Help! Computer science A level or IT T Level for ASD ds?!

[Sunsetchaser01]

We are in a dilema, our ds has to decide between an IT T level or computer science, physics and investigative science A levels. He is ASD and ADHD and computing is his passion in life. If he does A levels he stays at an outstanding school and the T level would be at an average college but would include over 300 hours of work experience in IT which he is keen on. My question is which would an employer look more favourably on at the end of the day? We are struggling to make a sensible decision with him! Advice greatly appreciated.

Definitely A Levels because he will still have Computer Science as one subject of A levels for his passion. After two years he can go for Level 3 or 4 ( depending on his grades) apprenticeship in IT where wide choice is available for computing and he will be able to do a lot of practical hours. With A Level qualifications better opportunities are on offer with various organisations for apprenticeship.

The benefit of T Levels is that the students have a set number of hours required at placement so they leave college with invaluable real life work experience - not just a week or two, but about 320 hours over the 2 years. T Levels (as with A Levels) are the equivalent of a Level 3 qual and both provide opportunities for progression to HE or apprenticeships.

While both A and T Levels have exams as assessments, T Levels have fewer exams plus projects and in their second year, written assessments.

I suggest both you and your son visit a college that offers the T Level to talk about expectations and experiences.

It's a big choice to make, but both routes might lead him to the same or very similar next steps.

Look at the T level results for the college this year and ask where the students are going on to next, ie do they have enough UCAS points for a decent uni place.

The work experience option is very challenging for Colleges to set up because all the students have to go off at the same time. A levels at a school that know him is a much better option and they can ensure he has the support in place for his exams, ie small room/rest breaks etc.

A Level computer science. 100%.

There is a reason you can no longer do an IT A Level.

Thank you for your responses, I was mistaken on the T level title it is actually Digital design, production and development. Not IT. We have been in to speak to the college and the course has only been running for one year and the students received grades C to D for their first year exams which seemed a bit worrying to me. An apprenticeship after the next qualification is definitely what he would like to do next rather than Uni. Would employers prefer a levels or someone who has work experience from the T level?

T levels are a real unknown. Last academic year there will more students enrolled on BTec criminology which is being defunded from 2025 than studying all T levels combined.

You also have no control over the work experience and whether it's adapted for your ds's needs.

If your ds does A level computer science he could still do some work experience. Start looking early in Year 12 though. Often there are closing dates for the big companies. Does he do his own stuff at home? Passion will count for a lot in terms of applying for IT apprenticeships.

T levels are a bit of a risk at the moment. Hard to secure such a lot of work experience and risk of it getting cancelled mid course.

I'd go for the A-level.

A-levels at school, without question.

A levels without a moments doubt .

T levels have a higher drop out rate than A levels, which suggests that students are not well supported. Given that your son is SEN I would say that this would be a concern on top of the poor results that you mention.
I think that T levels as a concept are still being worked out and I would want my DS to be taking a more structured and reliable pathway to be honest.

Hi, my DS is in his second year of a T level in IT Digital. We've had no issues whatsoever with curriculum or work placement, he is thriving doing the course. His college is well established in IT Levels so perhaps they have gone through the teething issues of previous years. He did his work placement this summer with a well known UK bank and was fast tracked to the final interview stage for a higher level apprenticeship starting next September. The experience he gained was so invaluable, from being involved and responsible for tasks on team projects, presenting results in meeting s and other self development courses the bank offered, they really looked after the students well being. Like A levels, there is a lot of self study, DS achieved a B/Merit in his year 1 exams. Students can resit their year 1 exams again in November if they want to improve their grades.

That sounds really positive @ladybirdpoppy! Well done to him and his college.

He did go with the T level course choice, in the end spending two thirds of his time studying subjects he wasn't really interested in just wasn't the 0athebhe wanted to take. The T level has been good so far, you can tell the course is still new but today was interview day for the work experience which weent really well and was interesting. Hoping he gets a good placement , work so far has been a good, they have given him harder work to do when others are getting up to speed with topics he has done . Overall we are pleased for him. Genuinely happier, enjoying the college over the school in almost every way but bizarrely misses his uniform 😂.

Love an OP's update! Well done to your son. How is he finding the workload so far, so you think it'll be any lighter than 3 A Levels? How big is the class?

You've probably thought of this but he could consider defining himself a "uniform" for each day of the week. One less thing to decide each day.

To be honest he hasn't found the workload too hard. They have had small projects that may take 8 hours to do but he is pretty obsessive with this kind of thing and is usually done in half of that. It seems easier for him but I think that is partly due to computing being his mainstay in life so he enjoys doing it. Also such a lot geared towards getting the apprenticeship and work in general which to me is amazing. Our education system is far to aimed at going to uni/ putting our young people in some serious debt rather than getting our young people looking at the job market. Potentially in good jobs with no debt to carry forward.
The class is 11 students, I like the idea of a daily uniform but he loses everything all the time so that could be morning stress when he couldn't find the "right " joggers 😁.

Thank you so much for that detailed reply. A big reminder of the magic of matching course to interests.

That's great news🙌🙌🙌