RESULTS DAY: Students embark on an amazing range of courses and careers following another outstanding set of results at HCA

Name: Hereford College of Arts
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Published

13th August 2026
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Students at Hereford College of Arts are celebrating another impressive set of results today, achieving an overall pass rate of 99% across the College’s specialist further education provision.

Across nearly 500 results from Post-16 students and Post-18 Foundation Diploma students, 35% of students achieved a Distinction grade - earning 168 UCAS points, which is the equivalent to 3 x A* grades at A-Level.

A further 30% were awarded a Merit, meaning almost two thirds of students achieved one of the two highest grade classifications opening up a huge range of exciting opportunities to progress onto degree or into employment.

I came here to study acting and found a new passion for musical theatre. As a result, I'm going to do a degree at Brighton Performers College. I found myself and who I am during my time and my Course Leader has always been there to support me through every challenge.
Beatrice Preece - Performing and Production Arts

I entered the course not knowing what my next steps would be, and I left feeling happier and more confident about my future than ever before. The course has such a wonderful community, I met lovely friends and can't thank the tutors enough for their teaching, support and for making this such a brilliant, unique year.
Cam Thornton - Foundation diploma: Art & Design

HCA's support and encouragement motivated me to try my hardest and aim for bigger things. I was always anxious, but HCA taught me to be more confident in myself and to value my work.
Gabrie Placzell

We are immensely proud of everything our students have achieved. These results reflect the commitment they have shown to their studies, but also the creativity, independence and resilience they have developed throughout their time at HCA.
Xaviere Hughes - Vice Principal of Further Education at Hereford College of Arts

Students have now accepted offers to progress to a wide range of universities, conservatoires and specialist creative institutions across the UK this September, in subjects ranging from Architecture, Liberal Arts and Environmental Science to specialist creative degrees like Theatre Production, Fashion Marketing and Songwriting & Production to name a few.

Destinations include the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, UAL Colleges; Central Saint Martins, Camberwell College of Arts, London College of Fashion, The London College of Communication and Wimbledon College of Arts, Edinburgh College of Art, Falmouth University, Leeds Conservatoire, London Contemporary Dance School and many more.

A further 28 students have accepted offers to continue their creative education at HCA, progressing to degrees including Illustration, Games Design, Graphic and Media Design, Popular Music, Fine Art, Jewellery Design and Digital Content Creation.

Every year our FE students progress to an exceptional range of destinations, either staying local for a creative degree at HCA or heading off to other leading specialist institutions across the UK. Wherever their destination, our FE students leave us with strong creative foundations and the knowledge that alongside their creative discipline, they have gained personal and professional skills like problem solving, leadership and research that are valued and sought after across a breadth of industries and employment sectors.
Xaviere Hughes - Vice Principal of Further Education at Hereford College of Arts

Students on HCA’s largest FE Course - the UAL Extended Diploma in Art, Design & communication achieved particularly strong results, with half of the cohort awarded a Distinction. This far exceeds the UAL Awarding Body benchmark of 32%. On this course, 80% of students received a Merit or Distinction.

There was also a 100% pass rate on the Extended Diploma in Performing Arts, where nine in ten students achieved a Merit or Distinction. Students from that course will now go straight into the performance industry or to study at some of the leading stage schools and performance courses in the UK like Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, The London College of Music, The Royal Welsh College for Music and Drama and the Arden School of Theatre.

Foundation diploma

Foundation Diploma students recorded another successful year, with 39% achieving a Distinction and almost three quarters receiving a Merit or above

As an established, nationally acclaimed and much celebrated qualification, the Foundation Diploma course challenges students to experiment, take thoughtful risks, respond to feedback and find an individual direction for their work. Unique in creative education, this intensive 9-month Foundation Diploma course recruits not only students who are already engaged in creative practice, but those who wish to take a ‘creative gap year’ to explore new disciplines, techniques and processes, work on meaningful projects with external clients and add to their UCAS points before pursuing a different route of academic study like medicine, environmental conservation or law.
Xaviere Hughes - Vice Principal of Further Education at Hereford College of Arts

Places are still available across all our courses for September 2026. Contact outreach@hca.ac.uk if you need any assistance making an application - or arranging a campus tour. Accommodation places are still available for all students aged 18+, including those on the Foundation Diploma: Art, Design and Communication.

Foundation diploma

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