One A Level or 3 AS next year?

[theresatired]

Hi,

DS has done a Btec extended diploma for 2 years, but now wishes he'd done something more academic.

He's been offered the opportunity to do 3 A levels over 2 years at a local college, if they have room after admitting all the 16 year olds (he's18). This is his preferred option.

As a back up, another college has said he can do either 3 AS levels, or 1 A level with them in a year.

To complete the second year with them he'd have to take an Advanced Learner Loan, as they split it into 2 years whereas the other college just do it as a 2 year course so it's completely funded.

Which do you think is better? I didn't know AS still existed!

Thanks for your advice

What does he want to do afterwards? If uni then maybe a Foundation year would offer better progression? AS aren't really useful on their own.

Thanks Lizs, probably English or Linguistics at University ultimately.

He doesn't want to go to Uni just yet though, especially with Covid, and as he can still get another year's funding, he thought he'd do another year at college first. He was thinking about doing English A Level in a year, but with the college saying he could do 3 AS, he wondered if it were better to keep generalising and do three different subjects.

I would stick to A levels.

I can’t see the benefit in doing 3 AS levels really - if he wants to do English then one English A level in a year would be far more useful.

See, for example, the entry requirements for BA English at the University of Liverpool:

A level requirements: ABB (this is the typical entry requirement) for this course)
Subject requirements: A level English (Language, Literature or Language and Literature) at grade A
BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma: Applications considered. BTEC in a humanities-related subject plus A level English at grade A required

I would want to find out what "applications considered" means before assuming anything.

It is very unlikely that any university course will express its entry requirements in terms of AS-Levels. Some will just state a number of UCAS tariff points but he will probably already have these from his BTEC.

I think it's really important to check that he'll be eligible for what he wants to do next on the basis of the qualifications he intends to take next year.

My first question is why?! Was his BTEC is a different subject and therefore not suitable for uni entry? What's the end game here?

My second point is that I think the first college may not realise they won't get full funding for him as he already has a level 3 qualification....

A gap year or a uni foundation year would seem to be more sensible options tbh.

If he's digging his heels in then as others have said don't bother with the AS. Doing one A level (again I suspect there'll be a funding issue) would be better.

Hi @theresatired I’d double check about the 2 years at A Level being fully funded, if he’s already had 2 years post 16 Level 3 education. The government only funds 3 years max, so the school/college would have to fund the 4th year, or you’d have to pay. As other posters have said, AS levels aren’t really useful anymore and a lot of universities won’t accept them. If he has the BTEC at a decent grade, then the English A Level would be plenty.

Thanks everyone, the Btec is in Creative Media so not particularly relevant to English, predicted DMM so in theory could go to Uni with that.

The first college have told us because they do just A Levels, they don't do AS at all, he would get funding to complete the qualification so 2 years even though he's done 2 already.

The second college split it into AS then A Level in the second year, so they said to complete three A Levels would be fee-incurring for the second year.

I do think his best option is to do English in one year.

The one A level in a year will be far more useful to stand alongside his current Btec extended diploma. There are still some uni's who won't accept the Btec without an A level regardless of the grades/UCAS points. The A level will demonstrate his ability to learn at what will be likely to be viewed as a higher level.

A Level.

I would say that taking 1 A level in a year would be the best option.
However I thought that the 3 years funding was only for pupils who didn't have the equivalent of 3 A level passes. The extended BTEC is equivalent to 3 A level passes.
There are still some uni's who won't accept the Btec without an A level regardless of the grades/UCAS points.
With the exception of a few very competitive degree courses / subjects, this is unlikely to be true. My understanding is that applications for English degrees has decreased in recent years.

If it's definitely funded I agree that English A level in a year is the best option. A very good grade in that along with his Btec should be ample for a good range of courses.

@catndogslife

I would say that taking 1 A level in a year would be the best option. However I thought that the 3 years funding was only for pupils who didn't have the equivalent of 3 A level passes. The extended BTEC is equivalent to 3 A level passes. There are still some uni's who won't accept the Btec without an A level regardless of the grades/UCAS points. With the exception of a few very competitive degree courses / subjects, this is unlikely to be true. My understanding is that applications for English degrees has decreased in recent years.

For sports reasons we only considered a very small number of uni's (c. 10) so didn't even look at the entry criteria for the vast majority of uni's or courses. Within the select few we investigated was Loughborough who will not accept a 3 A level equivalent BTEC Extended National Diploma without an additional A level on any degree course, foundation courses being the only exception but why should someone with the equivalent of 3 A's at A level have to do a foundation course just to be able to go to that uni. This is in the last couple of years where the extended diploma includes exams so had hoped uni's would catch up and see that students who have completed that type of BTEC are just as equipped as A level students to be successful on a degree course.

Interesting info about Loughborough @TheTeenageYears
Personally I think more sixth forms need to offer a mixture of A levels and BTECs. Most offer just A levels or extended BTECs.
At dds sixth form it is possible to combine both options, but this is rare.

Definitely the one English A level in the one year bearing in mind he will already have his BTEC.