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QUALIFICATIONS EXPLAINED
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.
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 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.
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.
LATEST NEWS
What is the first thing you do if you want to find out about someone you don't know?
Chances are, you answered that question with ‘Google them’ or even ‘Facebook them’. Practically everyone has an account on one of the many social media networks out there, and search engines like Google can pull up vast amounts of information that people have shared online.
Everything you share on the internet should be treated as a permanent record of who you are as a person. Even if you delete pictures and posts they might have been screenshotted and shared by your friends, and could still be accessible using an internet archive search such as Wayback Machine. Many celebrities have paid hundreds of thousands of pounds to try to remove images from the internet to no avail.
A lot of employers will use the internet to find out about the kind of person they’re employing, and when you start working for a company many people will check out your Facebook profile to learn more about their new colleague.
Big companies use social media monitoring software to protect their reputation and can easily find posts which mention them; so if you’re going to talk about your employer online make sure that your privacy setting reflect the amount of information you want them to see!
Don’t let your social media profiles have a negative impact on your reputation and employability – follow our useful guidelines:
- Don’t share anything online that you would not be comfortable with everybody knowing
- Ensure your public photos are employer-friendly – they are often the first impression
- If you are unsure about a post, be cautious and don’t post it – or post it privately
- Be thoughtful and polite when commenting on a public page
- Don’t post confidential information about yourself or others
- Report anything you see that might result in someone causing harm to themselves or others
- Create a LinkedIn profile so that you can easily control your professional image.
Our ASPECT team is on hand for further guidance on social media and employability...
As Weston College nears the half-way point in its Winter Gardens development, we take a look at how the project will have a lasting impact on Weston-super-Mare…
Brand new facilities for residents
Weston College has committed to ensuring that the historic portion of the building is available for community use, and is investing money into refurbishing and restoring this historic venue. The public will benefit from a ballroom enhanced with modern technology, a new bar and restaurant with improved catering facilities, as well a café which will open onto the Italian Gardens and fish pond area.
Investing in Weston
The development is seeing over £11 million being invested into the town centre, with Bristol-based contractors Midas Group employing people from the local area, and using supplies from local traders and merchants.
Changing demographics
Creating an educational facility in rear portion of the Winter Gardens means that the College is able to expand its provision and draw young people into the town centre. It will allow University Centre Weston to accept 250 more higher education students, create 35 more teaching positions, and inject an extra £2.75 million per year into the local economy.
Training for the future
Weston College has to react to skills shortages to make sure it’s delivering the qualifications that local employers require. The creation of a Law and Professional Services Academy means that people in Weston-super-Mare can get the skills they need to apply for jobs in Bristol’s booming financial and legal services industries.
Protecting an asset
The Winter Gardens Pavilion will be protected for future generations to enjoy and brought into the 21st century. Weston College will invest in the building, ensure it is maintained, and will transform it into a venue which meets the needs of the local community.
From September 2017, the way A Levels are taught and assessed is changing. Here at Weston College we want to make these changes as simple as possible for you to understand, so if you’re thinking about taking A Levels next year, read on...
No more AS Levels
A Levels will now be linear, two-year courses, which means you can no longer get an AS Level after one year. To get an A Level qualification, you must study for the full two years.
Less coursework
Coursework has been removed altogether from courses where it’s not necessary and reduced to 20% of the final mark in exceptional cases. For science subjects, assessment of practical work no longer contributes to the final A Level grade but will earn a separate certificate of endorsement.
What about exams?
Exams will now be a final assessment at the end of the two-year course. This means that re-takes can’t be guaranteed as students will now have to re-sit as external students. Any re-takes are also likely to incur fees from the exam boards.
We can help
These changes mean that when it comes to choosing the A Level provider you want to study with, you’ll need to make sure that the teaching and support on offer is suitable for your learning style. At the Sixth Form at Weston College, 99% of our students pass their A Levels and we have a wide range of services you can use to gain the support you need.
We offer more A Level variety than your local school to make sure you’re on a course that you want to study and are able to complete. Plus, most of our lectures come from successful careers in the subject they teach about and can offer a lot of guidance when it comes to applying for jobs or planning your next educational steps.
We’re always on hand to offer advice, and if you need more information or would like to talk to a member of our team about the changes you can fill in the enquiry form below or call us on 01934 411 411.
WHICH LEVEL IS RIGHT FOR ME?
