Courses for 16 to 18-year-olds (old)
COURSES FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS
With hundreds of unique, exciting and inspiring programmes to choose from, everything you need to create your brighter future is waiting for you at Weston College.
From the minute you walk through the door, the experience and the environment that we create is all about maximising your potential. It’s about preparing and motivating you for a fresh and focused career pathway.
Every Weston College student becomes part of one of our exciting new Career Excellence Hubs. This means you will take part in a study programme with lots of career boosting benefits, all with the aim of help you to go further, giving you the opportunity to become career ready with the skills, knowledge and expertise you need to be successful in your next step and reach your ultimate goal - whatever that may be!
Whether you are looking for the next step after school or the next step in your career, we're bound to have a programme for you. Take a look below at the different types of qualifications available for school leavers and young people between 16 and 18 years old.
Did you know we also run English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)?
Start your brighter future by selecting a subject you're interested in below, and don't forget - you can apply online and it only takes 5 minutes!
Discover our range of courses for school leavers aged 16-18 using the search options below...
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Find Your Future Path
Qualifications Explained
At Weston College we know that everyone learns differently. That’s why we deliver a variety of different qualification types - to give you the chance to learn in the way that suits you the most.
A Levels
A Levels develop the knowledge, skills and study habits to excel at university, as well as the attributes recognised by employers. Your academic studies will be complemented with enrichment opportunities such as trips, mentoring and work experience, providing the perfect springboard for your future career. A Levels are assessed through exams at the end of two years of study. Most learners study three subjects - some choose four.
Apprenticeships
With an apprenticeship you’ll go straight into the workplace and be shown clear routes to progress straight into employment within a specific occupation. You can achieve nationally recognised qualifications, earn a wage, and gain skills that will see you get ahead. On average you will spend 20% of your learning time in the college and 80% within the workplace..
Professional and Technical Qualifications
Professional and technical qualifications are designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to gain employment within specific industries or occupations. They provide a balance between theory and practical skills development. They are suited to those who want to get hands-on experience within a particular vocational area. These programmes include work placements. Assessment is more varied and will include exams, coursework and practical work.
Traineeships
Traineeships are a great way for 16 to 24-year-olds who haven’t yet gained the skills and experiences necessary to apply for jobs and apprenticeships. They are taught mostly in the workplace and include a mixture of personal and social development, and employability skills. The aim of a traineeship is to train you within a company so that you are more likely to be offered an apprenticeship or a job.
T Levels give you the chance to learn what a real career is like while you continue your studies. T Levels have been designed with leading businesses and employers to give you the knowledge and skills you need, including a minimum of 45 days on an industry placement – this means you will spend 80% of your learning time in College and 20% within the workplace.
CHOOSING WHAT TO STUDY
We are all about CAREERS NOT COURSES and pride ourselves on being able to offer a huge range of programmes to ensure you develop the skills and knowledge employers and universities are looking for. As the only education provider in North Somerset that enables you to work your way up from an entrylevel programme to a degree, we’re here to help you choose the right programme for you.
We can help you choose your study programme or apprenticeship by accessing the following support:
School Liaison Team
Working with local schools we help you find out about college life and programmes of study, and we provide you with advice and guidance about what programmes will best suit you. We will either visit your school, attend careers fairs and parents’ evenings or coordinate campus and virtual events such as our taster days, holiday workshops and tours.
Events
We put on a number of events over the year, which will be a mixture of face-to-face and virtual events. These provide you and your family with the opportunity to explore our facilities, speak to our lecturers, find out about the support on offer and choose the right programme for you. Our events also give you the opportunity to engage with a number of employers to find out about careers in their industry and why they value the calibre of candidates that come from Weston College.
CAREERS ADVICE
- On our website you can access a wealth of career guidance, such as:
- All the programmes you can study.
- What our alumni have gone on to achieve.
- Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) that will help explain what relevant careers and jobs are available, including salaries.
- NEW – Subject careers roadmaps, so you can map your journey with us and ensure it will get you into your chosen career. Also, check out Career Coach - this provides you with the opportunity to:
- Take an assessment that matches you with careers.
- Explore broad career pathways that match your strengths and interests.
- Compare careers within a pathway - including salaries, required education and more.
- Explore our programmes that will set you on the path to your desired career.
- Take a career assessment - and receive an in-depth report that can help you identify the best programme and career path for you!
We’re here and happy to help – if you would like more advice and guidance, contact our school liaison team by emailing schoolteam@weston.ac.uk. - they you can arrange a one-to-one careers appointment with our specialist staff.
LATEST NEWS
<p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Recently, our Year 2 <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/creat…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/creat…; target="_blank">Level 3 Film, TV and Creative Production</a> students have been working hard over the last four weeks to create a range of promotional content for local charities. Each group had a different charity, taking into consideration the charity’s aims and goals in order to create meaningful content that reflected the values and integrity of the organisation.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">There were six groups in total with 4 students within each group. With 4 weeks to prepare, each learner took charge of a role whilst making sure they worked together to maintain consistency and create a strong campaign. They had to ensure they considered their target audience when designing their aims and plans, as well as take the branding on board to reflect the charity.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">The six charities included Weston Foodbank, Rainbow Trust, Cleaner Coastlines, You Are My Sunshine, The Space, and In Charley’s Memory. These Somerset-based charities focus on a range of different issues that not only effect individuals and their families but also focus on the community.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">The learners worked hard to create effective promotional content that not only gave them real-world experience in working with clients, but it also provided each charity with additional free publicity that they can also use, including graphics, posters, informative presentations, and long and short-form videos to bring to light what the charity does.</p><drupal-entity alt=""3 students standing next to their In Charley's Memory presentation"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8b6658a6-4de1-45ee-88b9-e89ae232dda2" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">The long-form and short-form videos were well thought-out and executed professionally, and, in many of them, lots of B-Roll was used to show the behind-the-scenes of the charity and give people a better understanding of what they do. The students also independently organised interviews with members of the charities to add a more personal perspective and get to know the team behind the organisation.</p><drupal-entity alt=""3 students standing next to their charity presentation, The Space"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="eca3c9a9-1f16-4fa3-b5ee-6b22bd30704c" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">The research that went into each project was clear, and the relationships they built with these organisations were fantastic, gaining glowing feedback from the charity members who attended the showcase, with many expressing how extremely grateful they were to work with the students and gain some additional publicity and support.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Jenna Meyrick, Social Media Officer from In Charley’s Memory charity, added, “the team were brilliant to work with, very polite and eager to ask all the questions they could. The products they've produced will be very useful for our social media plans and for promoting the work we do. It will help relieve the stress a new client feels.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Dawn Carey (CEO) and I would like to say that being able to work with young people on projects like this is so important to making sure our work remains relevant to the community at large.”</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">One of our Media lecturers, Mel Edmonds, exclaimed how thrilled she was with her students, and the cooperation of the charities, saying, “it has been a privilege to work with these Somerset-based charities. The students have spent the past few weeks working alongside the staff and volunteers as part of their Social Action project.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">It has been a great achievement to produce professional content for the charities to help and support their incredible work in the community.”</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Overall, our <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/creat…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/creat…; target="_blank">Level 3 Film, TV and Creative Production</a> students worked extremely hard to produce professional content and publicise these amazing local charities. The learners gained a lot from this project! They now have a better understanding of the impact of giving back to the community and what kinds of fantastic work these organisations do to make our area better in every way. Not only this, it gave them the chance to work together as a team to create many pieces of promotional content that will be used in a real-world setting.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">A big well done to all of the students who took part in this, you did a fantastic job and promoted yourselves and the college in a highly professional manner. We’d also like to thank the charities who took the time to help our learners with this project, educating them about what they do and putting themselves forward for interviews - they could not have done this without your cooperation.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/creat…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/creat…; target="_blank">If you’d like to join one of our Media courses in September, click here.</a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">UAL Foundation Diploma (Pre-Degree)</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> Level 3 and 4 is an exciting course, aiming to help students find their creative medium and experiment with different art-based subjects before university. This could be to gain the experience required to complete a specific degree course, or simply to develop their skills and build on their existing knowledge, creating a portfolio for the future. </span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">The course is aimed at developing individuality and encourages creative and visual thinking through to Level 4 with a variety of materials and approaches. This gives learners the chance to pursue a creative focus, developing a more in-depth understanding of a subject to determine which area of study they may want to specialise in. This often leads to our students studying at the most prestigious art-based universities to further their careers and passions. </span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">Our current </span><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank"><span style="color:#37797B;font-size:inherit;">UAL Foundation Diploma</span></a><span style="font-size:inherit;"> learners have been working hard on a project in which the students were given two randomly generated words which they had to base their project on. This gave the learners creative freedom, allowing them to develop a theme using their own artistic individuality with a medium of their choice. </span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-left:0;margin-top:0px;"><span style="font-size:inherit;">We interviewed 4 students who have completed this project to find out how they have found the course so far, as well as how it has benefitted them to make sure students are well informed about their options before making decisions about their future. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><strong>SIENNA</strong></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Sienna, a <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank">UAL Foundation Diploma</a> student, was recommended this course by her Sixth Form lecturers as it gave her the opportunity to develop new skills and further her knowledge of the subject. The theme of her final piece was about past societal opinions and what was classed as peculiar, and comparing this idea with the diverse and accepting society nowadays. This project gave her a better understanding of her preferred medium which she plans to develop within a Fine Art degree at university.</p><drupal-entity alt=""Sienna standing next to her final project"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="70b3e329-460b-4752-ac04-e0650b048fd5" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><strong>AMY</strong></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Amy, a <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; target="_blank">UAL Extended Diploma student in Art, Design and Communication</a>, chose this course due to the advanced equipment available and the specialist workshops that vary in skill and ability, adding “I have loved it so much so far! The tutors have both been extremely supportive, helping me to further adapt and expand my ideas to produce well thought out and compositional work.”</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Amy’s two randomly generated words were ‘deficient’ and ‘abrasive’, and after much research, she decided to base her final project on the negative opinions surrounding homelessness. She explored Maslow’s Law of Needs theory and determined that homeless people lack the same opportunities because of their status in society due to preconceptions of their background. With this in mind, Amy created a suit jacket, playing into the idea of employment for the homeless to symbolise that they deserve the same opportunities in life.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">After this course, Amy plans to progress to university to either complete a Fine Art course or an Art Sculptural course.</p><drupal-entity alt=""Amy standing next to her her project: a paper mache suit jacket"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e3b58c01-f52f-4e31-bf22-622437b8f888" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><strong>EDEN</strong></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Eden, a <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; target="_blank">UAL Extended Diploma student in Art, Design and Communication</a>, chose this course as she wanted to explore different processes and techniques to build her skills, adding, “I wasn't sure exactly what area of Art and Design I wanted to go into so this course allowed me to experiment and figure out what I liked best.”</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Eden’s two randomly generated words were ‘curvilinear’ and ‘inferior’ where she decided on the theme of afro hair, creating a dress that included designs that she screen-printed onto fabric.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">“I drew inspiration from my own experiences of having afro hair as well as the history of hair in African culture. The designs I screen-printed came from various Afro hairstyles. The shape was inspired by African dresses and the bright colours and patterns were inspired by tignon headscarves.”</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">After this course, Eden plans to go to university to study Textile Design.</p><drupal-entity alt=""Eden standing next to her final project: a printed dress"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="156551ce-a7b7-401f-b94d-39d23e8cc7fb" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><strong>MOLLY</strong></p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Molly, a <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank">UAL Foundation Diploma</a> student, chose this course as she was undecided of what she wanted to do after leaving Sixth Form and wanted to give herself another year to find what she enjoyed doing. This course has allowed her to explore different techniques and where she discovered her love for screen printing on textiles which she hadn’t previously attempted.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Molly’s words were ‘voluminous’ and ‘quincunx’. She discovered that quincunx relates to a repetitive pattern which she created and transferred onto a silk screen, and voluminous related to the excessive silhouette shape of the garment that she created.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">After this course, Molly plans to apply to a BA Hons Fashion and Textiles degree.</p><drupal-entity alt=""Molly standing next to her final project: a printed blouse"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="444865d6-a294-4672-b682-34532e5e49d6" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Overall, it is evident that this course allows students to explore different artistic techniques that they may not have previously had the chance to try. Whether you are progressing from an Arts and Design course or another subject, anyone is welcome to build up their portfolio and express their creativity on the UAL Extended Diploma courses.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank">If you’re interested in applying to the UAL Foundation Diploma course, click here.</a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Last month, a group of Year 1 learners from the <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport…; target="_blank">Level 3 Sport Coaching</a> course and <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport…; target="_blank">Level 3 Sport and Exercise Science</a> course had the opportunity to visit the University of South Wales (USW) to gain insight into what sports science and coaching within higher education would entail. The visit provided them with hands-on experience in key aspects of the field while allowing them to explore potential pathways for their future careers and studies.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">The day began with a visit to the Glyntaff campus, where learners participated in a VO2 max test. This involved one student taking on the role of the test subject on an exercise bike while the rest of the group acted as the research team. They were responsible for monitoring the test, handling the equipment, and collecting data. After the test, the group analysed their findings to measure the oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) exchanged during the experiment, ultimately determining the participant's VO2 max.</p><drupal-entity alt=""Student on a bike while other students measure his oxygen"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e1b8e8ab-e638-4bbb-9c70-d655b5f35c35" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Following this, the learners moved to the USW Sports Park, where they engaged in a strength and conditioning session. Here, they underwent pressure plate testing to assess their lower-body power and identify any potential muscle imbalances. This hands-on session gave them valuable insights into performance assessment and injury prevention strategies.</p><drupal-entity alt=""Student jumping in the air"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6888b69f-90bf-4856-8961-c42a58ea2b70" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">The day continued with a physiotherapy session that focused on CPR training in a sports context. The learners participated in a role-play scenario where they had to respond to a player collapsing during a match, giving them the chance to practice administering CPR on a dummy and using a defibrillator. This activity showed the students the importance of emergency response in sports settings and the necessary training required for the role.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Overall, this trip to USW was a fantastic opportunity for our learners as it allowed them to explore the various sports courses, career pathways and opportunities available to them after completing their Level 3 qualifications. It also gave the learners the chance to network and interact with university lecturers and industry professionals. Additionally, the hands-on experience allowed them to envision what their future roles might entail, providing them with a clearer perspective on their potential career paths.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">These opportunities are essential in helping students make informed decisions about their futures while developing their practical knowledge in real-world scenarios.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;">Thank you to USW for hosting our students and showing them the amazing opportunities available to them in higher education.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;"><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport…; target="_blank">If you are interested in applying to one of our Sport and Fitness courses in September, click here.</a></p>
