Choices in Year 11
From early on in Year 11 you'll need to start thinking about
what you want to do next. The law is changing so from
September 2013 all Year 11 leavers will need to continue in some
form of learning for at least one more year. From September
2015 all young people will need to stay in learning until the age
of 18.
You may want to stay on in the 6th form to take a level 3
qualification (eg A levels or a BTEC National). Some schools
also offer level 2 courses. You could also leave school and
start college, or look for an apprenticeship or job with accredited
training. For more information on Raising the
Participation age and options, see www.education.gov.uk.
Depending on what grades you expect to achieve at GCSE, there is
a wide range of options available locally, including both academic
and more job related courses.
A Levels/AS Levels
These are a chance to specialise in the subjects that you are
good at and enjoy in school, and that may be relevant to
your future career ideas. A Level courses last two years and
are exam based although some coursework will also be
assessed. Results are graded A to E (from 2008 A* to
E). As a minimum you will need 5 GCSE’s at grade C or above
to take A Levels, but in many cases grade B’s or above are expected
in the subjects you wish to continue with at AS Level.
An Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Level represents the first half of a
full A Level course and is a qualification in its own right.
It is usual to consider taking four AS Levels in the first year of
your studies but continue with three in the second year to A
Level.
Look at these pages on our site for information on
BTEC
qualifications
re-taking GCSEs
Apprenticeships
College Open
days