What happens after Key Stage 4?
At the end of Key Stage 4, compulsory education finishes. From here onwards your future is truly in your own hands. There is quite literally a whole world of options that are available to you. Decisions you make at this stage, however, could close some of these options to you forever, so make sure you discuss these with careers advisors, friends and your parents.
Many choose to go on to Further Education. The majority of these will study for A Levels, possibly with a view to continuing to study for a degree at University or another Higher Education institution. Others may go straight into the world of work or pursue vocational training.
Where can I choose to study after my GCSEs?
Many schools have a Sixth form attached to them so you may not even need to change schools. However, there are a number of other places where you can continue your studies such as a separate Sixth form college, a Further Education college or even in the workplace.
How do A Levels work?
The old single A Level exam was replaced by AS and A2 exams in order to offer students a more flexible way to learn.
You can mix and match AS and A2 courses with vocational A Levels or other qualifications if you wish to.
In Year 12 there is a large range of AS courses you can select from. Then, in Year 13, you can either specialise in three or four subjects by pursuing them to A2 level, or choose to take more subjects at AS Level.
This means that an AS Level (made up of three units) can form the first half of a full A Level, or it can stand as a qualification in its own right. Full A Levels are made up of six units and are AS and A2 exams in the same subject.
Both AS and A Levels count towards the points system that Universities use to allocate places for degree study.
How can I get into a University?
If you want to know more about Higher Education, or you've already decided University is right for you, here's some background information for you.
UCAS
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) oversees the allocation of University and College places.
What will you study?
You'll spend the next three years living with your decision so it's worth a lot of consideration.
- Find out what courses are on offer, and where
- Find out more about the different types of qualifications on offer
Financing your way through university is an expensive business as, the student has to pay for tuition fees and their own living expenses.
- Find out more about paying your way through University
- Find out about the tax credits available to University or College students' families
Changing times?
The Government has recently published a White Paper explaining how it plans to deliver a more effective education for 14-19 year olds. The report looked at the ever-improving grades achieved nationally for GCSE and A levels, and also listed employers' and Universities' concerns about the skills they feel new recruits or students are not getting during their study.
As a result, these are just some of the changes we will see in Further Education:
- New vocational paths involving employers and Universities.
- More options for apprenticeship.
- Increased access to vocational courses through schools, colleges and even the workplace.