ARE FOUNDATION COURSES (cert he) IN ACTING WORTH IT?

The Cert Ed courses (previously known as Foundation courses) are aimed at those who have talent but are not yet ready for the full degree course. They will help you to prepare for drama school auditions and give you that extra experience. They are not designed to prepare you to enter the industry and you don't get an agent showcase. I'm also fairly sure thatthey don't entitle you to Spotlight/Equity membership either.

I do know that a lot of them market themselves to prepare you for drama school, although LAMDA’s cert he course is marketed as preparing for a degree or as a standalone course providing you the tools to step into the industry. Their cert he course is also newly designed which I assume is being put into play this year and is being goverment funded for the first time.
By the looks of it, it’s not just aimed at acting but it says as follows:
Whether it’s acting, making, writing, film, screen, audio, virtual production, music theatre, movement theatre, directing or producing you are interested in – this course can be your springboard into the performing and technical arts.
I’m just unsure of whether it would be worth the 9000 pound of debt for 6 months or not, that’s where I’m stomped so I was curious as to what others peoples experiences doing cert he / foundation courses were like and if they think it’d worth it or not.

This is what we're trying to figure out. Here's the thing: either it's a necessary part of the process - in which case, it should be funded, otherwise it favours the wealthy and means access to acting courses is not a level playing field; or it makes little real difference for many students and it's just a money spinner. Cynical?

We are also wondering the same. CertHE is technically not the same as Foundation course. It is the same as a first year of a degree, (level 4) so it uses up a year of student funding. Foundation were pre HE courses and I wonder if they have all disappeared due to funding changes in FE/HE.
I just worry that a CertHE will cover exactly the same material as the first year of a Degree...which could be good and well, but if you go there for degree too might end up a bit repetitive... We have also heard that some schools teach the CertHE alongside the first year degree...so the year group isn't particularly small at all. Would be interested to hear others thoughts. Feels like a way for schools to take more students whilst claiming to still be small and selective....?

My son is at Mountview and it’s been fantastic. The training and the wider support are brilliant. Students from foundation course and BA courses socialise and support each other so no ‘us and them’.
Go for it!