Author: cava_admin

Happy International Literacy Day!

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Since 1967, International Literacy Day (ILD) celebrations have taken place annually around the world to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights. At CAVA we believe in the power of education and literacy to create a fairer and more sustainable society. The Access to HE Diploma helps people realise their potential. Literary skills are just one of the many skills which students will develop and grow through undergoing the an Access to HE Diploma.

To celebrate International Literacy Day, below you can find a short testimonial and video interview from previous Access to HE Diploma student Simone Chalkley who was recently awarded the prestigious Snoo Wilson Prize for Scriptwriting. The CAVA team have also shared some of their favourite books in the spirit of the day.

 

Simone Chalkley – Access to HE Diploma (Humanities) – Cambridge Regional College 2014-15

Returning to the classroom after difficult experiences as a youngster was nerve-racking, but it quickly became apparent that times have changed and that as an adult learner my opinions and ideas were valid and acceptable. During my Access to HE Diploma, I gained a firm foundation in my chosen field of Humanities – English Literature, Sociology, and History – as well as acquiring strong academic skills of researching, essay writing, presentations, and revision and exam techniques. And it all happened in a comfortable environment, with encouraging lecturers that had patience and were genuinely enthused about their subject matters. This positive educational experience gave me a newfound confidence in my abilities to continue to pursue an academic path. I have since attained a BA in English Literature with Creative Writing and learned and mastered the new skill of scriptwriting, even going on to win an undergraduate scriptwriting award. I had already taken a non-traditional route to professionally train and establish myself as a proofreader and editor but now I have further expertise in the field of fiction across a range of media and feel justified in adding ‘writer’ to my credentials. The Access to HE Diploma was the start of this whole process.

 

 

CAVA Book Recommendations:

 

 

Flóra Raffai

Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Prelude to Foundation is my favourite book as it brings together adventure, hard science fiction, and sociology, in an attempt to improve the lives of millions in the galaxy. The story evolves into a whole series of seven books, which tie together with Asimov’s other Robot and Empire series. It inspired so much of subsequent science fiction and even technological advances in the real world.

 

Jacky Kelly

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Picking your favourite book is a bit like picking your favourite child. From a final list of three (Handmaid’s Tale, I Capture the Castle, the Starless Sea), I have chosen ‘The Starless Sea’ by Erin Morgenstern. This is a fabulous read – five stars are not enough. The book pulls you into its pages. Books within books, stories within stories. A book for book lovers. You will want to savour every word.

 

Scarlett Blacker

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
My favourite book is The Picture of Dorian Gray: The Picture of Dorian Gray combines all the best bits of Oscar Wilde’s writing into one novel, every time I read it I find another thing to enjoy about it. Aswell as being one of my favourite books to read, it also brings back vivid memories of A Level English lessons and the joy of studying books.

 

Emily Ross

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens holds a dear place in my heart. Although it is not necessarily the book I have most enjoyed over the years (although it is excellent), I love it because it was the book that made me realise that I was a reader!
I discovered the book aged 7yrs on my grandparents’ bookshelves and squirrelled it away to sit on their stair landing. Sitting under the little nose-height window on the stairs, I learnt from humble, hilarious Joe Gargery, oblivious Pip and uppity Estella that this was my thing, and a lifelong passion was born!

 

Sam Whitaker

Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
The book I have chosen is Solaris by Stanislaw Lem because I remember reading it after not reading many fiction books for a long time and it blew me away and reignited my love for fiction. There are plenty of spooky moments for those who like darker stories like me and there are moments of really fascinating hard science fiction. Overall the book incapsulates many of the themes which I love in stories whilst challenging the reader to think more critically about what it means to be sentient. Definitely worth a read for any budding humanities students!

Student guide on 2021-22 Access to HE arrangements

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We have developed a short guide for CAVA students to better understand the 2021-22 arrangements for Access to HE Diplomas. The guide contains an overview of:

  • the regulatory arrangements for the 2021-22 academic year
  • how your courses may be adapted
  • further guidance on student support
  • how Access to HE arrangements compare to A-levels


You can download this guide by clicking on the image below:



For further guidance, the QAA have also released a full guide for students on the arrangements. You can view the guide via this link. You can also find all the most up-to-date FAQ information for students via the QAA website.

Learning bit by bit – Access to HE Diploma (Computing) Testimonials

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For many people it can be incredibly daunting going back into education and it can be even more of a challenge making those first steps to pursue a career in the ever evolving world of computing and technology. It can also be exceptionally rewarding and for these students – life changing.


Amelia Moss-Cuddy – Access to HE Diploma (Computing) 2020-21 – City College Plymouth

I have just finished my Access to HE Diploma in Computing at City College Plymouth. This course has given me a newfound confidence moving forward, and considering most of the course was online I’m extremely impressed by how the course was delivered. Even through a situation as scary and difficult as the pandemic, I’ve still learned valuable teachings and gained many skills.

I’ve always struggled socially and felt talking to people was very difficult but enrolling on this course has significantly changed that, the teachers were extremely welcoming, positive, funny and excellent. I felt immediately at ease on this course thanks to the excellent teaching and it allowed me to gain better confidence when communicating with my classmates. Even though I’m quite an anxious person I have made many friends through the course and we all stay in touch through a social media group we set up for the class.

When I was at school I struggled with bullying and this led me to leaving school only with a couple GCSE’s. I also ended up dropping out of a couple of colleges over the years because I was stuck doing courses I did not want to take due to the restrictions which came from my grades. When I found the Access to HE Diploma in Computing at City College Plymouth I didn’t realise just how much it would change my life. The course has literally changed my life, I’m now able to attend the University I’d like to go to and study a subject I’ve always wanted to. I’ve gained better social skills as well as confidence and I’ve proved to myself that I’m more than capable of studying computing. I will always be grateful for this opportunity and the awesome teaching, especially my teacher Chris who was a real inspiration.




Justas Galminas – Access to HE Diploma (Computing) 2020-21 – City College Plymouth

Enrolling on the Access to HE Diploma in Computing at City College Plymouth was the best decision I have ever made. It gave me the opportunity to pursue my passion for computer science. The course changed me as a person and taught me many valuable skills and principles that will aid me throughout my academic journey and life.
The teachers are extremely experienced, highly educated and passionate about teaching. They really care about their students, help them achieve their goals, give great feedback and advice on education and life in general.

The delivery of the course was well-structured, easy to grasp and gave a taste for many aspects of computer science including databases, programming, web development and many others.

I thoroughly enjoyed studying at City College Plymouth and highly recommend studying an Access to HE Diploma!




If you feel inspired to try something new or to pursue a future in computing – check out our courses page and see what’s available at your closest college, or leave your details in our contact form via our student page.

Access to Higher Education Diploma 2020-21: Results, UCAS, Appeals and Feedback

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Congratulations class of 2020-21


On behalf of everyone at CAVA we would like to congratulate all those who have completed their Access to Higher Education Diploma. CAVA will be issuing your certificates and transcripts to your colleges on 26 July, which will then be forwarded to you. CAVA will also share your final grades with UCAS to support your progression into higher education. We wish you the very best with your next steps. 

 


Below you will find more information about how to share your feedback, how to appeal, the UCAS tariff, and how to stay in touch.

 

Feedback


CAVA strives to ensure that our Access to HE courses meet student needs, which is why we are seeking feedback from all those who have completed their course this year. When you receive your certificate and transcript, you will also receive a letter which will include a link to complete our student survey. Your input will inform our work with our colleges to improve the student experience. Everyone who completes the survey and leaves their contact details will be entered into a draw for a prize of £50.

 

Appeal of grades


When you receive your grades, if you believe that you have grounds for an appeal then please contact your course leader. They will support you in identifying the grounds for your appeal, gathering the relevant information and they can submit an appeals form to CAVA on your behalf. This will be considered by a CAVA appeals panel and your college will inform you of the outcome.

 


The grounds for appeal about grades are restricted to:

  • evidence of administrative error in the assessment process
  • extenuating circumstances that, for good reason, could not be notified prior to the awards board.

 


CAVA will hold four grade appeals boards as follows:

  • 20 July 2021
  • 9 August 2021
  • 23 August 2021
  • 1 September 2021


UCAS Tariff


There is a tariff calculator on the UCAS website to enable students to calculate any combination of Access to HE grades: https://www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator

 


UCAS have a useful video which explains how the tariff works on their website: https://www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/getting-started/entry-requirements/ucas-undergraduate-tariff-points
 

 


The table below gives a few examples of grade combinations achievable on the Access to HE Diploma and the equivalent UCAS points.  The full table for all qualifications is available for download on the UCAS website.  The Access to HE table is on page 153. 

Pass 

credits

 Merit credits Distinction credits Tariff points A Level tariff point example
45 0 0 48 EEE (or single A grade A-level)
30 15 0 64 DDE (or two grade C A-levels)
15 15 15 96 CCC
0 45 0 96 CCC
0 30 15 112 BBC
0 15 30 128 ABB
0 0 45 144 AAA

 

Stay in touch

We have a CAVA alumni group on LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13884871/> where you can keep in touch with classmates and network with other CAVA Access to HE Diploma students. We really encourage you to use this space to share stories about your progression to higher education, and your career aspirations.

How the Access to HE Diploma gave Paul a second chance at Music

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When I left school after doing A-Levels in 2004, I was still under the impression that I was going to take a gap year and then go to Music College. That didn’t happen, and I had found myself in a few different jobs, working in a supermarket, qualifying as a mortgage advisor, and eventually settling in as a self-employed peripatetic music teacher.


When the lockdown happened in March 2020, I lost all my work and income, and I spent a few months trying to figure out what I wanted to do. In the back of my mind there had always been this thought that I could go to university and so during the summer as lockdown initially eased, I looked at what I could do in September. Having spoken to admissions tutors I knew that I wouldn’t meet the entry requirements which is how I came across the Access to Higher Education course at Grantham College.


I enrolled on the Science pathway at Grantham College, having spoken to admissions tutors at university to confirm that would be an acceptable requirement to get onto a Music course. I have always had an interest in science and enjoy looking at the links between music, science, and maths, and this seemed like a fantastic way to get myself back into education, as well as getting myself used to working in a more academic way. It had been about 16 years since I had left school, and if I am being honest, I was never a particularly academic student back then!


There were three other people taking the science pathway which was a lovely little group, and we have all become good friends during the past year, and we would join the healthcare students for Biology and Study Skills in a larger group of about 30. This worked well as it gave me a great oversight of the Access course and what everyone else was working with. This led me to being nominated and voted into being the Mature Student representative for the Student Union, and I was also voted the Co-President of the SU for the year as well.


This academic year has been quite significantly affected by COVID-19 and at least 50% or more of the teaching was delivered online over teams. This has had its issues, but we have been able to deal with this well as a cohort and if anything strengthened friendships through online quiz nights or study groups. The tutors have been fantastic throughout the year and have supported me through the course superbly and I couldn’t recommend them more.


I received an offer from the University of Nottingham in December 2020. Having completed the Access course, I have met all the requirements and so will be going to Nottingham in September 2021 to study Music. I am wanting to focus on writing and composing as well as music theory while I am at university, and I would like to work in the future in writing music for TV and film. My experience of being self-employed over the last 10 years has made me aware of how important versatility is within this career. Spending a year doing science has shown me how many ways this could be linked to music or possible pathways and links with music.


At the end of the course we had a little graduation ceremony, and because there hadn’t been any opportunity to ‘show off’ my music (other than a short little jingle about Gout for a biology lesson) I thought I would put together a little video with some memories of the year and a thank you to the tutors so spent a couple of days finding some fun songs to rewrite the words to, put them into a bit of a medley and then recorded a bit of a daft video to go with it! I’ve been making little videos on and off for a few years and I’ve found some time during lockdown to practice the video editing a bit, so it was a fun thing to try out.


The Access to Higher Education course and Grantham College have been absolutely fantastic and have allowed me to get back into what I knew I always wanted to do. After some life experience, starting a family, and a selection of different jobs over the years, I feel much better placed to make the most of my next few years at university, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.


Paul Emmett – Access to HE Diploma (Science) – Grantham College 2020-21


You can watch Paul’s graduation music video medley here:

New toolkit for HE admissions staff

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There is a recently updated Access to HE Diploma toolkit available for Higher Education Admissions teams published by the QAA.


The toolkit, along with associated PowerPoint presentations, can be found on the QAA regulatory website. Click here to visit the website.


Individual links are as follows:


Toolkit for Admissions Staff: www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/about-us/access-to-he-toolkit-admissions.pdf


Part C: Presentation – Specification: www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/about-us/access-to-he-toolkit-presentation-specification.pdf


Part C: Presentation – Admissions: www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/about-us/access-to-he-toolkit-presentation-admissions.pdf

Access to HE Provider Forums hosted by the QAA

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The QAA have announced dates for upcoming Access to HE provider forums. The online sessions will explain the arrangements for the award of QAA-recognised Access to HE Diplomas in 2020-21. It will provide an opportunity for tutors and course leaders to:

  • understand the key priorities relating to the arrangements for awards in 2020-21
  • get clarification about the principles for the Extraordinary Regulatory Framework 2020-21
  • share lessons learned and best practice for adapting delivering of the Diploma this academic year.


To find out more and to book your space, please click on the date you would like to attend below:

Guide for students on 2020-21 Access to HE arrangements

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We have developed a short guide for CAVA students to better understand the 2020-21 arrangements for Access to HE Diplomas. The guide contains an overview of:

  • the regulatory arrangements for the 2020-21 academic year
  • how your courses have been adapted in response to the ongoing pandemic
  • why there is no provision for grade estimation
  • how Access to HE arrangements compare to A-levels


You can download this guide by clicking on the image below:



For further guidance, the QAA have also released a statement on their website. You can view the full release via this link.

Future teacher recognised for outstanding commitment to study

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When I applied for the Access to Higher Education course in 2019, I had just moved to the area and I didn’t know anybody. Like many other students, I was a mum. I have five children and I started the course in September with some concerns. Two of my children have special needs: my then 7-year-old has a-typical autism and my then 15-year-old has ODD/ADHD. As the course began to progress, I was getting on well and was starting to figure out how to manage a decent work and life balance. However, in the November of 2019, my eldest child developed a drug addiction and his mental health declined rapidly. We tried to work through this as a family and with the help of other agencies it worked for a few weeks. As we neared January 2020, I was looking forward to starting a placement in a school as part of my course, but at home things were getting worse. My eldest child’s behaviour was getting worse, he was prone to violent outbursts and the whole family was suffering. I needed to admit to myself I couldn’t do this anymore for not only my own health but that of my families too. He went into foster care permanently and I knew it needed to be done but I was overwhelmed by guilt and sadness.


As February came and went, life was looking up. I had my conditional offers for university, and we were all adjusting to our new routine and we felt safe, until March, when the pandemic came along. My husband works as an NHS staff nurse, schools closed and I was at home trying my best to educate four children with their ages ranging from 6 to 14. Balancing everything at home whilst doing my Access to HE course was difficult at times and I was becoming exhausted, but it was a very welcome distraction from everything. I decided that I needed to speak with someone. I shared my concerns with the head of my course, Suzi, who was incredibly helpful and supportive. She listened to me and said some kind words when I needed to hear them most.


It sounds silly but the Access to HE course kept me going through the hardest parts of my life. I made friends and it was so good to talk to other adults. There were times when I cried over assignments because I was stressed, and I just didn’t seem to have enough time to finish them all. However, there were more times when I laughed in class over things that I still giggle about now when I think of them. My Access to HE course gave me the opportunity to escape from reality at home during the first half of it and it gave me confidence and my life back. I wasn’t just ‘mum’ anymore, I was ‘me’ again.


When I received a message from one of my lecturers, Clare, asking if she could nominate me for the Keith Fletcher ‘Outstanding Commitment to Study’ award, I was shocked. To me, there were so many people on the course that deserved it more. I was ‘only a mum’ and everybody gave their all. When I found out I had won the CAVA award, I was amazed because it wasn’t expected at all. To then be told a few months later I had won the national award was just astonishing. Words really cannot describe my reaction. I still believe there was someone more deserving and I was just doing what anyone would do in my shoes.


If you are currently doing or thinking about doing the Access to HE course, do it! Never think you are too old or cannot do it because of any other reason. It will possibly change your life. It is intense and you will need to work hard but it is worth it. Your self-esteem and your confidence will grow, and you will meet some fantastic people on the way. Most of all, you will get where you want to be. My words of advice would be: always try your best; never let anything take away that decision of why you are doing this; and be kind to everybody you meet because you just do not know what they are going through.


Tanya O’Connor studied the CAVA Access to HE Diploma in Education at Petroc College

An update for students of the Access to HE Diploma 2020-21

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On Monday 4 January, the Prime Minister announced that all schools and colleges will be closed from Tuesday 5 January 2021, as England moves into a third national lockdown. It is the utmost priority of both CAVA and the QAA to ensure that we continue to support all Access to HE Diploma students.


The QAA have advised course providers to continue to apply the current arrangements for the Access to HE Diploma in 2020-21, as published in September 2020. These arrangements were designed to enable course providers to be flexible in teaching and assessing the Access to HE Diploma, so that adaptations can be made as necessary under this and any future lockdowns. You can read their most recent announcement for students here.


We recognise that for many students, the additional pressures of work, caring responsibilities or illness may make study even more challenging. If you are finding it difficult to study at the moment, we recommend speaking directly with your college or course tutor in the first instance. Your college will have procedures in place to support all students under these extenuating circumstances. If you feel your academic performance is affected by the current lockdown you should let your college or course tutor know about the circumstances which are affecting your performance so that this can be taken into consideration.


For those concerned about assessments and grading, we want to reassure you all that you will receive grades for all graded units you complete and grades will not be based on estimates. Your final grades will be confirmed after the Final Awards Board at the end of the academic year.


CAVA will continue to support colleges to ensure consistency is applied across all Access to HE Diplomas awarded. We hope this update brings you some clarity and reassurance with regards to the future of your Access to HE course.


For further information and guidance…


The QAA will continue to provide updates on the Access to HE website.


You can also read the QAA FAQs via this link.


The QAA will be offering a series of webinars from 7 January 2021 which will explain the arrangements for the award of QAA-recognised Access to HE Diplomas in 2020-21 and provide an opportunity for students to feedback on the arrangements. These sessions can be booked on the QAA website.