COURSES FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS
Your Future Starts Here
With hundreds of exciting courses, this is where your journey begins. From day one, you'll be supported, inspired, and on track to a rewarding career.
See SubjectsJoin a Career Excellence Hub and gain real-world skills, experience, and confidence to reach your goals.
Whether you're finishing school, changing direction, or learning English with our ESOL courses – we’ve got you covered.
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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
We have some incredibly rewarding and fulfilling jobs in prison education, and would love for you to join our fantastic team!
Our aim is to deliver an outstanding and inclusive learning experience to support the successful rehabilitation, resettlement, and employment of offenders on release.
Weston College have been providers of prison education since 2011, The College - rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted – now provides nationally recognised qualifications and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities to thousands of offenders.
Our delivery focuses on transformational learning and raising aspirations – changing learners’ perceptions of education and ensuring that education packages meet the needs of offenders when they complete their sentence.
The College is committed to helping a new generation of offenders to gain skills which will help them to find employment after their release. To achieve this, we deliver nationally recognised qualifications – including diplomas and NVQs – in all our prisons and provide the highest standard of quality in all our teaching.
We are looking to appoint high calibre, enthusiastic and talented professionals. Successful candidates can be supported to establish new or changed careers via teacher training and CPD initiatives.
Find out more information, and book a call with our recruitment team, by clicking here!
Weston College is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a grant of £29,995 by Arts Council England to deliver 'The Open Door Project' at HMP Channings Wood – a Category C men's prison located near Newton Abbot, Devon, where the College is the Prison Education provider. This transformative project is set to run throughout 2024, with the aim of providing arts and creative experiences to prisoners, along with potential routes into employment, through collaborative partnerships with local artists and arts organisations.
Key highlights of the project include:
- An Arts Festival in January 2024 - the project will kick off with an Arts Festival, showcasing the creative talents of the learners. This event will enable learners to try out different art/creative forms and techniques and give feedback on which ones they would like to explore further, as part of the prisoner-led collaborative process.
- In-Prison Workshops - throughout the year, a series of workshops will be organised within the Library and Arts Centre at HMP Channings Wood. Local artists and arts organisations including printmakers from Double Elephant Print Workshops, willow sculptors from Weird Sticks Community Interest Company, creative writers and performers from the Outsiders Project, and contemporary ceramist Lili John, amongst others, will collaborate with each learner to nurture their creative skills and provide guidance.
- Touring Exhibitions - the artwork created by the learners during the workshops will be displayed in touring exhibitions at various local partner venues including Cockington Court Centre of Creativity, Torre Abbey Museum, MAKE Southwest, Newton’s Place, and Exeter Quay Custom House. This not only highlights the creative potential of the learners but also fosters a sense of connection with the wider community.
- Weston College’s Creative Summer Festival - as part of these touring exhibitions, learners' work will feature at the Weston College Festival next summer, celebrating their achievements and the transformative power of the arts.
Kate Linden, Arts Lecturer at HMP Channings Wood, who is spearheading this inspiring initiative commented: “The Open Door Project is a unique opportunity for prisoners to explore their creative potential, connect with their community and gain valuable skills that can lead to employment opportunities upon their release.“
Weston College is committed to supporting 'The Open Door Project' and is excited to be a part of this transformational journey for the learners at HMP Channings Wood. As the project progresses, we will release more information on the dates and times of these future events so people can enjoy the creative outputs.
In a gripping session, former detective for Gloucestershire Constabulary Tony Jay captivated A Level law, Level 3 Criminology and Access to HE Social Sciences students with his firsthand account of the notorious Fred and Rose West serial killer case. Tony shared insights into the investigation, shedding light on the complexities of criminal profiling and forensic science. The students, engaged and intrigued, had the unique opportunity to explore the intricacies of real-life detective work. Tony's visit not only provided valuable insights into the criminal justice system but also served as a source of inspiration for aspiring law and criminology professionals.
This guest speaker forms part of the subject Careers Excellence Hub. At Weston College our approach goes beyond the traditional classroom setting. Through industry speakers, workshops, employer projects, and more, we equip our learners with the real-world experiences and insights that set them apart in the competitive job market. It's not just about getting a job; it's about standing out from the crowd when they embark on their job searches.
To find out more about A Level law, click here. To find out about Level 3 Criminology click here for 16-18 courses and here for adult courses. To find out about Access to HE Social Sciences click here.
WHICH LEVEL IS RIGHT FOR ME?
