A-level / IB
Academic, exam-led. Strong if the student already has a clear non-arts university target.
Curriculum
Four systems, one age — Hong Kong, UK, Canada, the U.S.
Aligned by age at the September start, not by the names schools print. Hong Kong P.1 sits beside UK Year 2. Canada and the U.S. share grade numbers. Preferred doors: CATS Boston at Grade 9, and CSVPA’s Extended Diploma at 16.
Preferred: Grade 9 · age 14
CATS Academy Boston
Grade 9 is Year 1 of the U.S. High School Diploma, and college counseling starts here. Grade 8 is the earliest year — a settling year, with CATS Extra if English needs time. Hong Kong F.3 / Canada & U.S. Grade 9 / UK Year 10.
Preferred: age 16, after F.4 / Year 11 / Grade 10
CSVPA Extended Diploma
The two-year UAL Level 3 — the studio equivalent of A-level. IELTS 4.5 and a portfolio. Do not wait for F.6 or a Canadian Grade 12 diploma if the arts path is already clear. Foundation at 17+ is the later door, not the preferred one.
Age at the start of the school year (September). Tap a row.
AgeHong KongUnited KingdomCanadaUnited States
Hong Kong P.1 sits beside UK Year 2 because England starts a year earlier. Common UK boarding doors: Year 7 (11+), Year 9 (13+), Year 10 (GCSE). CATS Boston: Grade 9 preferred; if that is missed, Grade 12 September is the last high-school year before university.
Sixth form / Level 3 · Age 16 · CSVPA ED preferred
F.5 · Year 12 · Grade 11 · Grade 11
Preferred CSVPA entry: the two-year Extended Diploma (UAL Level 3), the studio equivalent of A-level. Age 16+. After Hong Kong F.4, UK Year 11, or typically Grade 10 in Canada or the U.S. IELTS 4.5 and a portfolio.
If they studied in Canada
A Canadian Grade 12 diploma is high-school completion. UK arts bachelor’s degrees — CSVPA included — read a specialist Level 3 portfolio, not the diploma alone. The bridge is a Foundation year (or an Extended Diploma if the student leaves at 16). Quebec (Secondary V, then CEGEP) is a separate conversation; ask us.
After Grade 10 · age 16+
Leave at 16: Extended Diploma, then BA
The preferred UK arts door. Two studio years in Cambridge (UAL Level 3), then a CSVPA BA — or UAL, GSA, Kingston. A Canadian Grade 10 report and a portfolio. IELTS 4.5.
Read the pathway
OSSD / BC Dogwood · age 17+
Finish Grade 12: Foundation, then BA
A Canadian Grade 12 diploma is high-school completion, not a UK arts BA. One specialist Foundation year rebuilds the portfolio to Level 3; then the BA. This is the standard bridge, not a consolation.
Read the pathway
Grades 10–12 at CATS Boston
Stay in North America: Boston Arts Academy
Fashion, fine art, music or theatre on the Braintree campus. Capstone and a public event. On successful completion, a guaranteed place on a CSVPA undergraduate degree in Cambridge.
Read the pathway
Level 3 — the arts choice
In Hong Kong this was called A-level. In the UK it is a family of qualifications. For visual and performing arts, the Extended Diploma and Foundation are the intended routes — not a consolation prize. A Canadian Grade 12 diploma still needs one of these before a UK arts BA.
UAL Extended Diploma
Two years, six terms. The gold-standard arts equivalent of A-level — portfolio-first, studio-heavy, and it carries UCAS tariff (Distinction in Year 2 = 168 points).
Foundation Diploma
One year, three terms. Ideal after F.6 / Year 13 / a Canadian or U.S. Grade 12 diploma, when a student needs a specialist portfolio and a confirmed pathway before university.
UCAS, month by month
UCAS is the organisation that connects students to UK higher education. One application, up to five courses. At CSVPA the studio year and the application year are the same year.
01 · Sept
UCAS account registration
02 · Oct
Initial choices — universities and majors
03 · Nov
Complete two mini-projects
04 · Dec
One project over Christmas
05 · Jan
Submit UCAS
06 · Feb
Submit the portfolio
07 · Mar
Final Major Project (final grade)
Between October and submission: one-to-one strategy, portfolio tutorials, industry workshops, mock interviews, and university open days. After offers, tutors help choose on major, temperament and style — not league tables alone.
A short glossary
- UAL
- University of the Arts London — six colleges including Central Saint Martins, LCF, LCC, Chelsea, Camberwell and Wimbledon. Also an awarding body for Level 3 diplomas.
- UCAS
- The UK’s university application service. One form, up to five courses. CSVPA walks students through every step.
- UCAS tariff
- Points attached to Level 3 grades. A UAL Extended Diploma Distinction in Year 2 is worth 168 points — above three A-levels at AAB (136).
- Foundation
- A one-year, three-term specialist year after school, used by arts students instead of (or after) A-level. Portfolio-led.
- Extended Diploma
- A two-year Level 3, the studio equivalent of A-level. CSVPA’s version is awarded by UAL.
- RIBA Parts 1–3
- The UK route to the protected title ‘architect’: Part 1 (BA/BArch, 3 years), Part 2 (MArch + placement, 3 years), Part 3 (professional practice, 1–2 years), plus two years’ experience. ARB registration is required to use the title.
- EAL
- English as an Additional Language. CSVPA provides five hours a week alongside studio teaching.
- Level 3
- The UK qualification level equal to A-level, IB, BTEC Extended Diploma and Foundation — the standard requirement for undergraduate entry.
- AP
- Advanced Placement — U.S. college-level courses sat in high school. CATS Academy Boston is on the College Board AP School Honor Roll for 2024 and 2025.
- Stafford House
- Stafford House Study Holidays — the junior English-language and activity brand of CATS Global Schools. British Council–accredited in the UK. Ages 8–18, maximum class size 16.
- OSSD / Dogwood
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma and the British Columbia Certificate of Graduation. Both are Grade 12 high-school completion — the door to a CSVPA Foundation year, not a skip into a UK arts BA.
- Grade 12 and a UK BA
- A North American Grade 12 diploma is not a Level 3 arts qualification. UK art schools — CSVPA included — expect a specialist portfolio year (Foundation) or a two-year Extended Diploma first.
Pathway finder
Where are you now?
Start with the curriculum. Then the year. A considered next step — Boston, a CSVPA year, or a Stafford House summer.
Suggested next step
Art & Design Extended Foundation
This is the arts equivalent of sixth form: a broad first year, a specialist second year, and a UCAS tariff that can outscore AAB at A-level. Preferred from 16 — after F.4, Year 11, Grade 10, or MYP 5.