GCE-BTEC News - May 2010

May 2010

GCE & BTECSuccesses Continue...

A view of Edinburgh Castle. Scottish universities are popular with Greek students because they offer high quality education, a safe green environment and NO tuition fees!

The General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) programme at Doukas School is going from strength to strength. In the pages that follow we proudly present mini profiles of some of our students and their outstanding achievements. Of course academic success is important but we equally value the efforts of students who try their best and manage to get into UK universities of their choice on the strength of their GCE and BTEC Advanced Level 3 qualifications. During the last 3 years we have been running Edexcel approved BTEC Art & Design courses. Our Foundation Diploma course, in particular, is proving very popular and our FINAL MAJOR SHOW this year will set new high standards. It will be held on the 28 29 May and you are all welcome to visit the exhibition and attend the evening meeting between 6 and 9 pm on Saturday to hear our special guests Giorgos Rorris and Josie Kemp. More information inside!

GCE Student Profiles:

CAMBRIDGE APPLICANT TOPS A-LEVEL BIOLOGY EXAMDoukas School is extremely proud of our student Markos Valsamis who not only gained a place at Cambridge last year to study medicine but managed to obtain the highest BIOLOGY A-Level grade scoring 598 out of 600 in the June 2009 examination. His was the single highest score of all students sitting the exam in the UK and worldwide! A remarkable achievement for which the school has received special congratulations from the director of Edexcel.I cannot emphasize enough the importance of support when one strives to succeed. Doukas helped me through this and I owe them many thanks; its supportive, extremely well trained, considerate and altruistic staff were a real help on this journey. Thanks to all at Doukas School.

Markos Valsamis

GCE/BTEC Department Doukas School.

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151 Mesogion St. 15126 Marousi . 2106186025. www.doukas.gr

Despina FotiouObtained 42/45 in her IB diploma. Wanted to study Medicine. Failed her first interview at Cambridge Decided to re-apply in 2007 Took 4 A-levels in Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Physics to strengthen her new application, and got AAAA.

Accepted by Cambridge!

Vasilis PandisGained first year entry to study Physics at the University of Athens in 2006. Not satisfied with the quality of education Took 3 GCE A-levels in one year. Gained: AAA in Maths, Further Maths and Physics plus a Distinction in Advanced Extension Award (AEA) Maths.

ACCEPTED BY OXFORD in 2007 !


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Eleanor Liverakoshe GCE programme has opened the door to my desire for studying in the UK. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity. The teachers are wonderful and possess a quality that is, unfortunately, becoming rarer as the years pass. They make sure that the students enjoy the lesson and learn to think for themselves. I have been taking my first two GCE A-levels this year and am already looking forward to continuing next year! A very good thing about the GCE programme is that you get to choose for yourself the subjects that you would like to take, according to the occupation you wish to follow in the future. This is just what I want. I have not yet decided exactly what I want to study, but thanks to the guidance and support of my GCE teachers I am considering Neuropsychology. This is something I had not even thought of before! So far my experience has been wonderful and I feel honored to be a part of it.

Nikos KasapantoniouI am in my second and final year of the GCE programme at Doukas. Last year I took A-levels in Mathematics and Economics and gained 2 As despite the fact that I was in my second year of Greek High School and had to attend the Lykio in the mornings and my GCE A-Level classes in the afternoons. This year I continued with Further Mathematics and Modern Greek A-levels plus German at AS-level. My ambition was to go to a world-class university to study Pure Economics a demanding and highly competitive course requiring top grades especially in Mathematics. I couldnt risk failure and that is why I chose to come to Doukas because of its reputation for academic excellence and its track record of getting students into leading universities in my chosen subject area. The combination of small classes, experienced teachers, mock examinations and expert advice in completing my UCAS application have all contributed to my holding offers from Bath and Exeter.

Myrto AspiotiDespite not knowing what I wanted to study after school or where I wanted to study it, I started taking GCE classes when I was still in high school. I wanted to have the option of studying in the UK, and there was no better way to prepare than to take some subjects at A-level. Though I found the things I was studying really interesting, I decided to go through with the Greek exam system, so I quit my GCE programme and did end up spending a year in the University of Athens studying Media and Communications. I soon regretted this choice and started looking for alternatives - and UK universities still looked much more appealing to me, and offered a great deal of courses that interested me. So I turned again to the Doukas GCE department for advice on my application and necessary qualifications for admission in UK Universities. I decided to go for a one-year GCE programme, which was quite intensive since A-levelsGCE/BTEC Department Doukas School.

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are usually taken over a two-year period. I have not regretted it in the least; I received valuable guidance and support with my application and great instruction: my teachers were very understanding and our lessons were well adapted to my academic needs and schedule. The fact that I was preparing for GCE exams was very much appreciated by the Universities I applied to and definitely boosted my applicant profile. And of course, the subjects I chose to study at A-level were very close to my interests and relevant to what I want to study as an undergraduate and through these classes I have learnt an entirely new way of working and invaluable skills which I am sure will be of much use to me in University. I was successful in gaining an interview to study modern foreign languages at Cambridge and have been made a conditional offer of a place I just need to get A*AA grades in my 3 A-Levels!

BTEC Art & Design from within:Nefeli Sotiraki BlackFor the past two years I have been at Doukas doing A levels in Art, Psychology and English Language and Literature together with the Foundation Diploma programme on a part-time basis. It is a decision I will never regret for several different reasons. First of all I feel advantaged in being able to follow the academic subjects that are of interest to me together with the art foundation program, rather than spend precious time doing subjects that I knew I would not need to follow in greater depth. In addition my daily program was rather flexible, as Doukas offers the GCE A levels and Foundation Diploma (FAD) as afternoon classes. This allowed me to create my own schedule and gave me the ability to work late at night (as I much prefer doing). Doing the FAD alongside the art A-level meant that the one course supplemented the other. As a consequence the level of my work was brought up so as to meet both the strict FAD criteria and also the requirements for a higher grade in the art A-level. In addition l saved time and money since otherwise I would have needed an extra year in the U.K. doing a similar foundation course. Working on a one-to-one basis with eight professionals in different fields, (such as glass, ceramics, metal, fine arts, fashion, etc.) has been a fortunate experience! Then, the atmosphere of the art room has made both me as well as others on my course not want to leave at night! Seeing as we are a rather small group, compared to most universities in the UK, we felt like a family. This helped us care and assist each other rather than being in rigid competition with each other. In addition, doing the FAD course over two years really allowed me to gain maturity both as a person and an artist and to become familiar with different materials and techniques and to discover possible directions within the art field. It also gave me the necessary background to be able to choose carefully the specialist area that was most appropriate for me. This is very important since art is such a broad subject. Finally I truly believe I will miss our tutors who constantly think of us and care about our work! I would gladly continue the FAD classes next year as well, however, I am fortunate in having been accepted at the Central School of Speech and Drama to do a BA in Design for Stage (costume and sets) and will have to say goodbye to all the people who held my hand along the way and helped me find my true love.GCE/BTEC Department Doukas School.

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Alex PanayiotopoulosThis year has been a really good one, in terms of education and help that has been provided to me by the school. The BTEC Foundation Diploma course that I am following at the moment in Art & Design has changed my perception on the art world. I feel as though it has provided me with capability of actually understanding the term Art. The progression of my work has been amazing, just looking back at all the work I have covered this year, I could never imagine until now how much someone can develop in only a matter of one year. I am really thankful to all the teachers that supported me throughout this course, as they have definitely affected my work in a positive way, feeding me with new techniques and the capability to think like an artist, meanwhile making our days at school enjoyable. I am now working towards a merit in the BTEC level 3 FAD course which I am following, in order to lead me into a selection of universities over in the UK. I cant stress more the fact, that this year has given me the ability to face the art world with a much broader view and has increased my appreciation for it. I feel prepared enough for the next step which I have to take, which hopefully will be studying for a BA degree in Graphic Design in the UK and starting to live like an artist!

UCAS Design your future Exhibition Excel, London 23 - 24 November 2010Our IB2 Visual Arts, GCE A-Level Art and BTEC Foundation Diploma and Short Course Art & Design and Architecture students will have the opportunity to attend this years UCAS Design your Future event in London. UCAS organises annual subject-specific exhibitions like this to focus on particular subject areas, such as art and design, media, and performing arts. Their aim is to provide key information on specialist subjects in a variety of ways, such as workshops for discussing portfolios, talks from institutions that are leaders in featured subjects, and UCAS workshops that explain how to apply. 2010 will be the twelfth year that UCAS have organised the extremely popular and unique Design your future exhibition. The 2 day event offers students the opportunity to decide what and where to study within art and design in a lively and stimulating exhibition environment. The event also gives them the chance to attend workshops which will help them on their way into further and higher education within art and design. Close to 100 art & design colleges take part in the exhibition and it is a wonderful opportunity for students to be involved in an exciting experience with thousands of like-minded art & design applicants. More detailed information about the event will be provided closer to the date. The intention is to depart from Athens on Saturday 21st November 2010 and to return on the evening of Tuesday 24th. This will provide us with the opportunity to schedule museum and/or gallery visits on the Sunday and, time permitting, an Art College visit in addition to participation in the workshops, seminars and the UCAS fair itself. The cost has not been finalised yet. The fee for participation in the UCAS fair itself will be very minimal. The main costs will be for transport (return air-fare) and accommodation (3 nights) plus living expenses (travel on the underground, museum tickets and meals).


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Giorgos Rorris , We are very honoured that Giorgos Rorris has accepted our invitation to talk at our Annual Art Show. He has a particular interest in young artists and will speak about why a young person today should want to be an artist. GIORGOS RORRIS was born in Kosma (Kinouria) in 1963. He studied painting at the National School of Fine Arts from 1982 - 1987 under P. Tetsis and Yiannis Valavandis. Towards the end of the 90s portraits become the central theme of his work. Female and male forms are represented with intensity and psychographic mood. He received a scholarship from the Basil and Eliza Goulandris Foundation in 1998 to continue his studies in Paris at the National School of Fine Arts under Leonardo Cremonini. From 1996 to 2002 he collaborated with the Centre for Arts and Letters (APOPSI) and the Galerie Flak, in Paris and since 2000 with the Medusa Art Gallery in Athens. In 2001 he was honored by the Athens Academy with the under 40 Young Painter Award. He lives and works in Athens. From 2002 till today he has worked with the art group teaching painting. In 2008 his work was the object of the documentary filmed by Katerina Patroni. When asked about his preoccupation with the nude human body he replies: . . . , . . . 20 , , , , , . , , , . . . - 03/11/2007

,(2006)


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Josie KempJosie will be coming all the way from the UK to attend our BTEC Annual Art Show and to speak to our students, teachers and parents about career prospects in the Art & Design field with particular emphasis on Fashion Design, Illustration and Promotion.Josie graduated from Kingston University with a BA Honours Degree in Art & Design (Fashion) and from Nottingham Trent University with an MA degree in Fashion and Culture. She has worked as a designer for Style UK producing designs for Wallis, Miss Selfridge and Top Shop and worked freelance for Bobos and an Italian design company with production in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir in Turkey. Ranges mainly sold in John Lewis, Top Shop, Selfridges and Harrods. She joined Epsom School of Art and Design as a Lecturer in Art and Design on the three year Higher Surrey Diploma where she was later promoted to Senior Lecturer in Fashion Studies. She developed the BTEC National and Higher National Diploma in Fashion and was appointed course leader, Principal Lecturer and finally Deputy Head in the Department of Fashion and Communication She was nominated by the Dean of Faculty as the International coordinator in the Faculty of Fashion and Communication at Epsom. She continued with Fashion Promotion and Illustration, programme leadership and International recruitment activities in various countries including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, India, South Africa, Cyprus, South Korea and Japan Areas of note: In 1994 the Victoria & Albert Museum staged the first Street Styles fashion and culture exhibition. This was curated by Ted Polhemus the writer, broadcaster and Social Anthropologist who invited Josie and the Fashion Promotion and Illustration students to become involved. Three students were formally employed as assistants to this exhibition and subsequently the FPI programme developed and produced five of the exhibition tableaux. Josie is thanked in the accompanying book of the exhibition. From 1995 to 2000 Josie Kemp was the BBC Southern Counties Radio fashion correspondent, making regular broadcasts on fashion related issues. These included on-air interviews with designers, retailers as well as specials including a tribute to Yves St Laurent. She also did location broadcasts. For example in Guildford Friary Centre. Taking people into the shops and getting them an outfit for 50.00 In 1992 Epsom School of Art and Design was the subject of a Clothes Show Live special for BBC television on careers in fashion and the filming was done in the Fashion Department. Josie was interviewed as part of the broadcast. In 1998, 1999 and 2003 she made television appearances on The Time The Place hosted by John Stapleton as a fashion expert along with Vivienne Westwood, Vanessa Feltz and Duggie Fields In 2001 Josie Kemp was invited by Middlesex University to be external examiner for their franchised BA Fashion programme in Singapore. During the fashion show held in the Raffles Centre in Singapore she was interviewed live for Singapore and Japanese television. In 2002 she left her full time post at University of the Creative Arts to set up her own consultancy Viridian Consulting creative solutions for creative education. Josie Kemp is on the CHEAD register of External Examiners and Edexcel examiners and is currently working as an educational consultant, course writer and external examiner in Art and Design at over 30 universities and colleges in the UK and overseas.


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Snapshots from Last Years Show


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BTEC FOUNDATION ART 2010 Final Major ShowThe GCE, BTEC and IB Art students of Doukas School are exhibiting their art work on Saturday 29th May and would like to invite you to the meeting planned on that evening. The meeting will be of special interest to students considering possible HE Art & Design or Architecture studies in the UK. For students registered on our BTEC Level 3 Foundation Diploma and Short Course programmes the work on display is the culmination of one or two years of hard, but extremely satisfying, work by them and their tutors. We are especially proud of our Foundation Diploma and Short Course graduates and the stunning work they have produced. The work being exhibited has been stringently assessed internally by our team of specialist tutors and verified by the BTEC External Examiner. It will provide other students, their parents, relatives and teachers with the opportunity to gain a clearer perspective of the quality of work required for entry to top Art & Design or Architecture schools in the UK. Our GCE, BTEC and IB students initial involvement in the BTEC Art & Design programmes may have been initiated by a desire to gain extra art qualifications and to create a sophisticated portfolio of art work that would get them into Art or Architecture school. What kept them going, however, was the sheer enjoyment they gained from what they were doing. Candidates contemplating furthering their studies in the UK will have the chance to hear ex-Doukas students currently studying there talk about their courses and experiences at their universities and about life in Britain. An additional reason for coming is to listen to our special guest speakers. Josie Kemp is a very experienced academic and educational consultant with particular expertise in the area of Fashion Design and Promotion. She has spent many years teaching, organizing and developing courses in the UK and will give a brief presentation on career prospects in Art & Design. Our other keynote speaker is the well-known and respected Greek painter Giorgos Rorris who will address the question of why a young person today should want to become a painter. We look forward to seeing you all at 6.00pm on Saturday 29th May at the Lykio Building Gym. (entrance from DAIS Cultural Centre).


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GCE-BTEC News - May 2010

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Transcript of GCE-BTEC News - May 2010