By choosing a pathway that reflects the career area you are interested in, Poole High Sixth Form can provide you with additional opportunities that will add to your knowledge and help you to stand out.
| I want to go to university |
The Professional pathway is designed for students who will want to study at a higher level. You will need to get three A-Levels to be able to apply for University or for a direct entry into a profession. You would normally choose to study three subjects at A-Level from four option blocks. You will also choose between the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) or Core Mathematics. Both qualifications are equivalent to an AS level. You will have achieved five 9 – 5 grades at GCSE, including English and maths at grade 5 (4). |
| I’m thinking about work |
The Career pathway is designed for students who are considering career options in addition to further education. You will mostly be studying at Level 3 andwant qualifications that are recognised by local and national employers, and further education institutions. You may also be considering an apprenticeshipor direct entry to a large company or public body. You would normally choose three subjects at Level 3 (Vocational, A-Level, or a mixture) from four option blocks. You will take up the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), but may be offered the Core Mathematics qualification instead; this will depend on your grade at GCSE. Both qualifications are equivalent to an AS level. You will have achieved a minimum of five 9 – 4 grades at GCSE, including English and maths at grade 4. If you need to retake English or maths, you will have timetabled lessons and private study to help you achieve a grade 4 in these subjects. |
| I didn’t get five 9 – 4 grades in GCSEs I need my English and maths GCSE |
If you didn’t quite get the 9 – 4 grades at GCSE, you can take the Employment pathway and still study with us. Instead, you can study at BTEC Level 2 with an optional BTEC Level 3 course whilst you retake GCSE English Language and GCSE maths. When you’ve passed your BTEC course and achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, you can apply to do more vocational courses that will give you qualifications for work. You will be able to study on our Level 2 Business or ICT pathway. All of these will give you useful and relevant qualifications, recognised by employers. |
A-Level Reform over the last 2 years
Over the last two years, A-Levels have been reformed. From September 2017, all specifications will have been revised to reflect the government’s drive for more challenging content and assessment. As a result, we will be offering two-year linear A-Level courses. This means that there will no longer be an AS examination at the end of year 12. We will replace this with a rigorous internal examination, which will contribute to progression to Year 13. This will examine the content students have studied in their first year.
Offering a two-year linear course mirrors the national picture for sixth form providers and will enable us to offer students more time to specialise in the assessment style of these challenging reformed qualifications. Universities no longer require students to have taken AS examinations to apply.
Entry requirements
As explained in the pathways section above, you will need five 9 – 4 grades at GCSE to be able to study at Level 3 (A-Level). This includes the English and maths qualifications. If you do not achieve these results, you will be able to consolidate your Level 2 study with us. As some subjects require students to have attained at a certain level for GCSE, please do have a look at the individual course requirements, as specified in the subject requirements pages for further information.
