Types of Qualifications

Blessed Thomas Holford Sixth Form offers
AS / A Levels, BTECs and Enrichment.  

You can view more detailed information on each course by clicking on the colourful course links to the left of this text.  

Advanced Levels (A Levels) are the traditional route in post–16 education.  The assessments are taken over the two years, Year 12 in the form of Advanced Subsidiary (AS) assessments and A2 assessment in Year 13.  The combined result of the modules in each year constitutes the total A Level grade achieved.  In most A Level subjects there are four modules studied over the two years, although some have six modules over the two years.  

The Level Three BTEC Extended Diploma is regarded as equivalent to the GCE A Level and in some cases will be equivalent to more than one A Level (please see the course descriptions for details).  The BTEC qualification is particularly suitable for those who have strong inclinations towards a chosen vocational career.  The applied learning aspect of the BTEC course involves a work placement which is particularly valued by universities considering admissions for these subjects.  

As part of the Enrichment Programme, most subjects will offer a range of visits and residential trips which will help engage and progress students taking that subject. A number of these planned trips will take place overseas. A key element of the enrichment programme will be a general RE course for students.
The enrichment programme will also include many opportunities to get involved with something completely new and not related to curriculum areas.

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Construct your own
programme of study

Students are able to choose an individual combination of courses that meets their needs, interests and aspirations, offering the best opportunity for success.  Final choices are not made until after the GCSE results have been released although provisional choices will be discussed at interview.  

Which course should I take?

Before making any decisions about the subjects you wish to study we strongly advise students to read the course descriptions very carefully.  We also recommend speaking to the course leaders for the subjects you are interested in and find out how suited to the course you might be.  

Using your most recent review will allow you to see your current performance grades and your subject teachers can help you set realistic yet challenging targets to boost these grades.  

It is a good idea to plan ahead and look at the options open to you after Sixth Form.  A great place to start is the UCAS website.  If you have an idea of a course or an institution this website has the most up–to–date information about what grades you need to study that course and whether the institution is right for you.  Some advice on how to navigate the UCAS site can be found on our PDF tutorial.  

We aim to provide the most accurate information about academic performance for all our students which might mean we recommend you look at other options for your post–16 studies.  We will not advise any student to opt for a subject or pathway where we believe they would struggle.  Therefore we might recommend another college or post–16 pathway for students who would benefit from this.