BTEC National Diploma & Extended Diploma: Creative Media Production(Television & Film)

Course Guide2010 - 2013

BTEC Edexcel National Diploma in Creative Media Production (Television & Film)

Course Guide2010/13

CONTENTS1 Glossary

2 Your Course2.1 Introduction2.2 List of staff – Media, Thomas Tallis School2.3 Course Aims

3 Course Structure 3.1 Course Structure and Learning Hours 3.2 Course Structure Diagram

4 The Curriculum4.1 Unit Outlines

5 Learning, Teaching and Academic Guidance5.1 Learning and teaching methods used on your course5.2 The role of the staff 5.3 Career Planning, Employability and Skills

6 Assessment 6.1 Assessment Regulations 6.2 Illness and Mitigation 6.3 Course Management 6.4 Faculty Management6.5 School Management

7 Tutorial Feedback Form7.1 Example Assignment Brief7.2 BTEC Edexcel Record of Achievement7.3 Policies & Procedures

Glossary of Terms

Aims The purpose behind your work. Aims are course-related and express the course's intentions at particular points, whether relating to individual projects, stages of your course or indeed the course as a whole.

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 and mechanisms through which the quality and standard of your work is measured and evaluated. Assessments are retrospective and do not credit 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 undertaken at various key points during particular units and can be oral or written. It provides an indicative measure of your progress, allows you to consider your work in relation to that of your peers, allows you to agree with staff any adjustments you need to make in order to satisfy course requirements, and is designed to help you improve your performance. It does not contribute to the final unit mark.

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 to consider your work with your unit teacher in order to agree any adjustments you need to make in order to improve your performance. It does not contribute to your final unit mark.

Summative assessment is that 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.

Peer and Self-assessment requires you to assess your own work and that of fellow students. It encourages a sense of ownership of the process of assessment, assists you to become an autonomous learner, helps to develop a range of transferable skills and makes assessment part of the learning process rather than something separate.

Assessment Criteria The particular characteristics against which your work will beassessed.

Assessment Requirement What needs to be done as a means of demonstrating attainment of a unit’s learning outcomes.

Award The academic qualification you as a student gain after having successfully met and completed the requirements of a specific course of study.

Course Leader The member of staff responsible for the management and organisation of your course of study.

Content The list of topics or points to be covered by a block of study.

Employability The awareness, acquisition and application of subject-specific andgeneral knowledge and skills, as well as key personal qualities, to maximise potential through successful post 16 study including university study, life-long learning and sustainable employment in a changing and competitive world.

External Examiners Relevant subject experts, either academic or professional, fromoutside Tallis who moderate the assessment of students and contribute to the maintenance of academic standards in all courses of study offered at the school.

Learning Outcomes The knowledge you have gained, or skills you are able to use as a result of study or training. A list of learning outcomes is set out for each unit.

PathwayA 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.

Pastoral Tutor All students are assigned a Pastoral Tutor. Your pastoral tutor will work alongside your course teachers to support your learning and attainment. Your course teachers will keep your pastoral tutor informed of your progress. Both may wish to meet with you individually if they think you may have potential problems. They may also refer you to other sources of advice and support as appropriate.

Reference material The information which supports the aims of a unit and which students are advised to consult. Materials can take any form including visual, textual, websites etc. They may also be identified by the student or suggested by staff as work develops.

Referral The means whereby a student is granted 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 due to the non-submission of an assessment requirement, after a referral, or where there is no opportunity for referral, a student will receive an automatic 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.

Self Managed Study Your ability to use the appropriate resources within Schooland elsewhere to support your taught course during your ‘B’ time.

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.

Syllabus The list of topics, or units to be covered by a course.

UCAS Universities and Colleges Admissions Scheme.

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.

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 the Edexcel BTEC level 3 National Diploma in Creative Media Production course from September 2010. We are glad you chose to come to Thomas Tallis School 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 6th form student. 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.

This Course Guide contains only a summary of things like regulations and the variousprojects 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 National Diploma in Creative Media Production is an ideal qualification to enable you to progress on to B.A. (Hons) or Foundation Degree 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 here 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 LemmerCurriculum Leader for the Faculty of Visual & Media ArtsCourse 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 – Full Timedlemmer@thomastallis.org.uk

Peter Hodges Creative Media Teacher – Specialisms Film, Video and Animation – Full Timephodges@thomastallis.org.uk

Tom Dennison White Apple Mac Manager – DofE Co-Ordinator – Creative Media Teacher - Specialisms Film, Video, Animation and Web Design – Full Timetdennison-white@thomastallis.org.uk

Andrew South Media Performance & Production Manager – Specialisms Sound and Video Production – Full Timeasouth@thomastallis.org.uk

2.3 Course AimsThe Edexcel BTEC National Diploma Courses in Creative Media Production are designed to equip individuals with the knowledge, understanding and practical skills required for success in current and future employment in the creative media industry allied sectors, or for entry to a Higher National or Undergraduate Degree programmein Media/Digital Arts.

These qualifications provide: A nationally recognised qualification achievable through flexible modes of study Recognised standards of achievement for students, centres and employers. Guidance for centres who have their own quality assurance procedures. A focus on the practical application of knowledge and the development of the

skills required for employment in creative media and/or related sectors. A common core of study with related pathways into employment, professional or

academic progression. The main features of the new National Diplomas: “The Edexcel Level 3 BTEC National Diploma in Creative Media (Television & Film) consists of 7 mandatory units plus 6 optional units that provide for a combined total of 120 credits (where at least 90 credits must be at Level 3 or above). A maximum of 20 optional credits can come from the Creative Media Production suite or other QCF Btec units to meet local needs.

There are 13 units in the full qualification. Your course has 7 Mandatory, 6 Selected/Specialist Units. Mandatory Units represent essential knowledge, skills and understanding Selected/Specialist Units allow a ‘flavour’ of the course to emerge. Our

selected ‘flavour’ or pathway at Thomas Tallis is Television and Film. Allow students to specialise for a specific future career. Students with a PASS profile at National Diploma achieve UCAS tariff points

equivalent to 2 GCE A Level passes at Grade E. Students with a DISTINCTIONprofile at National Diploma achieve UCAS tariff points equivalent to 2 GCE A

Level passes at A grade. Obviously there are many combinations students mayachieve and the UCAS tariff points are included at the back of this guide.

The course has the following aims:

To provide you with the opportunity to gain an understanding of employmentopportunities, job requirements and working practices in the creative industry.

To enable you to start building the technical skills, knowledge and understandingrelevant to a sector (or sectors) of the creative industries.

To enable you to make informed choices with regard to a career in the creativeIndustries.

To develop skills that may be applicable to other work situations.

This is a two year course of full-time study and successful completion provides the educational experience and qualification that will enable you to:

Make application for a Higher Education course at BA, BTEC National ExtendedDiploma level or Foundation Degree usually related to your major study option;

Or seek employment in an area of Creative Media Production usually related to your major study option.

At the end of Diploma Studies, employment is likely to be at junior level withadvancement being determined by experience gained through the job itself.However, most Diploma students choose to maximise their career opportunitiesby going on to study at Higher Education level.

3 Course Structure

3.1 Course Structure and Learning Hours

3.1 Course Structure and Learning Hours

The National Diploma in Creative Media Production (Television & Film) Course comprises 13 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. 8 units are to be completed inthe first year.

The National Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production (Television & Film) Course comprises of 19 units in total.The table below indicates the range and sequence of units throughout the Course. 11 units are to be completed in the first year.

Unit StructureAll units are defined in terms of ‘guided learning hours’. This means all times when amember of staff is present to give specific guidance towards the qualification or unitbeing studied. This includes in class tutorials, workshops, practical tuition and home learning. There is also the expectation that you will continue work independently within your private study or ‘B’ time. Each unit has a demand representing approximately 60 guided learning hours, except units 1 and 2 which are half units representing 30 guided learning hours each. It should be noted that 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 through project outcomes and it is quite likely that a project will provide evidence for a number of units.

Year One:Diploma Mandatory UnitsUnit 1: Pre-Production Techniques for the Creative Media IndustriesUnit 2: Communication Skills for Creative Media ProductionUnit 3: Research Techniques for the Creative Media IndustriesUnit 8: Understanding the Television and Film IndustriesUnit 16: Film and Video Editing Techniques

Extended Diploma Additional Mandatory UnitsUnit 6: Critical Approaches to Creative Media Products

Diploma Optional Specialist UnitsUnit 30: Advertisement Production for TelevisionUnit 32: Designing Idents for TelevisionUnit 35: Producing Video Installation Work

Extended Diploma Additional Optional Specialist UnitsUnit 26: Film StudiesUnit 57: Photography & Photographic Practice

Year Two:All first year projects must be completed before entry into the second year of the course is possible, but we are aware that some mandatory units will continue throughout the course. A further 4 optional specialist units are completed in the second year, alongside the further development of the mandatory units.

Diploma Mandatory UnitsUnit 4: Creative Media Production Management ProjectUnit 5: Working to a Brief in the Creative Media Industries

Diploma Optional Specialist UnitsUnit 23: Multi-Camera TechniquesUnit 33: Stop Motion Animation ProductionUnit 34: 2D Animation Production

Extended Diploma Additional Optional Specialist UnitsUnit 27: Factual Programme Production Techniques for TelevisionUnit 36: Interview Techniques for Creative Media ProductionUnit 38: Soundtrack Production for the Moving Image

4 The Curriculum

4.1 Unit Outlines

Here briefly are the units you will be studying for the Btec National Diploma in Creative Media Production (Television & Film). More detail will be given when you start the unit and in the assignment.

Unit 1 Pre-Production Techniques for

the Creative Media Industries

This unit will develop learners’ understanding of and skills in pre-production. The unit covers planning and resourcing requirements for production and post-production, how to locate resources and how to organize their deployment. Learners will also develop their understanding of health, safety and legal issues in relation to pre-production.

Unit 2 Communication

Skills for Creative Media

Production

The aim of this unit is to ensure that learners are able to communicate effectively in creative media production contexts in writing and orally.

Unit 3 Research

Techniques for the Creative

Media Industries

The aim of this unit is to develop understanding of and skills in research relevant to creative media production. Learners will present their findings in both written and oral forms and will learn how to cite and reference their sources.

Unit 4 Creative Media

Production Management

Project

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with the understanding, knowledge and skills required to manage the production of a media product from the initial idea through to completion.

Unit 5Working to a Brief in the

Creative Media Industries

This unit aims to take the learner through the whole process of working to a brief from initial negotiations, through the process of developing and realising ideas in liaison with the client to final self-evaluation on completion of the work.

Unit 8Understanding

the Television & Film Industries

This unit aims to develop learners’ knowledge of the television and film industries and the structure of individual companies. The unit will develop their understanding of job roles, working practices and regulation, and will enable them to prepare the necessary documentation to apply for a job in these industries.

Unit 16 Film & Video

Editing Techniques

This unit aims to develop learners’ skills in, and understanding of, moving image post-production processes. Learners will do this through exploring the professional practice of editing, and developing their own technical and creative skills. Learners will also develop an understanding of how their work can affect the final outcome of a production.

Unit 23Multi Camera Techniques

This unit aims to develop understanding of multi-camera television formats, and to develop skills in multi-camera production techniques. Learners will also gain an appreciation of how the multi-camera process integrates with other production skills and gain valuable experience of studio management, multi-camera directing and studio floor techniques.

Unit 30Advertisement Production for

Television

The aim of this unit is to enable learners to apply production skills to create an advert for television. Learners will examine existing television advertisements to investigate how persuasive messages can be constructed.They will then plan and produce an advertisement for television, and evaluate the effectiveness of their finished product.

Unit 32Designing Idents

for Television

The aim of this unit is to develop understanding of and skills in the design and production of onscreen graphics and idents for television using the appropriate technologies of image manipulation and production.

Unit 33Stop Motion Animation Production

This unit aims to develop learners’ skills in the production of stop motion animation, using traditional frame-by-frame methods to animate 3D materials such as objects, puppets, clay figures and other models.

Unit 342D Animation

Production

This unit aims to develop learners’ skills in the production of 2D animations using traditional or digital techniques, or a combination of the two. Learners will work on design, character, setting and narrative whilst also developing production techniques.

Unit 35Producing Video

Installation Work

This unit aims to encourage learners to experiment with video as a medium. They will develop an awareness of the potential of non-mainstream forms of video production and devise, produce and exhibit work, thus acquiring an understanding of video installation work within the context of a gallery or other exhibition space.

Here briefly are the additional units you will be studying for the Btec National Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production (Television & Film). More detail will be given when you start the unit and in the assignment.

Unit 6Critical Approaches

to Creative Media Products

This unit will develop learners’ understanding of how media producers create their products for targeted audiences. It also aims to develop their critical and personal understanding of these products. Looking at media production from these perspectives will give learners a more focused approach to their own production work.

Unit 26Film Studies

This unit aims to develop learners’ understanding of how films are created for specific audiences and how they make meaning for those audiences through an exploration of industry practices and the application of a range of theoretical approaches. The insights which learners develop will inform their future production work.

Unit 27Factual Programme

Production Techniques for

Television

This unit aims to provide learners with the opportunity to develop the full range of skills needed for factual programme production, from researching and planning of productions through to the production process.

Unit 36Interview

Techniques for Creative Media

Production

This unit aims to give learners the opportunity to develop the skills and understanding necessary to conduct interviews effectively for a range of media products. The unit develops learner appreciation of the techniques employed by other practitioners in the field before moving on to give them first-hand experience of preparing for and conducting interviews.

Unit 38Soundtrack

Production for the Moving Image

This unit aims to develop learners’ understanding of the relationship between sound and picture in moving image production, and the skills needed to produce moving image soundtracks through acquiring original sound, using existing audio resources and operating post-production software.

Unit 57Photography & Photographic

Practice

The aim of this unit is to develop learners’ knowledge of, and practical skills in, photography. Learners will investigate different areas of photography, such as promotional, advertising and photojournalism, and produce and reflect on their own practical examples of photographic work.

5 Learning, Teaching and Academic Guidance

5.1 Learning and teaching methods used on your course

5.2 The role of the staff

5.3 Careers Education and Guidance

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.

Methods of Teaching Include:LecturesThis 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 WorkshopsCovering 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 ProjectsThese 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 as Appendix 2.

Tutorial GuidanceIndividual 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 StudyWork 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

On completion, some projects are assessed via group discussion or individual presentations, such discussion/presentation and Q&A providing essential feedback for both tutor and student as to how the individual performs in the group. These assessments are recorded on tutor observation or witness statement forms.

Pastoral TutorsEvery KS5 student is allocated to a tutor group and a pastoral tutor who is a member of the School staff. The personal tutor will counsel you on your general progress and engagement with your courses and will offer you personal advice on any course matters of concern to you. You are required to meet with your personal tutor as part of your timetabled allocation and attend a fortnightly tutorial, but you may request assistance and guidance from him/her at any time.

Assessment PointsThere 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 VisitsThere 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.

5.2 The role of the staff

Course LeaderCourse Leaders provide the leadership and direction for individual courses of study.They are responsible for the development of the curriculum and its delivery and for the management of staff teams.

Unit TeacherUnit Teachers co-ordinate the teaching and resources for particular units. They are also responsible for ensuring that assessment is conducted thoroughly and appropriately and that marking sheets are collated for the Course Leader.Your course is designed to develop your individuality as a creative person and tutorialguidance from your Unit Teachers is a very important aspect of this educational process. You will have tutorial meetings at key points throughout the course to discuss your progress. Although you will be given a minimum of one formal tutorial per term of at least twenty minutes, in reality, tutorials happen much more frequently. Informal tutorials often occur during the course of a normal working day and are regarded as vital opportunities to review academic progress, give advice and guidance, discuss future plans and aspirations and very importantly, provide an opportunity to resolve or respond to your personal problems and needs. Additional tutorials can be given on request or at the instigation of your tutor. Tutorial meetings are often scheduled to coincide with interim assessments, which also includes an action planning section (see example at the back of this guide). You will have the opportunity to contribute to these written comments and you will be given your own copy of the record sheet so that you can track your progress and carry forward the agreed actions.

Pastoral TutorsPastoral Tutors are very keen to ensure that each of their student’s progress, performance and welfare is developed and maintained. You will also have tutorial meetings and progress discussion days with your Pastoral Tutor in which you can discuss your individual progress and benefit from different points of view. If you wish to talk about concerns that go beyond your Creative & Media work, or feel unable todiscuss certain issues with your Pastoral Tutor, then you can arrange to meetconfidentially with a member of the Thomas Tallis Student Services team as the School has a team of Counsellors and Learning Mentors to support student welfare and progression.

Visiting Lecturers/Artists/PractitionersArtists, critics and industry professionals visit the School on an occasional basis. They will deliver lectures, or workshops either to specific student groups, or to any staff or students who are interested in attending. Your course team will advise you of any sessions which may be of particular relevance or interest to you; these will not necessarily be level specific and may not be specific to your course.

General course team responsibilitiesIt is the responsibility of the Course Leader to organise the delivery of your teaching during the course. As there may be many aspects of study, which are different to those on your previous course, it is important that you establish a strong, academically sound relationship with the course team as soon as possible. They are all professional, approachable and there to help you achieve your best.

Technical staffTechnical staff will demonstrate the correct operation of equipment, tools andprocesses. If you encounter difficulties with tools, equipment, materials or processes they will provide advice in support of your learning.

5.3 Career Planning, Employability and Skills

Thomas Tallis School’s Work Experience and Career’s Co-Ordinator and the School’s Pastoral Team aim to provide a high quality careers education, information, advice and guidance service to all students. Our Pastoral Team’s guidance is developed in close conjunction with academic staff to support your career planning and enable you to make well-informed decisions about your future. Comprehensive and up-to-date careers resource areas are located within the UCAS and Careers Offices providing access to information on further study, gap year, employment and self-employment opportunities. Our effective links with Higher Education, professional organisations and employers in the creative industries enables us to provide details of creative opportunities including work placements, residencies, volunteering, competitions and jobs. Our Department blogs and website also feature advice from professionals about working within the Creative Industries.

6 Assessment

6.1 Assessment Regulations

6.2 Illness and Mitigation

6.3 Course Management

6.4 University Management

Assessment

6.1 Assessment Regulations

ASSESSMENT The functions of assessment are to: Make appraisal of quality/level of performance in response to specified tasks and

criteria. Provide ‘feedback’ to help determine modification/development of personal and

group performance. Present a profile/record of performance relative to the whole course and its

constituent parts.

The on-going process of defining performance and response to every project or taskis used in two ways:

As a FORMATIVE system wherein there is personal, group and tutorial consideration of the continuing progress of studentship.

As a SUMMATIVE record whereby grades of achievement are formally identified and recorded for the unit of the course.

Assessment methods include: Class based group criticisms involving students in assessing and articulating

their own and peers’ achievements Tutorial based and individual based (self/peer) Seminar based Student presentations E-Portfolio presentation Observation of class and workshop practice Time-constrained assessments Work based projects

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

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 in relation 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.

Formative AssessmentAlthough individual projects/briefs do not receive formally published marks and grades you should be aware of the standards you have achieved in them and your relative strengths and weaknesses. Group discussion, ‘crits’, clear statements by the relevant tutors and self-appraisal are fundamental elements in project/brief review and provide an awareness of performance upon which you can base future strategies and attainment targets. This project-by-project consideration and discussion of your effort and achievements is called ‘formative’ assessment, which will be reinforced by individual tutorial monitoring of your progress with your Unit Teachers.During the assessment points scheduled during the Autumn and Spring terms you will be given an advisory grade for each of the units you have completed. These grades will be formally recorded at the Summative Assessment points at the end of your first and second year.If you have problems or weaknesses that cannot be resolved by seeking the guidance and taking the advice of relevant project/subject area teachers you should make sure that you discuss the issue at the earliest possible time with your Unit Teacher, theCourse Leader, or your Pastoral Tutor, or Head of Year.

Summative AssessmentSummative Assessment is when your advisory grades are formally recorded during the major assessment points at the end of your first and second year.The Course is made up of 13 Units each of which you must PASS to complete the whole Btec 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 7 Mandatory Units and 6 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.

Work will then be sampled by the school’s Lead Internal Verifier to check marking and standards.

Feedback on Student WorkMethods of feedback include:

TutoringWhen individual advice or instruction is given during the course of a project.

Pastoral TutorialsYour Pastoral Tutor will counsel you on your general progress and engagement with the Course, and will offer personal advice and guidance on any matters of concern that you may have.

CritiquesClass based group criticisms and discussions involving students and staff in assessing each other’s achievements.

Peer Group DiscussionFormal and informal student centred discussion about Creative Media Production work.

Assessment Written comments and grades

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T PASS?

Retrieval ProcedureYou may receive a REFERRAL for a number of reasons, for example, failure to submit work by a required deadline, or failure to achieve a satisfactory standard of work. You will be informed of any REFERRAL both orally and in writing, and counselled as to what you must do in order to retrieve this element of your coursework. A deadline will be agreed by your teacher(s), by which date you will be asked to resubmit a new body of work for assessment. Should your work at this point still fail to meet a satisfactory standard it may result in you being asked to leave the course, or counselled to take some alternative action recommended by your Pastoral Tutor and Head of Year.If you should fail to achieve a pass standard in any unit at your final assessment, the Academic and Pastoral teams would consider your circumstances and decide if you must resubmit a new body of work, or whether you must retake all or part of the taught Course and perhaps redo the academic year. You will be informed in writing of the decision and your teacher will advise you on what you must do to retrieve the failure.

Extenuating CircumstancesWe understand that personal problems can sometimes lead to failure to submit work on time or to attain the standard you would otherwise have achieved. It is important that you inform your tutor immediately of any illness or other problem that could affect your work before it is assessed. You are advised to seek help promptly from your Course Leader or your Pastoral Tutor. This can be done on a confidential basis. There is special provision at the final assessment stage for students whose performance has been adversely affected through documented ill health, personal problems, or other valid

circumstances. It might also be appropriate to consider transferring entry to a lesser qualification, or re-sitting the academic year.

AppealsAll work at Thomas Tallis is graded and then verified, so is looked at by at least two people to try to ensure fairness and equitable standards. External Examiners are directly involved in a National Standards Sampling Exercise to demonstrate comparability of the School’s standards with other institutions. It is not allowable to appeal against a judgment of the quality of your work.

The only grounds for appeal are:i. that your work was affected by illness or some other circumstances that you were unwilling or unable to reveal before the assessment was made; orii. that the assessment process was not carried out in accordance with the regulations set out in the Definitive Course Document (Guidance and Units). Your Course Leader will advise you as to whether you have grounds for appeal.Please note that this section only highlights the issues involved in appeals. For precise information, you must read the Thomas Tallis formal disciplinary procedures and rights to appeal for Btec Courses.You can find these in this Guide and on the Department Website.

Cheating & Plagiarism Cheating and Plagiarism are taken very seriously and there are formal procedures described in the policy document Plagiarism and Malpractice, a copy of whichis held by your Course Leader and can be found in this Guide and on the Department website.Plagiarism is a form of cheating. It is using other people’s work and passing it off as your own. Please be careful to avoid accidental as well as deliberate plagiarism. In written work such as dissertation, you will be failed and may not be allowed to resubmit if plagiarism is established.It is quite acceptable, and often necessary, to quote from books, articles, and talks or other sources. The key point is that you must say that you are quoting and state what your source is. Unacknowledged quotation is unacceptable.

6.2 Illness and Mitigation

We understand that personal problems can sometimes lead to failure to submit work on time or to attain the standard you would otherwise have achieved. It is important that you inform your tutor immediately of any illness or other problem that could affect your work before it is assessed. You are advised to seek help promptly from your Course Leader, Pastoral Tutor or Head of Year with evidence to corroborate your claim. This can be done on a confidential basis. There is special provision at the final assessment stage for students whose performance has been adversely affected through documented ill health, personal problems, or other valid circumstances. It might also be appropriate to consider transferring entry to a lesser qualification, or re-sitting the academic year.

6.3 Course Management

Thomas Tallis School is conscious of the importance of the quality of its staff who determine the quality of the student, the level of practice and its reputation. The School’s staffing policy and structure is designed to:

Provide the academic and administrative framework which enable the satisfactory implementation of the course

Ensure that the integrity and standards of subjects are maintained by the appointment of qualified staff

Complement specialist expertise by ensuring an adequate breadth of staffing across each course

Maintain a proper balance between full and part-time staff Encourage personal practice from all academic staff Maintain and improve as necessary a course of staff development Ensure proper communications between all sections of the academic community,

staff and students Encourage the creation of conditions under which each student is exposed to a

variety of influence and of different points of view, through contact with designers, artists, historians, craftspeople, and scholars

Encourage the maximum appropriate contribution from external practitioners relevant to the study of art and design, through lectures presentations, case studies, visits, etc.

6.4 School Management

The Headteacher, and the Senior Leadership Team, as Senior Managers, have responsibility for overseeing the academic management of courses and the application of resources, including staffing, to each course.

The Curriculum Leader for the Faculty of Visual & Media Arts monitors theeffectiveness of each Arts Course’s delivery, its rationale, and learning andteaching methods, together with any appropriate academic developments.

The Subject Leader for the Btec National Diploma and Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production Programme monitors the effectiveness of the delivery of your Btec course, its rationale, and learning and teaching methods, together with any appropriate academic developments.

The diagrams below explain the Faculty of Visual & media Arts and the Film & Media Department management structures.

7. Appendices

7.1 Sample Brief

7.2 Recording your Achievement

7.3 Policies & Procedures

7.1 Sample Brief

7.2 Recording your Achievement

Recording Your AchievementBTEC National Diploma and Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production (Television & Film)Your course is made up of 13 Units (Diploma) and 19 Units (Extended Diploma) 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 two 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 higher education. It also contributes to UCAS points.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)

Pass Grade Merit Grade Distinction Grade

5 credit Unit(30 GLH)

35 40 45

10 credit Unit(60 GLH)

70 80 90

The points are added together to give your final grades as follows:

Points Range L3 Diploma Grade840 - 879 PP880 - 919 MP920 - 959 MM960 - 999 DM1000 - 1029 DD1030 - 1059 DD*1060 and above D*D*

Points Range L3 Extended Diploma Grade

1300 - 1339 MPP1340 - 1379 MMP1380 - 1419 MMM1420 - 1459 DMM1460 - 1499 DDM1500 - 1529 DDD1530 - 1559 DDD*1560 - 1589 DD*D*1590 and above D*D*D*

Overall Grade UCAS Points

Grade UCAS PointsPPMPMMDMDDDD*D*D*PPPMPPMMPMMMDMMDDMDDDDDD*DD*D*

D*D*D*

7.3.1 Policies & Procedures

Appeals Procedures

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.

Stage 1Your 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 to the School. The appealing candidate of the Exams Officer must make any further appeal to Stage 2 within 14 calendar days.

Stage 2

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 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.

7.3.2 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.

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 assessment.

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 anypoints 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.