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Higher education

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Art foundation in London area

64 replies

onedayoranother · 12/02/2022 17:30

My daughter is in lower sixth and the pressure is on. She's taking Art, History snd Psychology, and her intention is to do an art foundation year. She would like to go near home which limits us to London. While there's plenty out there about the difficulty on getting into individual universities, I can't tell how this works with a foundation year. I know some (UAL for example)) say if you get on to their foundation course you will be offered a degree place, so I would imagine the competition is tough. I've narrowed it down to Camberwell , Kingston, Kings, City and Guilds (though less keen as she wants to do animation). Maybe less competition at C& G as you have to pay. Any others ? Ravensbourne perhaps. She is not necessarily tied to staying in London for her degree (animation), however she might, and if getting on a particular foundation year leads to a degree at that university it's an important decision.
Am I correct in that it is pretty much down to her portfolio? Her GCSEs were mostly 8s and a couple 9s and a 7, too soon to predict A levels but I expect something like two As and a B. She is also doing an EPQ. But the art unis don't seem to have particularly high grade requirements.
My worry is that with applications to universities you pick a safety, an aspirational etc but can't tell how that works with foundation years (and what if she doesn't get in to any)?!? She is talented though.

OP posts:
PerkyBlinder · 28/04/2022 09:34

@NittyGritty66

Thank you! That is an excellent and helpful reply and Kingston have been outstandingly good across lots of art specialisms for as long as I can remember. I really hope your DD has a brilliant time and much future success. 🍀

We’ve also found the process more complicated for finding the good courses in art/photography because the league tables are meaningless in design. It was much easier for my eldest studying science even though I went to art college and work in design. I put out requests to all my friends asking where is known to be good for my DD’s specialism now for recommendations as they change all the time.

For instance Brighton used to be outstanding for illustration for a long time. Great illustrators like The Peepshow Collective and others came from there. I worked at a big broadsheet and we commissioned a lot of illustration work and always were interested in Brighton but things change and even from year to year you’ll get suddenly strong students from a particular course that hasn’t really registered much previously.

This isn’t so much directed to you but in general to add to what you’ve said which could be helpful for others looking for art/design courses

There are also a lot of futures programmes such as from Jelly (a big illustration agency) and D&AD so I’ve also been trying to find out where the futures talent is coming from and then suggesting my DD look at those courses to see if she wants to go and visit.

tuliplover · 29/04/2022 13:32

I'm the op and didn't realise this thread was still going.
Thank you @NittyGritty66 good to know - we went to an open day at Kingston earlier this month and it was quite impressive. Amazing facilities. 1600 applicants for 175 places! Ravensbourne in July and UAL who don't do them until the Autumn. All indicate that a Foundation Year is expected for their degree courses, if not absolutely required.
I don't agree with you @Reallyreallyborednow. She wants to do animation. I don't know of any parent who hasn't done quite a bit of research on their kids higher education choices. She's 16, is up to her neck in A level work, runs a magazine club and volunteers. My parents were very uninvolved when I was at this stage and some help in narrowing things down and just the perspective of a more worldly wise person would have helped.
She has said she wants to do animation and take a foundation year, wants to live at home for that year (she commutes an hour for her central London school now, there are no appropriate courses other than those already mentioned - which her school also suggested. UCA is an hour and a half by train). We will go to the open days and she will then decide which to apply to (probably all). If I threw in all the FE courses available, it would be a waste of time. All I can add is if I knew then what I know know I would have gone a different route than I did (I ended up at Parsons School of Design to do graphics but took a while to get there).
She has also decided to do a short course at Kingston and an animation course at UAL (oddly at CSM rather than LCC) this summer which will give her further insight into what they have to offer, teaching styles and general vibe.
Good idea about researching the teachers' own work whomever mentioned that! We have looked at the end of year and degree shows too.

DoggerelBank · 30/04/2022 21:02

My nephew liked the Foundation at Epsom, but it wasn't really a full time thing. He had plenty of time for a job too, so quite different from a full time degree.
If I were you, I'd be encouraging your DD to apply for a degree next year, as well as a foundation year as a back up. It depends why she/you are keen on the foundation. There are good reasons to do one, e.g. you didn't do much art in sixth form, or you don't know which area of art you want to go for at degree level, or you want to stay at home for another year and have a part time job so you can save money/grow up a bit before going away to uni. But in your OP you say she's pretty confident she wants to do animation, and the only reason you mention for doing the foundation is to help her get into somewhere for a degree. I think you may be overestimating how hard it is to get in. Nothing to lose by giving it a shot, and you may find it's not as hard as you imagine. In our experience, which was for graphic design not animation so may be different, a lot of the degree tutors said they liked people who'd done foundation, but the reality was that the vast majority of degree students had come straight from A levels.

Localher0 · 07/05/2022 11:09

I posted earlier about a missed deadline to apply to Kingston. Won't go into all the details but there's been a mess up with the application process which means DC's was never received. DC is trying to sort out but it's a long process so..... I wondered whether there's ever an equivalent of cleaning for Kingston foundation courses? A lot of students apply as a back up to their degree but may decide to go straight to Uni. Do places ever become available in August? Is it worth ringing them on results day?

This is a last resort question really - I'm hoping the application issue can be resolved 🤞

NittyGritty66 · 08/05/2022 00:09

There may be. DD initially turned down place in Kingston but changed her mind and they did accept her (again) a few weeks before the start of term. This is something they stress they never do, so nothing is set in stone. Keep trying. And don’t worry. We have loads of friends (all over the country) whose kids have done local art foundations and they’ve all loved the courses and come out a year later much more confident in their selected fields.
good luck 🍀

Localher0 · 08/05/2022 14:50

@NittyGritty66 Thanks that's v interesting.... sort of points to them not filling all their offers on results day and having a "reserve" list. Gives us a bit of hope. DC has been bumped around between admissions and the IT Dept and doesn't seem to be making progress. Of course there's every chance that even if they admit the error and allow a late application DC won't get offered a place but at the moment just having the portfolio considered would feel like a victory 🙄

NittyGritty66 · 08/05/2022 21:04

So frustrating and of course important not to pass your frustration on to DC. I feel for your They have a really annoying system of reviewing some portfolios, then offering places, and then offering more. If you’re last in (or it could be alphabetical) it takes forever. Then of course a lot of kids will chose to go straight to uni when they get their results. I guess that’s when they go to the reserves. If you are abs sure you got the portfolio in on time you could try contacting the course administrator and copying in the course director. Write a conciliatory email and explain that your DC would just be happy to be considered as the course is the top choice. Flattery will get you far. Seriously good luck 🤞

NittyGritty66 · 08/05/2022 21:07

also just remembered our dd sent portfolio on time but it did not go in on the day due to system overload. I talked to a really nice admin admissions person who was sooo helpful. They then said they had it and it took ages (literally months) to review. She go the offer really late in the day. Maybe try this first

Localher0 · 08/05/2022 22:23

@NittyGritty66 hopefully DC will speak directly to the course admissions person tomorrow and try to clear things up. I like your idea of an email to admissions plus course director...... that may well be the next step.

NittyGritty66 · 08/05/2022 22:49

I’m sure you know this but tread carefully. Probably only do it they won’t accept the PF although you’d sent on time or had mitigating circs. They won’t like or otherwise 😉 Seriously, good luck. Let us know how you go.

Itslookinglikeabeautifulday · 09/05/2022 01:26

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easyday · 21/05/2022 17:28

@DoggerelBank only a couple of her shortlisted universities don't mention a foundation year - most in their requirements say it is expected, some offer a combined degree (four years including foundation). Edinburgh has a second year entry option which I assume is for English students who have done a foundation year as it's normally a four year degree.
Most foundation years are full time as far as I've heard from friends with kids who have recently done one, still doesn't stop anyone getting a job! I worked term time when at uni.
They are also fairly subject specific. We've just gone to see the year end foundation show at UAL Camberwell and it's divided up in sections: graphic design, painting, illustration, film and animation and so on. She wants to live at home that year then go off for her degree.

ArtyMom · 06/04/2023 22:43

Anyone heard from the UAL foundations for Sept'23? We are waiting anxiously on Camberwell.

SpacehopperFace · 07/04/2023 14:40

We're still waiting for Camberwell too

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