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“My brother came here and had a great time. Coupled with its location and reputation it was the obvious choice. I get on with all my teachers and the facilities are excellent.”
-Eddie Beardsmore, Ex-Laurence Jackson School

Leisure Studies

AS/A LEVEL LEISURE STUDIES OCR

WHAT IS LEISURE STUDIES?

This qualification aims to encourage students to develop an understanding on the structure, scope and scale of the industry both in the UK and Europe. Current issues, working practices and procedures of the leisure industry will be investigated especially the impact and contribution of both the media and technology. Visits and work experience are integral to the course.

USEFUL SKILLS & INTERESTS

As with all A level courses, hard work and commitment are a must as well as the ability to work in both group and individual situations. Personal organisation and the ability to meet strict deadlines are also very important.

COURSE STRUCTURE & CONTENT

Three units for AS and three units at A2 are studied. These include:

AS UNITS		A2 UNITS
G180	Exploring Leisure	G183	Event Management
G181	Customer Service	G184	Human Resource Management
G182	Leisure Industry in Practice	G185	Leisure in the Outdoors

G180 Exploring Leisure - This unit involves investigating the sectors and components of the Leisure industry, looking at how the sectors are interrelated. You will study the range and scale of the industry which illustrates its current social and economic importance, research and analyse the factors which influence participation levels in leisure activities, and evaluate the role of the media in leisure, examining its role in current developments in the industry.

G181 Customer Service in Leisure - this unit will investigate the needs of internal and external customers identifying how these are met in a chosen leisure organisation. You will demonstrate customer-service skills with a variety of customers in a variety of situations including evidence of you handling a complaint or problem. You will research and analyse the ways in which a chosen leisure organisation assesses the effectiveness of the customer service it provides to its customers and make recommendations to improve these.

G182 Leisure Industry Practice - you will investigate the safe working practices in the leisure industry. You will explore the key aspects of marketing used in the leisure industry. You will be required to learn about budgeting in leisure organisations and the methods used for measuring quality.

G183 Event Management - For this unit you will form a team to organise an event for a selected customer group. The event, once undertaken, will be reviewed and evaluated as a portfolio of work.

G184 Human Resource Management - This externally assessed unit takes the form of a one and a half hour exam, usually taken in January of the second year. You will learn about the processes required in HRM including producing job descriptions, grievance procedures and staff motivation.

G185 Leisure in the Outdoors - in this portfolio unit you look at opportunities for outdoor leisure in an area of their choice and assess the problems created by the growth of Outdoor Leisure facilities in recent years.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?

This course is approx 70% coursework and 30% tested (Units 1 & 5). The coursework involves building up portfolios of work completed during lessons and private study time. The work involved is very varied – you might carry out questionnaires or surveys, write reports on visits to organisations or summaries of discussions. You will be expected to carry out research from books, the internet or by contacting as well as visiting organisations directly. Examinations are externally set and marked and held in January and June. Both tests and your portfolio work contribute points towards a total that determines your final grade.

COURSE COMMITMENT

The AS course lasts for one academic year at the end of which you may choose to carry on with the course to A2 level. You should be prepared to produce two lengthy pieces of coursework each year that will entail working outside of college study hours, as well as revision for the June examination.

COURSE COSTS

Students will visit local leisure organisations, which are on average £20 – £30.

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

You need to have met the standard college entry requirements of five GCSE grade C or above. Including a GCSE grade C or above in Mathematics and English.

PROGRESSION ROUTES

This qualification provides a broad introduction to the industry and aims to prepare students for either further study in Higher Education or to apply for employment or training.