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Pre-Degree & Sixth Form

At Arts University Plymouth we believe in high-quality education for life in contemporary arts practice, as the creative catalyst for personal, professional and cultural transformation. We place the aspirations and support needs of every student at the very heart of our creative enterprise.

Our Pre-Degree & Sixth Form campuses at Palace Court and Palace Studios are home to five hundred 16-19-year-old students studying the Extended Diploma, or Foundation Diplomas in arts, crafts, design and media, and it is here that we provide a safe and creative environment, where your child/young person can grow, learn new skills, and become more independent.

Click here to browse our range of Pre-Degree courses.

We are committed to supporting your child/young person on every step of their creative journey. Below you will find information about our Parents' & Guardians' Evenings, our Code of Conduct and Attendance, Safeguarding and Key Dates for your diary.

Students are prepared well by teachers for their next steps into higher education. They benefit from teachers’ knowledge of degree courses which helps them to assemble a suitable portfolio for the courses they apply to. Students are taught about storytelling techniques in filmmaking and how they can use these principles to present their own story as part of job and higher education applications.
Ofsted Report (Rated "Good"), June 2023

Get the information you need to help your child make the right choices at 14, 16 and 18 through the Careerpilot website - aimed at young people, and the Parent Zone – aimed at parents and carers.

Careerpilot is a free website helping 11—19 year olds in the South of England plan their future study and work and has a lot of useful information for young people and parents.

The Careerpilot Parent Zone can help you as a parent/carer get answers to the career questions you want to ask, about:

  • Choices at 14, 16 and 18;
  • Further Education College;
  • Apprenticeships and Traineeships;
  • Higher Education (including HE provided at local colleges);
  • Job sectors and growth;
  • How to fund study and further support for you.
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It has been so good to watch as our son has begun to flourish not only academically and creatively but also as a person. He is beginning to discover who he truly is and how to use the assets he has to the full advantage.
Lynn, parent of second year student
UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Fashion & Textiles

Following a short Ofsted inspection in May 2023, Arts University Plymouth's dedicated pre-degree & sixth form campus was judged to be “good,” maintaining the outcome of the university’s previous inspection in May 2017.

Ofsted inspectors praised Arts University Plymouth for the way that “Students enjoy their courses. They are supported well by staff who help them to build their confidence and resilience.”

The benefits of joining a sixth-form campus attached to the city’s arts university were highlighted in the Ofsted report, which says that “Teachers give students opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge by accessing the university’s higher education art and design resources. For example, students strengthen their model-making skills by using three-dimensional printing technologies and more advanced computer-aided design software.”

Achievement levels for Pre-Degree & Sixth Form students at Arts University Plymouth are high, with inspectors noting that “Leaders ensure that well-planned curriculums result in the large majority of students achieving their qualifications. Nearly all of those who apply to higher education achieve their first-choice destination.”

Parent & Guardian Sign Up Form