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Options at 16

For many students the obvious next step is to stay on at the Academy but there are other choices too, such as studying at a college, gaining an apprenticeship or getting employment with training. What is important is to choose the course or training to suit your skills and aspirations.

The pathway you choose will be based on the following:

  • The GCSE grades you have achieved or expect to achieve
  • How you like to learn
  • Where and what you would like to study later
  • What you want to do in the future

Choosing the right courses can be critical for some careers and it is important to not unintentionally close off pathways that you may wish to pursue later on in your career.

What you can do to make the right choice:

  • Find out about different careers that interest you
  • Get advice from the people who know you like your parents and teachers and from The Careers Team at the Academy
  • Look at the qualifications on offer to you at Studio 6 and in other local colleges and also consider whether an apprenticeship might be a good route for you.

Choosing the Right Level 3 Courses for University

If you have a particular degree or subject in mind, now is the time to check out the entry requirements on UCAS so that your post 16 choices are the right ones to ensure you are on the right route.

If you really do not know what you want to do at 18, but you think higher education might be of interest then choose a broad range of subjects at 16 so you have maximum choice of university subjects later.

There are some A Level subjects regarded by virtually all universities as being acceptable. These are sometimes known as ‘facilitating’ subjects such as Maths, English Literature, Physics, Biology or Chemistry, History or Geography or a language.  The Russell Group universities expect students to take at least two facilitating subjects.

What courses are available at The Sixth Form?

If you are thinking about taking A Levels or BTEC qualifications you need to choose subjects:

  • you will enjoy
  • you believe that you will do well in
  • that will help you get to where you want to go in the future

The Milton Keynes Academy offers a wide variety of A Levels and BTEC vocational courses. Click here to view the courses that we offer.

Students are encouraged to discuss their A Level/BTEC choices with their Tutor, subject teachers and to take advice from The Careers Team.

Apprenticeship Options

An Apprenticeship is a great way to learn on the job, building up knowledge and skills, gaining qualifications and earning money at the same time.

You will spend most of your time in the workplace gaining job-specific skills, but you will also be supported by a specialist learning provider to build up your knowledge and qualifications.

Apprenticeship training can take between one and four years to complete and the length of your Apprenticeship will depend on its level, the industry you are training in and the skills you already have.

You must be 16 or over to start an Apprenticeship and there are three levels you can study at:

Further information on apprenticeships can be accessed via the https://www.gov.uk/topic/further-education-skills/apprenticeships  website.

Other Providers

What if Milton Keynes Academy doesn’t offer me the A level course that I want to do?

Not all subjects are offered at The Milton Keynes Academy and students may wish to research other post 16 providers for courses such as Law, Media Studies or Engineering.

There are many different sixth forms and colleges in the Milton Keynes area .The links below will take you to their individual home pages.