The Blackpool Sixth Form College

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How to choose?

The Blackpool Sixth Form College has a very wide range of courses on offer. This allows you to select courses which exactly match your interests, abilities and future plans. There are five main programmes we offer. By “programme”, we mean ways of combining your choices in order to put together a set of courses which will meet your needs and set you up perfectly for the next stage.

The A level Programme

Which A levels should I choose?

What kind of GCSE grades will I need?

What if I need to resit my Maths or English?

International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)

Gifted and Talented Programme

The Applied Programme (BTEC)

What are BTEC Nationals?

Is this programme only for those definitely interested in particular jobs?

What kind of GCSE grades will I need?

The Level 2 Programme

What kind of grades do I need to get onto the Level 2 Programme?

If I apply for A levels and don’t get the grades I need, can I still come to college?

The A level Programme

The majority of our students follow this programme. It provides an excellent preparation for University entry. It is also extremely flexible as you can choose almost any combination of AS courses.

In Year 1 (Lower Sixth), you choose 4 AS courses. You will also study General Studies as part of your Personal Tutor sessions. In the second year, you study the second part of your courses, called A2. This will complete your programme together with General Studies, and Personal Tutor sessions.

Which A levels should I choose?

This is really down to you. The best advice is to think carefully about what your plans are after A levels and choose courses which help you achieve this goal. For example, if you are thinking about maybe applying for a University course in a particular subject e.g. Medicine, then this will mean that you would need to choose certain subjects - in this case ones like Biology and Chemistry.

For many Higher Education courses and jobs, the exact choice of A levels is not too important but it’s always worth checking out with your Careers Teacher or a Connexions advisor.

If you don’t have a specific goal for after A levels, then you are best to choose subjects which both interest you and which you feel you will do well in. As part of your enrolment at College, we will talk through your course choices with you, so don’t worry if you are finding it hard to choose!

What kind of GCSE grades will I need?

For our 4 A level programme, we require at least 2 GCSEs at B grade and 4 GCSEs at grade C or above, including English or Maths. The B grades (or above) need to be related to the subjects you wish to take at AS level e.g. a B grade in English is normally required for “essay” based subjects such as English, History and Law. B grades in Double Science are required for our AS courses in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

What if I need to resit my Maths or English?

Clearly it is much better if you are able to pass both your English and Maths first time. Both are essential qualifications for University entry and most career routes these days. If you do need to resit one of them, this can be fitted into your programme. You normally need a D grade at GCSE to be entered into a resit in English or Maths. If you have less than a D you will need to complete an Adult Literacy or Numeracy course before the GCSE course. We are also able to offer a single Science option for those who need this for going into areas such as nursing or primary teaching.

International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)

The Blackpool Sixth Form College is the only non-fee paying College in the area to offer this exciting programme. The IB is an alternative to A levels for those who want a broad-based course which allows you to build your knowledge in key subject areas and also gives you a range of other options to choose. This programme is well-known across the globe for its high standards and its development of excellent personal and independent learning skills.

For more details please contact Phil Benson, IB Co-ordinator, on pbenson@blackpoolsixth.ac.uk

Gifted and Talented Programme

This programme is for students who achieve mainly A* and A grades at GCSE. In Year 1 (Lower Sixth) you chose 4 AS courses. You will also take an exciting course called AS Critical Thinking which helps you extend your reasoning and analysis skills. It is well respected by top universities as evidence of your higher level abilities. You will also receive an individualised package of support to help you with applications to the more selective university courses such as Oxbridge and Medical courses. There are specific tutor groups for Gifted and Talented students to ensure that you
benefit from spending time with other very high ability students.

In the second year, you study the second part of your courses, called A2. This will complete your programme together with your Personal Tutor sessions. You also take A2 Critical Thinking in your second year. Please note that you do not need to apply specifically for the Gifted and Talented programme. You will be advised at enrolment
on the basis of your grades if it is likely that you will be eligible for entry onto the programme.

The Applied Programme (BTEC)

This will be our third year offering an exciting new programme which will appeal to those of you who want a more work-related focus to your studies than the traditional A level courses offer. These courses are all much more coursework-based than A levels, in fact the BTECs have no public exams at all.

With this option, the core of your programme is an advanced applied qualification in one of a range of occupational areas. This qualification will count the same as two or three A levels and is studied over two years. If you are taking the two A level equivalent option then you will need to also choose one or two AS levels in the first year which you will follow to A2 level in the second year. You also take A level or GCSE General Studies as part of your Personal Tutor sessions. If you need to take a GCSE resit in English, Maths or Science, then this will form part of your programme.

What are BTEC Nationals?

BTEC National Certificates are practical, work related courses. You learn by completing projects and assignments that are based on realistic workplace situations, activities and demands. There are no public exams. They are equivalent to two A levels. BTEC National Diplomas are equivalent to three A levels. We also offer a BTEC National Award in Applied Science (Medical), this is worth one A level over two years. Again, you can use these courses either to move into employment or to go into Higher Education. They are very well known and respected by both universities and employers.

Is this programme only for those definitely interested in particular jobs?

No. These are well respected qualifications which will help you succeed in a wide variety of different career and study routes. The job areas which the courses relate to are very broad e.g. IT is used in most jobs nowadays. The main thing to think about when choosing this programme is that it offers more practical, “hands-on” learning than the academic A levels. If this is the way you like to work then you will get a lot out of these courses.

What kind of GCSE grades will I need?

As BTEC Nationals are advanced courses, we generally require 5 A*- C passes (or equivalent) with English or Maths in at least three different subject areas.

If you have taken courses such as BTEC First Diplomas at school, these are a good preparation for our higher level BTEC courses.

The Level 2 Programme

This Programme is designed for those of you who want to move on to college but who are unlikely to get 5 A - C's at GCSE at this stage. The Level 2 programme offers you the perfect chance to improve your skills and take highly respected qualifications in a range of job-related areas. When you have completed this one-year programme, you will be ready for the next step which could be either the A level Programme or the Applied Programme.

This programme runs over four days a week, leaving you one day each week for other activities such as part-time employment.

Students on this programme select a BTEC First Diploma (equivalent to 4 GCSEs) in one of the following subjects:
• Art / Design / Graphics
• Health and Social Care
• ICT
• Performing Arts
• Science
• Travel and Tourism
All Level 2 students also take GCSE English (or Key Skills Communication) and / or GCSE Maths (or Key Skills Numeracy) if they do not already have a C grade in these subjects. GCSE Science (Single) is also available.

What kind of grades do I need to get onto the Level 2 Programme?

The course is designed for students who have at least 4 D grades at GCSE.

If I apply for A levels and don’t  get the grades I need, can I still come to college?

Yes, we’d still be delighted to have you as a student and through taking the Level 2 Programme you could then
do A levels or other advanced courses. That would be a three year course.