Creative & Media Diploma - Cambridge Area Partnership
The Creative and Media Diploma is an exciting new qualification that is designed for students who enjoy creative subjects, or who might be interested in pursuing possible careers in the Media or Arts.
If you choose the Creative and Media Diploma, you will spend one whole day a week studying Creative & Media. You will have special kit to wear, and you will work in a professional way on extended projects. As with other Diplomas, you will also study functional skills in English, maths and IT, at your hoime school.
Unlike the other Diplomas, you have a choice of several distinct routes, from which students can choose (see map). The allocation of places will be dependent on numbers and the availability of transport, as well as students' suitability. Students opting for one of the ‘Visual Arts’ or ‘Media Arts’ routes would be expected to apply for the nearer centre.”
Whichever route you choose, the Creative & Media Diploma:
- is designed to run alongside, not instead of, other GCSEs
- involves working with students from other schools
- is recognised and valued by Sixth Forms and colleges, whether you are going on to do a more advanced Diploma or other qualifications
- is not just for students hoping to work in creative and media industries is for all students who enjoy being creative and imaginative, and not just for students thinking of a career in the media or the arts
- is an opportunity to learn to use professional equipment and resources, and to work with professionals in the field
- involves working in ‘real world’ contexts, such as producing work for real clients and interacting with the public
- is for learners of all abilities, but requires a real commitment to and capacity for independent learning, self-management and team working, and an ability to work responsibly in unsupervised situations
- develops skills of team-work and self-management
- is a very practical course but, like all Diplomas, has a strong academic element too
- is an excellent preparation for progression to an Advanced Diploma, either at CRC (fashion) or at Long Road (media)
- follows the Edexcel specification, which you can see here
You can see more work by Creative and Media student here:
This route will suit students with a particular interest in video filming and editing or in photography. You will learn to use professional equipment to a high level, in real world contexts. You will also learn to use graphic design and photo-imaging software.
You can follow the Media Arts route at the Parkside Federation, in Cambridge, or at Melbourn Village College, where the course also involves work with stage craft, lighting and sound.
An example project
The film on the right was made by a small group of Year 10 students, for the 'Performance' unit of their course.
They were given a professional brief by the Cambridgeshire Connexions website Youthoria, to make films raising difficult issues and decisions for young people. They learned how to use video equipment, and how to record sound professionally. They learned how to film and edit dramatic sequences. The researched this sort of film, and studied examples from television. They worked independently, planning their films, filming on location, and editing their footage, before presenting the final product to the client.
This route will suit students with a particular interest in dance, drama or music. You will learn performance skills to a high standard, as well as working in costume and stage design, and stage technical skills, and some video production skills.
An example project
The film on the right was made by Year 10 students, and is an example of the sort of film you might make for the 'Record' unit of the course.
You would research how dance works differently on film and on stage, and study how dance has been filmed for television and film. You would then work in a small group to plan, choreograph and rehearse the dance, before filming it on location and editing the final film.
This route will suit students with a particular interest in art, modelling, animation, graphic design and photography. There is a course based at the Parkside Federation, in partnership with Manor Community College, and there is a course based at Impington Village College.
An example project
The film on the right was made by a small group of Year 10 students, for five and six year old children. They were set a professional brief by a primary school, to make s film about 'sharing' for an infant class. They spent time talking to their target audience, before planning, animating and editing their film. They researched different ways of animating, and they learned skills of stop motion animation .
