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Programmes for School Leavers

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Courses for 16 to 18-year-olds

COURSES FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS

With hundreds of unique, exciting and inspiring programmes to choose from, everything you need to create your brighter future is waiting for you at Weston College.

From the minute you walk through the door, the experience and the environment that we create is all about maximising your potential. It’s about preparing and motivating you for a fresh and focused career pathway.

Every Weston College student becomes part of one of our exciting new Career Excellence Hubs. This means you will take part in a study programme with lots of career boosting benefits, all with the aim of help you to go further, giving you the opportunity to become career ready with the skills, knowledge and expertise you need to be successful in your next step and reach your ultimate goal - whatever that may be!

Whether you are looking for the next step after school or the next step in your career, we're bound to have a programme for you. Take a look below at the different types of qualifications available for school leavers and young people between 16 and 18 years old.

Did you know we also run English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)?

Start your brighter future by selecting a subject you're interested in below, and don't forget - you can apply online and it only takes 5 minutes!

 

Discover our range of courses for school leavers aged 16-18 using the search options below...

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Click Here To Find out more about our Career Excellence Hubs

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You can progress onto degrees and higher apprenticeships with UCW...

Qualifications Explained

At Weston College we know that everyone learns differently. That’s why we deliver a variety of different qualification types - to give you the chance to learn in the way that suits you the most.

A Levels

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.

 

Check out A-Levels Here

Apprenticeships

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..

 

Check out Apprenticeships Here

Professional and Technical Qualifications

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.

Traineeships

Traineeships are a great way for 16 to 24-year-olds who haven’t yet gained the skills and experiences necessary to apply for jobs and apprenticeships. They are taught mostly in the workplace and include a mixture of personal and social development, and employability skills. The aim of a traineeship is to train you within a company so that you are more likely to be offered an apprenticeship or a job.

 

Check out Traineeships Here

T-Levels Logo

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.

 

Check out T-Levels Here

CHOOSING WHAT TO STUDY

We are all about CAREERS NOT COURSES and pride ourselves on being able to offer a huge range of programmes to ensure you develop the skills and knowledge employers and universities are looking for. As the only education provider in North Somerset that enables you to work your way up from an entrylevel programme to a degree, we’re here to help you choose the right programme for you.

We can help you choose your study programme or apprenticeship by accessing the following support:

School Liaison Team

Working with local schools we help you find out about college life and programmes of study, and we provide you with advice and guidance about what programmes will best suit you. We will either visit your school, attend careers fairs and parents’ evenings or coordinate campus and virtual events such as our taster days, holiday workshops and tours.

Events

We put on a number of events over the year, which will be a mixture of face-to-face and virtual events. These provide you and your family with the opportunity to explore our facilities, speak to our lecturers, find out about the support on offer and choose the right programme for you. Our events also give you the opportunity to engage with a number of employers to find out about careers in their industry and why they value the calibre of candidates that come from Weston College.

CAREERS ADVICE

  • On our website you can access a wealth of career guidance, such as:
  •  All the programmes you can study.
  • What our alumni have gone on to achieve.
  • Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) that will help explain what relevant careers and jobs are available, including salaries.
  • NEW – Subject careers roadmaps, so you can map your journey with us and ensure it will get you into your chosen career. Also, check out Career Coach - this provides you with the opportunity to:
  • Take an assessment that matches you with careers.
  • Explore broad career pathways that match your strengths and interests.
  • Compare careers within a pathway - including salaries, required education and more.
  • Explore our programmes that will set you on the path to your desired career.
  • Take a career assessment - and receive an in-depth report that can help you identify the best programme and career path for you!

We’re here and happy to help – if you would like more advice and guidance, contact our school liaison team by emailing schoolteam@weston.ac.uk. - they you can arrange a one-to-one careers appointment with our specialist staff.

Why Choose us?
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LATEST NEWS

Woman cutting hair

<p>My name is Emma and I’ve been in the hairdressing industry for nearly 30 years. I started hairdressing as soon as I left school, working in a large salon where I completed a two-year apprenticeship with a one-day college day. I absolutely love every aspect of hairdressing, especially the way it allows creativity and for you to make your own style.</p><p>I worked in a few salons on a rent-a-chair basis, but always felt there was something missing for me. I had so many ideas and I truly wanted to open my own salon in which everything was unique. I worked very hard and I can now say it all was worth it as I have had my own salon for two years, which has been the best and most rewarding thing I've ever done, even with the Covid lockdown in between.</p><p>Something that was really important to me was offering students the opportunity to gain work experience, as I knew first-hand how important it was. Learning in a college is amazing, but being able to go into a salon to see how it's run and their own approach to each detail is essential to a learner looking to go into the field.</p><p>When I opened Unique, I wanted my salon to be different and stand out from the crowd, while also benefitting the environment. To achieve this, I decided I wanted all my colours and products to be vegan friendly. I also offer a wide range of eco-friendly products at an affordable price, so it's easier for my clients to be friendly to the environment.</p><p>With any learner coming into my salon, I would expect them to have fantastic timekeeping and be ready to learn, to accept that there are many jobs to be done, which are all of equal importance to the smooth-running of the salon.</p><p>This year, we are so excited that we are getting involved with the brand-new <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/career-excellence-hubs">Careers Excellence Hub</a> as an endorser. This will allow us to impact the future of our industry by influencing what is taught in the curriculum, delivering master classes and offering more opportunities to learners to gain valuable experience.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>Emma - Unique Hair</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/hair-… you're interested in studying hairdressing and barbering, click this link!</a></p>

BLOG: From Apprentice to Salon Owner - New Careers Excellence Hub Endorser!
Male student holding phone and laptop with headphones on

<p>Former Weston College&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/music… Performance and Production</a> Learner, Michael "Mike-e", has gained an outstanding achievement in securing a place on the highly reputable MA Electronic Music Production at <a href="https://www.dbsinstitute.ac.uk/&quot; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">dB’s Institute of Sound and Digital Technologies</a>, partnered with Falmouth University.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{26724e04-f770-4aaa-a42a-d3d73ae01c25}{187}" paraid="731008097">Mike-e has been a part of the Weston College Group family since joining onto a Level 1 Music course in 2015.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{26724e04-f770-4aaa-a42a-d3d73ae01c25}{193}" paraid="436535305">Since then, he has gone from strength to strength - excelling into Level 2 and 3, then into the UCW <a href="https://www.ucw.ac.uk/courses/professional-music-performance-and-produc… Music Performance and Production</a> Degree and finally earning a spot to study his MA with Bristol-based dB’s Institute of Sound and Digital Technologies, commencing in September.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{26724e04-f770-4aaa-a42a-d3d73ae01c25}{205}" paraid="2066388487">Mike-e's journey and success is a truly commendable achievement and a powerful demonstration of hard work, passion, and dedication.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{26724e04-f770-4aaa-a42a-d3d73ae01c25}{217}" paraid="639609955">Upon hearing news of his offer to study at dB’s Institute of Sound and Digital Technologies, Mike-e tell us he was ecstatic; “I have a habit of telling myself I won’t be successful in these kinds of opportunities so to hear back so quickly was so uplifting”.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{26724e04-f770-4aaa-a42a-d3d73ae01c25}{229}" paraid="2141334176">Mike-e's future career prospects and goals after University include continuing to work as a sound designer and composer for films and video games while operating a sample library and software instrument business.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{26724e04-f770-4aaa-a42a-d3d73ae01c25}{243}" paraid="1295486222">When asked about his time studying Music at UCW he told us: “I would recommend the course to anyone who wants to better their performance skills and develop some business knowledge. The studios and equipment are amazing, and I’ve really enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to use them”.&nbsp;</p>

Mastering Music to Masters Degree: Mike-e's Journey from Level 1 to MA Electronic Music Production
Female Games and Animation Student working on a sketch

<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{4a59ab1d-65ce-4686-bc6a-ea5dec49f311}{63}" paraid="2017484903" xml:lang="EN-GB">The Creative Arts Department (CAD) at Weston College are proud to present their new Instagram page, <a href="https://instagram.com/westoncreative?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=&quot; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">@westoncreative</a>&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{7ae3a64d-d9c4-4d7a-b75d-7ce6fb185b77}{78}" paraid="1092806741" xml:lang="EN-GB">The page was recently created as a way of exhibiting and showcasing the incredible work from our talented learners across the department.</p>

<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{7ae3a64d-d9c4-4d7a-b75d-7ce6fb185b77}{78}" paraid="1092806741" xml:lang="EN-GB">These include those from: <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-a…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Art and Design,</a> <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/game-…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Games and Animation,</a> <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/graph…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Graphic Design,</a> <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/creat…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Creative and Digital Media,</a> <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/photo…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Photography</a> and <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/perfo…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Performing Arts</a>&nbsp;and more!</p>

<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{111fd9ef-2278-48ee-be22-3219819e11aa}{29}" paraid="1885766592" xml:lang="EN-GB">Instagram is a brilliant platform to present the amazing work of our CAD students, utilised throughout the creative industries by professionals to show-off and market brands or personal work.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{556196b2-16ce-45f4-af8a-1eb9775be4f7}{220}" paraid="1239152040" xml:lang="EN-GB">This is yet another example of our creative courses using initiative and innovation to ensure our learners always remain up-to-date and involved in relevant industry practice.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{556196b2-16ce-45f4-af8a-1eb9775be4f7}{230}" paraid="644229206" xml:lang="EN-GB">Follow <a href="https://instagram.com/westoncreative?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=&quot; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">@westoncreative</a> to see more of their outstanding work. &nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{7780fc7b-7080-419d-bfc1-864ef761c26c}{255}" paraid="407643498" xml:lang="EN-GB">To find out more about our Creative Arts courses <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-a…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">click here</a>.&nbsp;</p>

Brand New Creative Arts Instagram Proudly Exhibits Talented Learners

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Important Notice

Please be aware that due to a recent announcement by the Department for Education, the list of available courses for the academic year starting in September 2025 may not be finalised until December 2024. This follows the launch of a government review of qualifications, including BTECs and other applied general qualifications. The purpose of this review is to assess how best to improve the quality of the overall qualifications landscape and ensure that all young people and adults have high-quality options that meet their needs and may mean that some qualifications under review may not be available from September 2025.

We encourage you to still apply for the courses you are interested in now, and we will provide further updates as soon as the review is complete and the course offerings for 2025 and beyond are confirmed. We will communicate this to all students who have applied by this stage, and also provide updates on our website and social media channels. We understand this uncertainty may be disruptive and appreciate your patience and understanding during this period of Government review, please be reassured that we are planning for all outcomes and are in no doubt that whatever the results of the review, we will be able to provide you with the right qualification and pathway to support you with your career goals and next steps.