the Tutors Joanne Barrett Functional Skills Co-ordinator Kirsteen McGarva Functional Skills Co-ordinator Elaine Peet English Tutor Nicola Mercer Maths Tutor
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Victoria’s Perspective I did not achieve excellent GCSE results after finishing secondary school. Carmel offered me a re-sit year which could be followed by A Level courses. This meant Carmel gave me a second chance to truly make something of myself and allow me to achieve goals I would never have even dreamed about. Due to this, Carmel has given me an excellent environment to grow and mature over the last three years and the teachers have been behind me every step of the way.
Victoria Nichols Tower College Studying: A Levels in ICT, Psychology and Applied Science
What other activities will I get involved in? All students on the Level 2 Programme will have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of Enrichment opportunities throughout the year. This may involve doing a weekly enrichment activity which is completely different from your studies or something that complements your chosen subjects, such as IT related activities like ‘Animation in Flash’ or ‘Build your own Website.’ You may also like to take advantage of the trips and visits that take place during the year. BTEC Business Enrichment BTEC L2 Business provides a wealth of enriching activities and the students this year have enjoyed a trip to Cineworld. They had a brilliant talk from the staff at the cinema and then following a behind the scene tour they settled down to watch a film. The class also enjoyed the talk from our very own Nick Burnham , Vice Principal of the Carmel College, who talked to the group about the different departments within Carmel. Jen, our excellent BTEC L2 Business Tutor, has also arranged for the local Chamber of Commerce to come and interview all the students to help them understand the actual skills needed when recruiting and selecting new staff. Next year we hope to
take the students to Cadbury World and John Lennon Airport to look at different businesses within the world of industry. Creative Media Enrichment The BTEC Creative Media Production course offers a wealth of enrichment activities and we are proud of our external industry links. In December students were visited by ‘Young Media Person of the Year’ Mark Worth, from the media and communications agency PHD North. As a media professional, Mark has extensive industry knowledge and a wealth of hands-on experience dealing with some of the biggest brands around. Students greatly benefitted from an interactive, in-depth and thought provoking workshop on the current media landscape in the UK. Other visitors to the class have included Carl Day, from the St. Helens Star. In March, students had a VIP tour of the BBC Centre in London which included the BBC newsroom and three other studios, one of which was preparing for Comic Relief. Students were lucky enough to see Fearne Cotton and Lenny Henry rehearsing for the phenomenal fundraiser. A highlight of the trip was the taking part and delivery of the News and the Weakest Link.
Contact Us Admissions Department Carmel College Prescot Road St Helens Merseyside WA10 3AG Tel: 01744 452214 or 01744 452212 Email: admissions@carmel.ac.uk www.carmel.ac.uk
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