Which A level options for DC?

A level MFL will always be worth doing - it’s a great spec that teaches you about current political social issues in Spanish speaking countries as well as the language and literature (some anyway).

Spanish degree yes I agree does not immediately lead to a career (apart from teaching obvs haha) tho again, good transferrable skills for lots of different careers.

Science degrees tend to lead more directly to careers (depending on the degree) but as noted you will need to make sure the science A levels chosen will work for the degree. Biology A level as PPs have said is a good option to keep some uni courses open as long as DC is interested and capable. But yes A level with a 6 may be hard work and perhaps not leading to a high grade.

I think in this case psychology, photography and biology A level is a better option, if they get a 7 in gcse biology/combined science.

Just gives more options for universities and degrees.
There is also the option of looking for a degree with a year abroad and going to a Spanish speaking country

Is he he taking Spanish GCSE @Starblueyellow ? What grade is he likely to get? Does he have lessons at school or is he taking it as an extra home language?

The A level spec is great, I love it (well French and German are my subjects but the Spanish spec is broadly similar) but it is not a shoo-in for a native speaker if that makes sense. Otoh if he speaks it well and is studying it at school for GCSE he should be fine.

It looks as if your child is considering 3 main types of course here.

1. The language route - this would either open up taking Spanish or a related degree at university or a degree with an option of studying abroad. You don't sat whether or not Spanish is spoken at home.
2. The "Science" type route. You need to go backwards and check if the courses you are considering would be acceptable to universities for the course(s) you are considering. Psychology A level is considered to be a Science subject. Adding A level Biology may be a good fit. Generally I would say that the 2 A level equivalent BTEC could be a better option for some Science courses. You will need to check the course entry requirements carefully though.
3. The creative route with Photography and Graphic Design. You can usually take a creative degree with just one of these subjects and then add a Foundation course later if you change your mind. Surprisingly Psychology is a good fit with Photography in terms of interpretation and the meaning of the images that you are taking.

Good posts from @Owlbookend – yes it is not helpful to say “no good uni will accept Btecs” (plenty of good unis will) but equally a YP needs to think about what they might want to do and check what the requirements are. It’s true that a lot of science subjects at uni will require A levels or, yes, a greater coverage of science in a Btec.

@Starblueyellow you mention switching between college and sixth form but tbh that is not such a big deal. Both will offer A levels and both may also offer Btecs and other alternative quals. The main difference can be around needing to be in school all day, every day versus college being a bit more flexible.

But the big decision for your DC is certainly the qualifications they want to take and the subject as well.

I think the early specialism is particularly difficult to get your head around if you come from a different system. One thing to bear in mind is that unless the school or college course is full/oversubscribed there can be changes to course choices after results day if they meet the entry standards. You can also apply to multiple providers with no penalty. Your DD can apply to as many schools or colleges as she wants. It doesnt have to be a single application.

Yes - totally agree. I have a DD in Y10 and the idea she will need to make these big decisions next year whilst also cracking on with GCSEs seems daunting (& too soon).

A lot of school.sixth forms offer the single (one A level worth) applied science. This can be helpful for some allied health science courses etc. but it unlikely to have sufficient science content for courses like pharmocology. These courses will tend to want A levels (chemistry etc.) If they do accept BTECs it will likely be the big 3 A level unit ones (with modules specified) as it is these that have greater science content.

It is very hard at 15/16 but you do have to rule some things out. Looking at the possible options listed one key choice seems to be do they want to take science further as a pure STEM degree? Or for a HE course allied to health? Or do they want to keep creative arts open? If they have a steer on this it would help in narrowing down choices.

Specific qualifications and specific university courses matter when discussing vocational qualifications at KS5. It may be 'safer' to take A levels as (if they are the appropriate subjects) they are universally accepted. However, they will not be more helpful if you dont do well in them or the subjects dont match the uni course requirements.
It is not correct that selective universities universally reject BTECs/CTECs, but their acceptance is course specific. Many selective unis accept specific vocational qualifications (and mixtures of A levels & vocational qualifications) for specific courses. STEM courses tend to be the most restrictive and physical science courses often want A levels. If they do accept vocational quals they are often very, very specific BTECs (often specifying specfic units). Allied health courses, social sciences, sports science etc. are often more flexible but you have to look at the course requirements. There is a lot of variability.

Have a look at the Informed Choices website. You can put in your a level subjects and see what degree pathways it opens

Agree with that, but it's not really about that. It's about doing the subjects they are interested in. There would have been no point me taking sciences in order to be a doctor – I was not keen on the subjects so it was a no.

I think it's a good idea to take the highest level qual you will do well at. If a Btec suits your way of working and ability in exams then do that. But if A levels in science subjects are within reach, and you enjoy the subjects and will do well at GCSE then that's a good plan.

I agree at 16 you don't know what you want to do exactly career wise; but you know if you enjoy English literature more than maths.

Re. Graphic design or photography a-levels, this is stating the obvious but only take them if there is a real interest and love for art and design. Otherwise it will be a slog for a potentially disappointing grade at the end.

Looking at that link, Bristol uni won’t accept those quals for a pharmacology degree. That’s no surprise as it’s a very high ranking uni and that means it can ask for and get students with high grades at A level – most likely in sciences like bio, chem, as a PP notes.

Yes UWE will ask for lower grades. Does your DC especially want to be at uni in Bristol? UWE is a good uni, from the group of what is sometimes called post-92 unis (such as Nottingham Trent, Sheff Hallam, Leeds Beckett – all good places to study). They typically have lower entry requirements and are happier to accept Btecs.

Yes I agree tho - could they take A level biology? If they get a grade 7 that should be an option.

The school probably offers this: qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/btec-nationals/applied-science-2016.html#tab-Extended-Certificate_1

UWE says for Pharmacology:

• A-level subjects: Grade C in Biology or Chemistry.
• Relevant subjects: Subjects that meet the Science requirement for this course: Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Applied Science and Laboratory Science/Skills.
• BTEC: You'll need a minimum of five units in a science subject. You may be asked to do more based on the size of your units. Please list the units you're studying in your application. For further advice on acceptable units, please email admissions (contact details below).

Now you can figure it out.

Is A-level Biology an option?

There is no A-level in Applied Science anymore.

Bristol is a good university and most people on that course will have done Biology, Chemistry and Maths at A level. Even if he got in he would be making it extremely hard for himself relative to his peers. It doesn’t matter what they tell you a BTEC is not “equivalent” to an A level in anything else but name - they are far far less academic

Well it really depends what we wants to do doesn’t it?

Its a bit all over the place at the moment I think it would be better to think carefully about whether he wants to do arts or science.

Photography, Art, Film Studies
Or Psychology, Biology, Spanish are both better combinations than the ones you have listed.

I wouldn’t bother with the BTECs if he is going to be looking to go anywhere good. Many universities specifically say applied science doesn’t count.