Hartpury for A levels or something else?

[Paq]

DH took DD to Hartpury yesterday and she really liked it. She's horsy and sporty (but swimming which they're not big on, and she's not into competitive sport much) but also reasonably academic.

She'd have a lot of fun on something like their equine diploma but I don't think she should do anything that limits her chances of going to university in the future (not aiming for Oxford fyi).

Anyone had/has kids at Hartpury that can advise? She would be boarding by the way.

Anyone?

Have you looked at this Animal management/science BTEC?

im not saying your DD wants to be a vet but with the right GCSEs and excellent grades at BTEC it can quality them for vet med and other routes.

my DC went off the idea of working in veterinary sector and is now doing degree to work as Allied Health Professional.

Dint rule out the equine course either though

www.hartpury.ac.uk/college/courses/diplomas/level-3-national-extended-diploma-animal-management-science/

Thanks Hannah, DD has expressed interest in both medicine and veterinary but is under no illusion as to how competitive it is. She's a solid student but has to work very hard (by her perception) to get 7s/8s. She is in a good school with a high performing cohort so she's comparing herself to a very bright peer group.

I went on a tour of DD's college's Equine Centre last weekend.

The Equine course sets them up well for careers in the Equine Industry which could include things like Horse Physio. Plus of course if the do well they clock up UCAS 'points' which would get them onto various degree courses, normally related, not things like Eng Lit.

Animal Management (DD is doing L1) is also a good course which as pp said can lead to things like Vet Nurse at the top end. It covers a wider range of animals. Similarly you can progress to degrees.

If she's set on a career in Equine / Animals then a vocational course would probably do fine (except things like Vet Med). If she's at all unsure then Science A levels might keep her options wider.

I went to Harper Adam’s and there are courses like vet physio, you can go there to do a foundation access course instead of A Levels and then just carry on. Also have a look at the Royal Ag, they have really highly rated equine degrees too - www.rau.ac.uk/courses/subject-areas/equine-management-and-science/equine-degrees

im not saying your DD wants to be a vet but with the right GCSEs and excellent grades at BTEC it can quality them for vet med and other routes.

I looked into this for a student this year who'd previously been badly advised.

It is very, very difficult to get into vet med from a BTEC, and it would have to be via a gateway year (this generally requires you to qualify under widening participation criteria, some of which going to Hartpury would probably disqualify you from immediately).

You also need to take specific units within the BTEC, and it is the college who chooses the units, not the students- they may not be set up to offer the right units- and they will not change the units they offer for one student.

BTECs are great and a great route to uni in a lot of fields. In the arts, they're often a better option than A-levels. But if you want to go down the Med/Dentistry/Vet route, BTECs aren't the way to do it.

If she wants to do something more like Equine physio, or similar, then I'd strongly recommend Hartpury, and probably staying on to do one of their degrees- they have an amazing set up for this.

But for Vet Med, A-levels are really, still the way to go.

Thanks @Postapocalypticcowgirl really useful. Vet/med are still on the long list. I can't work out whether it's genuinely out of her reach academically/personally or whether it's lack of confidence and self-belief (although confidence and self-belief are incredibly important for those careers so she would need to up her game there!).

I think her actual GCSE year and results will make it clearer for her.

Apologies Pac my DC finished in 2020 so my information is out of date as they still had a guaranteed interview scheme with RVC that year. I think Hartpury dropped off the Bristol widening participation list in 2020. I see the website says they are “working towards” a guaranteed interview again.

In my DC’s year the below did apply but it sounds more complicated and Postapocalyptic is more up to date than I am and clearly things can change in short space of time.

”Almost 50% of our Animal Science Diploma graduates pursue their dreams of becoming a vet, progressing onto veterinary medicine degrees at the Royal Veterinary College, the University of Nottingham and the University of Bristol (Hartpury 2019).”

Hartpury worked well for my DC as they got to look after meerkats and an ancient tortoise and is now doing AHP degree due to having lots of BTEC science modules.

They were also put off by not meeting one really, properly happy vet on work experience ☹️

”Almost 50% of our Animal Science Diploma graduates pursue their dreams of becoming a vet, progressing onto veterinary medicine degrees at the Royal Veterinary College, the University of Nottingham and the University of Bristol (Hartpury 2019).”

This is very interesting because it contradicts a lot of what these unis publish on their websites.

Do these students go onto gateway or first year entry? If so, they presumably must meet the entry requirements for gateway? Or are they doing A-levels alongside their diplomas?

I genuinely can't understand how this can be the case given the advice lecturers at other colleges are given.

But maybe students at Hartpury get special treatment?

@Paq I don't think Vet Med is out of reach with 7s/8s. I would be speaking to unis directly before taking a route other than A-levels.

TBF it is a really hard career, and I think the sort of students who go into it might actually be happier and have a better work life balance in other fields.

But also, we desperately need good vets!

Postapocalyptic I think it may have been true in 2019/20 and maybe before as Hartpury was on Bristol’s aspiring schools and colleges list. Results at Hartpury improved and they dropped off the list so that will have made it harder.

They also appear to have lost the interview guarantee at RVC which was an agreement I understand after RVC contributed to the design of the animal science course.

also in a small year group, 50% may not be very many people so a particularly successful year can reach 50% success if that makes sense?

We do need good vets but it’s hard work for not spectacular pay.

@Paq I don't think Vet Med is out of reach with 7s/8s. I would be speaking to unis directly before taking a route other than A-levels.

Thanks again @Postapocalypticcowgirl. We're trying to be led by DD, obviously encouraging her to be ambitious and not rule out any options, but I really just want her to have a career she loves.

This is also something to consider - www.harper-adams.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/201205/veterinary-bioscience-with-access-to-veterinary-medicine

Three Bs and if you get 70% in the first year you can transfer to the vet medicine course.

DD went to Hartpury to do her degree, and met her boyfriend there, they're now both doing PGSE's and will be qualified to teach this summer.
Her boyfriend started there at 16 then went from A levels straight to the degree course.
Whilst I can't advise on course choices, as a place I couldn't recommend it more. They are both sporty so did sports courses, but know a lot of people who did equine who thoroughly enjoyed it too.
We looked at lots of places, but there absolutely stood out as having a fabulous feel. I know they'd both recommend it to anyone as would I as a parent.
The icing on the cake for me is their tutor is still in touch and offering guidance advice etc whilst they're studying elsewhere now. That's above and beyond to me, but shows that it's not just a job to them they genuinely want the best for their students even when they're not there any more.

@Paq a veterinary nursing degree is very much a route from the animal management diploma ( half my nursing team did this before their nursing qualification). Within my team I have nurses whose I interests lie in consultations and behaviour, nurses who do ultrasound scanning and minor surgery and nurses who advanced qualifications in medicine, feline medicine and emergency and critical care. My head nurse is part of the senior management involved in decisions about the direction and branding of the practice. This maybe worth looking at if she likes the idea of vet med, but maybe feels vet degree is not quite right.

Even so, Bristol and RVC will openly tell other colleges/schools that only a specific combination of modules on applied science (not animal management) BTEC is suitable for vet med, only usually via gateway and it's very rare to get a place if you've just done btec.

I know things obviously change each year but it's just very interesting to know that certain colleges may be getting/being given different advice. I understand colleges having links with unis, but it also puts students who can't access these colleges at a massive disadvantage (I know hartpury offers accommodation but that's not right for everyone at 16 and I assume it costs?).

Anyway it seems like it's a side point as they may have lost guaranteed interviews but it just feels like it disadvantages students from other areas (bearing in mind how few vet schools there are in the country as well)

Anyway, none of this helps the OP so I will bow out.

Thanks @Lonecatwithkitten, vet nursing is an option but the career salaries seem so low! If there are any vet nurses on here that can reassure it's sufficiently well paid I'd be grateful

I think equine physio pay would be more, due to the specialism.

There is upward movement in pay definitely dependent on skills and I think that will increase further when the veterinary practitioner status comes in. My newly qualified nurses start on £24K, they go on to a graduate training program that gives them additional skills and they are supported by a mentor for at least their first 18 months, by 3 years out they are on 30K this rises with certificates and additional responsibility.
We provide private healthcare, pay their RCVS fees, support and fund additional training.
So yes not us much as a vet or doctor, but comparable with human nursing.