Boarding Sixth Form Film Studies

[drinkteaandrelax]

My DD is looking for a full boarding sixth form that has a strong film department. Somewhere with good facilities in film studies! Somewhere also with a great english department.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

I wonder if d'Overbroeck's college in Oxford could be worth a look. Their 6th form boarding is much more independent so it may be a bit different to what you're looking for (or think you're looking for).

Bradfield offers Film A level, is good for English and is Boarding in sixth form. Also takes on a significant no of extra students in sixth form which is a benefit for those transferring from other schools. Would seem an obvious choice to consider.

I think they also offer IB film.

@Piggywaspushed, would love to know your thoughts about the difference between A level Film Studies and BTEC Level 3 Creative Digital Media.

They are very very different soma. The BTec is more hands on and vocational and covers other things apart from film such as broader media and photography. It really looks at the making and production of the product where film analyses the work of others. Without wishing to sound as if I am criticising the BTec it is a 'doing' rather than 'analysing' subject : film is academic , so assessed entirely through essays, apart from the coursework. Some schools do filmmaking coursework for A Level film but most are increasingly moving towards screenplay writing.

To do the BTec, you and/or your schol need quite extensive kit. To do film, basically you need a pen and a laptop or PC.

The digital media BTec is becoming increasingly popular : teachers and students really enjoy it.

I should also have said the specific film unit in the BTec largely focuses on the elements removed from A Level film that is genre, audience and institutional contexts such as production, distribution and exhibition.

I have found that BTec teachers are weakest on teaching film as an art form for analysis.

Thanks @Piggywaspushed, that's really interesting to see that breakdown. I think Film Studies gets a really bad rap, particularly on MN, I remember a thread a few months back when PP were piling in to say that it's a waste of an A level and Russell Group look down on it etc. When in fact it is on many approved list of A levels, including UCL.

Yes, all true. It is very demanding. It is actually noteworthy how many public schools we have turned up which offer it.

I think the subject has its defenders . I remember that thread too and a lot of posters were positive. The naysayers often have fixed views about many things and no relevant or recent experience.

Any subject is fine in sensible combinations.

My DD would have loved to do that BTEC, she's now year 13 so it's too late but I remember I asked Pearson if they could send me a list of where offered it and they refused! I thought that was so strange...

Exam boards are strange beasts...

Is the Btec one that is under threat piggy? (I know that performing arts and sport should be safe after the first consultation. )

There are virtually no A levels that RG universities do not want. Usually Critical Thinking. Film is fine when taking it is appropriate. Like Drama or Music. Not much good for vet science or Maths. Fine if you put it with French and Spanish snd want to study MFL at university. Context is all. But no university black lists it.

Cambridge omit it from their list of preferred subjects.

Thank you all for your comments. The schools that you have listed that I have checked out and liked are:

Royal Hospital (creative digital media)
Stowe college (film studies & creative digital media)
Bradfield (film studies only)
Hurtwood house (media studies- great facilities)

My DD doesn't want somewhere performing arts oriented because she is also looking for a good english department in a school too. Also, the creative digital media BTec looks appealing to her as it's more on the productive side. We would like somewhere that ideally is academic.
We liked Rugby School, but realised that they removed Film Studies a while back- which is a real shame.

Not as far as I know come.

I remember looking at Hurtwood for DD snd it seemed way more expensive than anywhere else. We decided it wasn’t worth the money!! We looked at Bradfield and Stowe from your list. Arts were significantly better catered for at Stowe. Bradfield would need to have done a lot to catch up.

I can't really comment about Film / Media as I know very little - but if you're considering RHS, I can say that as far as I can tell the English department is strong. My son is in Y11, and his English teachers throughout have been exceptional. The school struggles slightly with an outdated reputation for not being as academic as some of its rivals, but there are increasingly large numbers of high achievers who are very well catered for. Fab school, great facilities, great ethos, amazing teachers.

I can’t comment on film studies, but I would say that in our experience the academic teaching at Tring Park is very strong.
DD was there for sixth form, & her English teacher had studied at Cambridge before becoming a teacher. Many of the students take English Lit at A level as it ties in well with Drama.
Bright students will achieve top grades, our DD had an unconditional offer at Durham to study History,
Like all PA schools though you need to have a talent and skill in a performing genre otherwise you won’t get a place.

Peter Symonds College. State 6th form college with boarding. Brilliant English department and A-level Film Studiea

... as well as BTEC Digital Media and A-level Media

My DC is first year at Stowe School 6th Form boarding and doing Media Studies. Absolutely loving it. Facilities and opportunities are fabulous and the filming opportunities (see their website) are great.

The last time I looked, Tring Park requires DC to have a performing art portfolio for attendance. It is not a standard school with A levels. What would be the point of paying their very high fees if you did no performance in the 6th form? What would you do when everyone else was doing their dance or singing or theatrical work? They have amazingly talented performing art DC there. But it has no sport and has a very narrow focus. That is fine but it is not a standard school offering.

My daughter goes to a similar kind of school to Tring Park and there are several students on their drama or music courses who don't aspire to be performers (and go on to academic universities) but they felt the school was a good fit for them.

Yes I did Film Studies at Peter Symonds (though it was many years ago) and it was extremely well-taught. Personally I hated Symonds as an environment but if you are academically able with no or few pastoral needs it's a good route to university.

I taught a girl from Tring who came to us for a more 'academic' experience at sixth form. She didn't like it and went back to Tring. I got the feeling the teaching of subjects such as film was very different at Tring (not on a bad way, just different).

I ahve had a recent chat with a film/media person at Stowe and they sound very clued in and passionate about the subject.