Level 3 BTEC Foundation Diploma Performing Arts
Course Code: Q100144
Key Information
Course type:
Vocational
Campus:
Sixth Form Campus
Next Start Date:
07 Sept 2026
Duration:
2 years
Attendance:
Full-time
Fees:
Free
Co-taught with The Kings Theatre and New Theatre Royal, this is a unique opportunity to develop your skills in an exceptional vocational setting. You will study performing arts through the musical theatre disciplines of singing, dance and acting. The focus is on developing your performance skills through a range of performance projects that will challenge you to work collaboratively and develop your confidence as a performer in a range of settings.
Your units cover skills development, creating performance material, performing for an audience and planning your career in the industry. You will put your learning into practice through practical workshops, work experience, auditions, performances, trips to shows and meeting with industry professionals at The Kings Theatre and New Theatre Royal for important insights.
Over the two-year course, you will gain a Foundation Diploma which is the equivalent to one and a half A Levels. Your lessons will take place over one day, beginning with singing and acting workshops followed by a dance class in the afternoon. You will study performing arts alongside two other courses, which can be BTEC courses and/or A Levels. This will allow you to progress to higher education, studying performance at drama school or university in the future.
A minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4 or above.
PLUS
You should demonstrate a keen interest in the performing arts, with strong ability in at least one of the three disciplines and the desire to develop your skills in the other two to a higher level.
It is preferable that you have studied music, drama or dance at GCSE and achieved a 5, or have achieved a Level 2 performing arts qualification at Merit or above. If you didn’t study a performance subject, you should have been a member of KSPA or a similar youth performance group or dance school, and be able to talk about the performances that you have been in and the skills you have developed.
You will have a 9.55am start, one lesson in the morning, one in the afternoon and a guaranteed 4.00pm finish. You will also have at least one morning and one afternoon per week free for private study.
100% Internal Assessment (with external verification)
You will be given client briefs, which you will use as stimulus to produce performance work within a vocational scenario and be assessed on your performance of professional repertoire. You will keep a working notebook for each project where your review targets and record your processes as key milestones.
You will develop, demonstrate and evaluate your skills within each unit and be assessed continuously over the duration of the course.
Your teachers are the assessors, and your work is externally verified by an examiner from Edexcel.
You could progress to studying performing arts at a higher level, at university or at a dance/drama school. There are also many other opportunities within the arts industry, for example in stage management, or lightning and sound.
Level 3 BTEC Foundation Diploma Performing Arts available start dates:
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