Sixth Form Career Pathways

For most students thinking about their Sixth Form options we simply advise that they pick subjects that interest them and where they think they will excel. For some, this will mean continuing with a subject or subjects where they have a proven track record of success and will go on to build on these strong foundations at Post 16. For others, it will mean picking new subjects that they have never studied before and which will give them a real opportunity to try something different and study more specialist subjects not on offer at GCSE. An overview of our 6th Form Careers Education Programme can be found here.

6th Form Careers Workshop - Post 18 Choices June 2023

Online Parent Webinar - Post 18 Progression 19th Oct 2022

All 6th form students will receive dedicated careers & pathways support at any point in their learning journey with us this could be mentoring, 1-1 guidance interviews, assemblies & tutor programme sessions, targeted careers workshops and careers education lessons through our PSE REACH programme.

Apprenticeship Pathways

It is vitally important to explore all pathways open to you after studying at 6th form. There has never been more choice available to learners at Post 18. Deciding upon which is the best pathway for you can be confusing using Unifrog to help you work this out is a great starting point. For apprenticeships, having a look at Amazing Apprenticeships will help you navigate this exciting pathway. All 6th formers are registered with Unifrog with their school email address.

Higher Education Pathways

For those looking into a university pathway, please read through the points to note below.

OXFORD OR CAMBRIDGE

Students who are looking at particular careers or top Russell Group universities/Oxford or Cambridge will want to ensure that they choose subjects which give them the best chance of being accepted onto the courses/universities required to move into this area. Not only are these subjects/institutions extremely competitive, many will require specific courses to be studied at Post 16.  or example, the University of Cambridge states:

University of Cambridge

“The A-Level (or equivalent) subject choices made in Year 11 can have a major impact on your  course and university options. At the University of Cambridge, we generally prefer applicants to have taken certain subjects, or combinations of subjects, because we believe that they are more likely to provide an effective preparation for study at the University.”

 Oxford/Cambridge & Russell Group universities are extremely competitive and also require high grades, whatever courses are studied. For example, Cambridge also state:

“For each subject we will normally expect you to pass with an A or A* grade at A-level or equivalent, and generally we do not specify the A* for a particular subject. Occasionally applicants may be asked to achieve an A* in a particular subject, depending on individual circumstances.”

 MEDICINE/DENTISTRY

In order to study Medicine or Dentistry you will need to study Chemistry and Biology A Levels. Some universities will also require a third science subject but this will depend on the institution and may include subjects like Psychology. Maths is also often either an essential or desirable subject.

Pharmacology related degrees generally require A level chemistry and normally one other subject from Biology, Physics or maths. In other allied medical professionals (i.e. physiotherapy, radiology, speech therapy and nursing) you will generally need at least one Science A level. Depending on the field Biology may be preferred.

 VETERINARY SCIENCE

Veterinary Science often requires a similar set of subjects to be studied as for Medicine/Dentistry; namely A Level Biology and an additional Science or Maths.

 LAW

In order to study Law at degree level, it is not necessary to have studied this in Sixth Form, as many schools do not offer it. At HTS we offer Law BTEC, which provides a good foundation for any student looking to study towards an LLB (a Law degree at university).

Many students who study Law at university have also studied History at A Level. Like Law, this involves studying different perspectives, analysing sources and arguing/debating, all of which are extremely important skills for a Law degree.

Many of the subjects/institutions outlined above will also involve an admissions test prior to applying. Further information about university courses and entry requirements can be found at https://www.ucas.com/explore/subjects.