Should he choose PE A level or keep broader sixth form options?

[GreenYarn]

My son has expressed an interest in doing either PE at A Level or as a BTEC alongside other A levels.

Part of me says encourage him to pursue other A Levels which would lead to something.. whilst another part of me says to encourage him to do something he has an interest in.

He absolutely loves sports and is very passionate about this. He currently does youth football refereeing and plays tennis/helps out at clubs.

He is predicted 6's & 7's in his GCSE.

Up until now he has not expressed much interest in career options but has now mentioned about doing performance analytics in sport.

Family are trying to persuade him to do something more academic and broader options but I'm leaning towards studying something he is passionate about and has an interest in.

I've arranged for him to go see a careers advisor next week to discuss options.

What would everyone recommend?

what would he pair PE A Level with?

My son did PE A Level and it is academic. He got offers from good universities for subject which isnt PE.

The btech woukd depends which one as some are worth 3 A levels so you cant combine it with other subjects to get more bredth so it pins you more to sports.

Hi there,

Initially he did think about doing business, accounting and PE.

Now after some talks with people he's maybe looking at data analytics and double PE (BTEC I think?).

yes there is a view (on MN too) that PE A level is a waste, not academic, a doss, not a real A level – @GreenYarn you even imply that (unlike other A levels) it won't "lead to anything".

In fact it is just as much a valid A level as any. Yes, it’s not on the list of preferred A levels for Cambridge; but there's no suggestion even there that having it means you won’t get an offer (as long as your other two are on the list).

A point though; A level PE is very science-based, heavy on the biology, and definitely not A level in playing football – as some YP think. Or hope.

DS2 took A level PE alongside bio and maths and got great offers from RG unis and the RG+ uni where he ended up wheer he studies a STEM subject.

There are not really any broad options at A level. I guess maths works as a science for most science degrees so in that sense it’s a solid choice – but even then, only if you will do well. And I guess humanities subjects lead to hums degrees – so history works for politics and law and RE and philosophy. But by the same count, a lot of unis accept PE A level as a science subject for a STEM degree.

Yes what else will he take? I would not really advise maths with a 7 tbh and certainly not with a 6 at GCSE. PE sits well with science subjects or geography/sociology/psychology. But if you love a subject the chances are you will do better at it than if you took one you are less keen on.

ETA: Sorry missed your update OP. Is data analytics an A level? <googles> Ah I see it's a Cambs Adv Nat.

What else are people saying he should take?

I should add that my first post is talking about A level PE; I don’t know the Btec spec well at all and it may not be as science based. Only you and your DS know if that would suit or not.

I think the careers advisor is a good idea.

6 and 7s are good at GCSE but for some subjects it will be a step up.

Is he good at coursework as that might mean he does better at btech than a level. My sons friend did btech sport and core maths and she is doing primary teaching degree now.

I think it’s a great option, he is best off doing something he enjoys

I understand your reservations,
I wasn’t keen when one of my sons was considering PE & was relieved when he chose FMaths instead as it was better aligned to his career path. However, my niece took PE alongside Biology & another subject (can’t remember which) & went on to study Sports Science at Loughborough Uni & now has a career in that field.
I have two step DS who took the BTec at College & then Sports Science for their degrees at a college affiliated to a Uni. Personally, I feel they specialised far too young. One couldn’t find a linked career but Covid lockdown had an adverse effect on his ability to do practical placements. The other works in an industry linked to sports but his degree subject was more of a coincidence than a key factor.
There is so much to think about. Good luck to your DS.

Best to choose subjects that they will enjoy rather than subjects that are believed to be more academic unless they are looking to do a degree requiring traditional A levels.

My child is doing 2 A levels and a single BTEC' in sport and has had no problems getting offers from the likes of Birmingham, Southampton and Loughborough for a non sports related analytics type degree.

It also seems easier to get a Distinction in BTEC sport than an A or B in A level PE.

Probably best to look at the spec for both.

I’d be a bit cautious on this mix, as the data analytics qual is less we’ll know. Could he do data analytics BTEC, PE A Level and another? What is he getting his 7s on? How is his maths?

I don’t particularly know about PE, but I wouldn’t say it is more narrow than anything else - you need to think about the overall mix rather than focus on just one specific subject.

On a related note, when we were looking, we did notice that while most universities are happy with a full size BTEC (ie 3 A level equivalent) or a single BTEC alongside 2 A levels, we did notice that 3 “single” BTEC qualifications in different subjects weren’t always accepted. That might just have been the courses we were looking at, but it’s worth bearing in mind, and checking so not disappointed later.