BTEC National Diploma
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Re: BTEC National Diploma
DD has new course leader,says so far she is brilliant,so dd breathing a sigh of releif-she has worked them very hard so dd so pleased to be stretched-told them no outside performing this year though so no panto for dd-can't have everything I suppose.
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Re: BTEC National Diploma
I am currently studying BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts at my local college and it is the greatest thing I've ever done. The teachers are really experienced and you learn so many different things that you wouldn't learn on an A Level course. I'm pretty sure the BTEC National Diploma gives you enough UCAS points to get where you want (Drama school/uni).
Sorry if I have repeated anything from above, I just thought I'd add
Hope I've helped!
Best of luck!
Sorry if I have repeated anything from above, I just thought I'd add

Hope I've helped!
Best of luck!
"I may be small, but I've got giant plans to shine as brightly as the sun."
Re: BTEC National Diploma
Well, DS had his audition for his Higher Nat Dip BTech in Music Practice yesterday, and was offered a place there and then!
It was quite an involved audition - he had to do literacy and numeracy tests, perform a piece to a backing track chosen from a CD sent with the application form, sight-read, do some music theory (including aural tests), have an interview, and write a personal statement.
They told him he'd "absolutely smashed" his audition (which, apparently, means he did really well!
) and that he was officially the first person to be offered a place for the 2011/12 course!
He also had a tour of their music building and is now so excited and can't wait to go.
He just has to get 4 GCSEs now, which he SHOULD be able to do with his eyes shut.............fingers crossed!
Good luck to everyone else going through this really stressful time at the moment.
It was quite an involved audition - he had to do literacy and numeracy tests, perform a piece to a backing track chosen from a CD sent with the application form, sight-read, do some music theory (including aural tests), have an interview, and write a personal statement.
They told him he'd "absolutely smashed" his audition (which, apparently, means he did really well!

He also had a tour of their music building and is now so excited and can't wait to go.
He just has to get 4 GCSEs now, which he SHOULD be able to do with his eyes shut.............fingers crossed!
Good luck to everyone else going through this really stressful time at the moment.
Don't count your chickens until the contract's in your hand!
Re: BTEC National Diploma
Big well done.
We are still waiting to get called for an audition for the BTec Drama, so lets hope it goes as well as yours did.
We are still waiting to get called for an audition for the BTec Drama, so lets hope it goes as well as yours did.
Re: BTEC National Diploma
Oooh, good luck. It was very relaxed and friendly, and DS even got a chance to chat to some of the students (although I think that may have been him just getting a bit bored in the waiting room!).
Let us know how it goes.
Let us know how it goes.
Don't count your chickens until the contract's in your hand!
Re: BTEC National Diploma
When we went to the Open evening they did offer the chance for ds to spend a day with the current BTec year 1 group to see what it was like, but haven't heard yet. Perhaps I'll phone them.
Re: BTEC National Diploma
It's probably worth pointing out that a number of things changed in September for BTEC - which I suspect you'll all approve of. Someone mentioned a centre where the course leader was a little weak. This year, an extra level of scrutiny has been added, which should help ensure grades given are accurate and of a national standard. In essence, each school or college has to select a member of staff who gets their assessment 'tested' or standardised. They take a test, that checks they are really up to speed on assessment methods - as I'm sure many know, BTEC set quite specific criteria for grading, and evidence needs to be available for another teacher, not involved with the actual class, to be able to see who got what, and most importantly, why? So after 3 people have looked at the work inside the school or college, it's then sampled by outsiders too. Much more scrutiny than the A Level people get. Although it means more work for the teachers, it has to be good for the students. Now that all qualifications are also on the same framework, excellent students can now get a Distinction* grade, which is nice.
The only thing to watch when you now look for the courses, is that the titles seem the same - but aren't! The old National Diploma, is now the new Extended Diploma - same value, same points - new name! The new Diploma is less points than it was. The way to check is to ask how many units the course has. The 'full' qualification is 18, usually spread over 2 years.
The Level 4 Higher Nationals were also revamped for the new qualification framework, and many universities offer a top-up to convert the HND to a full Degree - this usually adds around 18 months, depending on the content of the HND people have.
The only thing to watch when you now look for the courses, is that the titles seem the same - but aren't! The old National Diploma, is now the new Extended Diploma - same value, same points - new name! The new Diploma is less points than it was. The way to check is to ask how many units the course has. The 'full' qualification is 18, usually spread over 2 years.
The Level 4 Higher Nationals were also revamped for the new qualification framework, and many universities offer a top-up to convert the HND to a full Degree - this usually adds around 18 months, depending on the content of the HND people have.
Re: BTEC National Diploma
Thaks for that, paulears. It's all so confusing! I know DS' course is referred to as a Level 3, which I understand to be equivalent to 3 A Levels.
Things seemed much less complicated in my day!
Things seemed much less complicated in my day!
Don't count your chickens until the contract's in your hand!
Re: BTEC National Diploma
Level 3 includes A Levels and BTEC Nationals - the 'tag' Certificate, DIploma and Extended Diploma indicates how many A Levels it's equivalent to.
Not wanting to complicate things - it's kind of like where somebody does 2 A Levels, not the usual 3 - this gives them a number of UCAS points - Somebody doing the old Certificate, or the new Diploma would have the same UCAS points. The new Extended Diploma gives the same as 3 A Levels.
Most schools and colleges, if they are doing the '3 A Level version' - tend to pick from very common units - so if they are doing the Musical Theatre or Dance versions of the BTEC, what they study will be fairly universal in the main, BUT some colleges add in very different units to make them different.
So Jazz, Contemporary and Ballet are very common - but there are also units called Urban Dance, or International Dance that could be included if the school or college wished. There are a few rules on acceptable combinations, but certain places build specialisms. In the Bristol area, you could get yourselves a BTEC in circus - and have some amazing units. They certainly impressed me!
There is also a Level 2 BTEC running - broadly equivalent to GCSEs - this is becoming really popular in schools.
With what I do now - which is mainly what we used to call light entertainment, I'd suggest that BTEC is by far the most common qualification I see on people's CVs. A Level Dance and Theatre Studies still pop up, but nowhere near as often.
In practice, the thing that makes BTEC work so well is that the activities that get them grades are the same ones they'll be doing in their work. Does knowing about the social and historic conditions prevalent at the period when a dance style was developed actually make somebody a better dancer? If you want to be a lawyer, accountant or many other professions then a detailed history is critical, but how useful is it to a dancer?
There are some amazing BTEC units - how about Makeup Using Prosthetics and Stand-up Comedy! And no, you don't get a distinction if the audience laugh!
Not wanting to complicate things - it's kind of like where somebody does 2 A Levels, not the usual 3 - this gives them a number of UCAS points - Somebody doing the old Certificate, or the new Diploma would have the same UCAS points. The new Extended Diploma gives the same as 3 A Levels.
Most schools and colleges, if they are doing the '3 A Level version' - tend to pick from very common units - so if they are doing the Musical Theatre or Dance versions of the BTEC, what they study will be fairly universal in the main, BUT some colleges add in very different units to make them different.
So Jazz, Contemporary and Ballet are very common - but there are also units called Urban Dance, or International Dance that could be included if the school or college wished. There are a few rules on acceptable combinations, but certain places build specialisms. In the Bristol area, you could get yourselves a BTEC in circus - and have some amazing units. They certainly impressed me!
There is also a Level 2 BTEC running - broadly equivalent to GCSEs - this is becoming really popular in schools.
With what I do now - which is mainly what we used to call light entertainment, I'd suggest that BTEC is by far the most common qualification I see on people's CVs. A Level Dance and Theatre Studies still pop up, but nowhere near as often.
In practice, the thing that makes BTEC work so well is that the activities that get them grades are the same ones they'll be doing in their work. Does knowing about the social and historic conditions prevalent at the period when a dance style was developed actually make somebody a better dancer? If you want to be a lawyer, accountant or many other professions then a detailed history is critical, but how useful is it to a dancer?
There are some amazing BTEC units - how about Makeup Using Prosthetics and Stand-up Comedy! And no, you don't get a distinction if the audience laugh!
Re: BTEC National Diploma
Just to this, my DD is now in full time post 18 training and she says that she feels that the BTEC was a really good preparation for this, it's much nearer what you do in vocational colleges than A levels.
The highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive.
Re: BTEC National Diploma
Thanks for that Welsh Mum. That's what DS was told, but it's nice to hear it from the horse's mouth, so to speak!
Don't count your chickens until the contract's in your hand!
Re: BTEC National Diploma
I can support Welshmum as my DD is now 2nd year of her dance degree at London Contemporary Dance School, so very performance based, and feels she is more advanced from having done the BTEC. If you are going for a practical degree / future BTEC very much supports that path.
Heather
Heather
Re: BTEC National Diploma
You'll find that many people who don't know, always bang on about A Levels being the 'Gold Standard' - and I expect they are if you want to be a doctor, or a lawyer, but our people do practical things, often under intense pressure and this needs practice. I sat in on a dance audition where the choreographer went bam, bam, bam, bam then turned, expecting them all to have picked it up. I just cannot imagine anyone who has A Level dance being in this league, unless they'd been having dance lessons for years. BTEC can take non-dance trained people and make them into dancers, given a good teacher. There's far too little real practical dance in A Levels, and the same applies to Acting and Musical Theatre. Learning a 10 minute piece for an A Level doesn't compete with a complete, full blown show which is quite common in BTEC.
Re: BTEC National Diploma
My Dd did the Musical Theatre strand, loads of practical - such 6 hours of dance, 6 hours of singing etc - and also the structure of the course and the discipline was similar to that at a vocational college. Her present course also requires them to keep journals (logbooks) of the classes, just as she did at BTEC. She is so glad that she had that preparation
The highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive.
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Re: BTEC National Diploma
dd really enjoying this year,as new course leader making them work socks off ...lol 
