Now private schools go vocational

A RECORD number of private school pupils took vocational alternatives to A-levels this year.

More than a thousand private pupils completed BTECs in subjects such as engineering and agriculture, according to the Independent Schools Council.

This is a rise of 16.8 per cent on the year before. The number of private schools offering the vocational qualifications has almost doubled in three years – from 53 in 2015 to 93.

BTECs were once looked down upon in some elite circles because they are more job-focused. However, a spokesman for the ISC said private schools were becoming ‘less snobbish’ and understood that BTECs were more appropriate for some career paths.