City of Liverpool College
City of Liverpool College delivers the UAL Level 3 Applied General Diploma Art & Design – Fashion specialism. They have approximately 39 students enrolled on this qualification and have been working with UAL Awarding Body for five years.
The City of Liverpool College (COLCC) is a leader in providing high-quality skills and education, delivering opportunities for growth to people and businesses in the Liverpool City Region and beyond.
UAL Awarding Body met with Jan Schofield at The City of Liverpool College to find out more about why they enjoy working with us.
How did you end up working with UAL Awarding Body?
We previously worked with a different awarding organisation, but due to changes made to the specifications and funding constraints we decided to switch to UAL Awarding body in 2017, when the UAL Level 3 Applied general was offered as a pilot programme.
How has delivering a UAL Awarding Body qualification impacted your students?
Students have independence and the ability to develop and nurture their own ideas and skills.
The course being studied by the students was part of a pilot programme developed by UAL Awarding body, with only 5 colleges nationally piloting the programme in 2017/18. The programme – UAL Level 3 Applied General Diploma in Art & Design (Fashion) – is one of the first programmes developed by the UAL Awarding body to be included in performance tables.
As part of the course, students develop skills in visual language, contextual studies, reflective and evaluative skills, problem-solving and a range of practical skills relating to the fashion specialism. Students produce records of all their work digitally and this format is used to inform external moderation and build student portfolios. In the first year of delivery, the programme achieved a 100% success rate.
Tell us about some of the projects that your students carry out while they complete this qualification?
Fashion and design students at The City of Liverpool College were challenged to create a reconstructed couture dress for the Miss Liverpool competition – a Qualifying Heat of Miss England held annually – to feature in the Eco-Friendly round, which replaces the traditional swimwear section. For the last five years, students at The City of Liverpool College have produced innovative designs which have been judged by the organiser, with the winning design being taken forward to this Miss England competition in Nottingham at the start of September.
Using the theme of ‘disruption’, students were asked to work with a Miss Liverpool contestant to design and produce a recycled garment using materials not usually used in fashion.
Mohamed Al-Geradi, fashion and design student at The City of Liverpool College, saw his garment make it through to the Miss England competition. (insert photo)
What advice would you give to other Centres that are unsure of delivering a UAL Awarding Body qualification?
The new Applied General Qualification is brilliant as it can include more students. It has been very successfully delivered here this past academic year.