Thinking ahead

During Years 10 and 11 students will start investigating and then applying for their chosen route for Years 12 and 13. These can include any of the following;

  • Full-time education, such as continuing to study at Blatch 6 or another college
  • Work-based learning, such as an apprenticeship
  • Work with training (at least 5 hours per week)
  • Part-time education or training if employed, self-employed or volunteering for more than 20 hours a week

The most important thing for students to consider when selecting courses for Key Stage 4 is what they hope to do post 16, post 18 and possibly as a career. This is fine where they know what they want to do and are convinced they will not change their mind. Where a student is unsure or has many ideas of their possible career choice, however, they should select a broad range of courses to ‘keep their options open’. Combining a mix of subjects should not close any doors to later study and will provide a varied Key Stage 4 curriculum.

Irrespective of a student’s career intentions and aspirations, they are strongly advised to look at the Careers websites listed at the back of this booklet and identify the subjects they need to take and at what ‘qualification level’ for any possible careers they might be interested in.  

Advice for those considering university post-18

Advice for those considering university post-18

Imagine how frustrating it would be for a student if, when they finish Year 11 or Year 13,  they could not get on to a course they really wanted to take due to making poor choices earlier.

Students need to be aware that for a number of courses at university they need to have taken the subject at A-level and many A-Levels require the subject to have been taken at Key Stage 4. The following section is all about making sure students don't accidentally limit their choices later on by selecting a very narrow range of options now.

University Entry Requirements

Those considering the possibility of studying at university post 18 need to be aware of the entry requirements for the courses they may wish to study. These can be looked at using the UCAS information website, in conjunction with individual university websites. Clearly, a student hoping to study for a degree in Art needs to take Art at an advanced level and to do this, they need to select it as one of their GCSE options in Key Stage 4.

Similarly, a student wishing to study Music at university needs to have studied Music at both Key Stages 4 (Years 10 and 11) and Key Stage 5 (Years 12 and 13). For entry to a Music degree, applicants are required to have studied Music to an advanced level and many universities also look for at least one essay-based course at an advanced level, which can include English Literature, History, Sociology etc.

Many students may have the ambition to study at university, but may have little idea at present as to exactly what. Anybody in this position needs to select subjects now which offer breadth and balance in their curriculum.

Informed Choices

Some useful advice on advanced level choices (many of which will be dependent upon having studied the subject at Key Stage 4) is available from The Russell Group in a document called Informed Choices, a link to which is available at: http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/informed-choices.aspx.

The Russell Group is an association of the top 20 universities in the country and their advice is aimed at students hoping to study for a degree at one of the universities in the group. The document is important for both students who have a clear idea of the courses they might like to take and for those who aim to attend a good university but are unsure of their particular focus of study. 

For example, looking at the recommendations at the back of Informed Choices it is clear that students wishing to study Engineering at a top university are required to have A-Levels (and therefore GCSEs) in Physics and Maths, and Design & Technology is strongly recommended. (Students wishing to study Physics at A-Level can enter this course with the combined Science and Additional Science GCSEs, and so do not need take Triple Science as an option in Year 10).

Facilitating Subjects

The Russell Group describes some subjects at A-Level as Facilitating Subjects. This information is useful for those unsure of what they might like to study at university or even in Years 12 and 13. Facilitating subjects at an advanced level include:

  • Mathematics and Further Mathematics
  • English (Literature)
  • Physics
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Geography
  • History
  • Languages (Classical and Modern)

This does not diminish the value and importance of other courses and indeed, students with an interest in a particular subject should still take it alongside others which provide breadth and balance to their curriculum. Students not wishing to attend university or a Russell Group university in particular can decide for themselves how important Informed Choices is to them.

Some colleges are reluctant and others will not allow students onto an A-Level course without them having studied the subject at GCSE previously. Please note, however, that the individual Science subjects listed can all be taken at A-Level by students who have studied the combined Science and Additional Science courses in Years 10 and 11.

Informed Choices concludes with a section listing typical entry requirements for degree courses. It does this in terms of compulsory and recommended advanced level qualifications. Students interested in applying for courses at university should take time now to look the entry requirements of different degree courses to satisfy themselves of the appropriateness of their Key Stage 4 choices.

Examples of informed choices

The three examples below illustrate how the Russell Group's recommendations can be useful in informing students about appropriate Key Stage 5 qualifications and thus important Key Stage 4 ones too.

Essential and recommended advanced level qualifications for students wishing to study at a Russell group university:

COMPUTING

  • Essential advanced level qualifications - for some courses, Mathematics.
  • Useful advanced level qualifications - Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Computing, Physics, Philosophy, ICT.

DENTISTRY

  • Essential advanced level qualifications - Chemistry and Biology for most courses, but some require Mathematics or Physics as well.
  • Useful advanced level qualifications - Mathematics, Physics, Further Mathematics.

ARCHITECTURE

  • Essential advanced level qualifications - some courses say they want an Arts / Science mix. Some may require Art.
  • Useful advanced level qualifications - Art, Mathematics, Design Technology and Physics. A portfolio of drawings and ideas may be asked for.

It is worth reminding students again that their choices at Key Stage 4 should be broad and balanced; they may have a fixed career idea in mind now which could change many times before they start applying to university or, if not interested in this higher level of education, before beginning their chosen career.

Selecting a wide range of subjects in Years 10 and 11 is a good idea, as is taking some they really enjoy even if they don't see these as being a potential career route. If a student enjoys a subject and takes it as a part of a mixed selection, there is no reason why this shouldn't help their future education and career progression.