College as a stepping-stone to education’s further stages
Sixth form is traditionally seen as the next step for students completing their GCSEs and looking to go to university, but colleges can better prepare school-leavers for higher education and their future career paths, according to Ian Rees, faculty direct
At a time when learners have a multitude of choices upon leaving school, it’s important students consider all options when it comes to studying A-levels.
While school sixth forms may offer familiarity, they don’t necessarily provide the best route for students looking for a path to higher education. In fact, the changes in learning environment and greater freedoms offered at college can better prepare learners for university life, providing them with more of a taster of the higher education experience.
Sixth-form colleges are a popular option due to their ability to provide the academic rigour and quality of education of school, as well as the additional experience and mindset that will help prepare students to succeed in a higher education setting.
Colleges are often free from the curriculum limitations and timetable constraints imposed by school option blocks, which can see students unable to study their chosen combination of subjects. This, coupled with the fact that colleges often have a greater subject range, provides students with the ability to choose the exact combinations they wish to study.
In my own experience, a college’s ability to create multiple teaching groups for popular subjects allows students to choose their desired subject combination in 99% of cases.
The ability to experience a breadth of subjects is often a key factor in a learner’s decision to choose a college education.
While there remains a strong focus on “core” traditional subjects, learners also benefit from a huge variety of choice, with most FE institutions offering over 20 different subject options, including non-traditional A-levels such as law, psychology and criminology, as well as BTEC Level 3 equivalents in business or applied science. This allows learners to explore qualifications tailored to suit individual career paths.
Colleges act as a stepping-stone between school and university, encouraging students to be independent and manage their own learning as they do at university, but with expert support and guidance from A-level staff.
The experience of planning their own workload, meeting deadlines, devising revision notes, incorporating self-study and identifying and overcoming barriers to their own learning helps learners take a step towards the greater self-reliance and independence required at university, where supervision and support has a much lighter touch.
At the same time, the college environment is by no means unsupported. At Coleg y Cymoedd, all full- time AS/A2 learners have a wider tutorial programme incorporated into their programme of study that provides a comprehensive personal and academic support package for each student, with every student having their own dedicated tutor who works with and gets to know them on an individual level – something commonly found in colleges across the country.
As well as a listening ear for any personal issues they may be having, students will receive help from their pastoral tutor on everything from target-setting, self-monitoring progress and organising workload to careers advice, guidance with revision techniques and support with Ucas applications.
Class sizes in colleges are often smaller, allowing for greater one-toone interaction with pupils and the opportunity for tutors to really get to know their students.
Similarly, extracurricular activities
offer learners the opportunity to sample a range of different activities in the fields of sport, music, creative arts and discussion and debate, helping them develop their interests and career ideas. This in turn can boost students’ application forms and CVs, making them more attractive to universities.
FE colleges are continually building strong links with universities, including Oxbridge, Russell Group universities and local HE providers. These relationsips provide colleges with the knowledge of exactly what universities are looking for from prospective applicants, enabling them to tailor their teaching to better prepare learners for their university experience.
At Coleg y Cymoedd, seven learners have received offers to study at Oxbridge in recent years, and thousands of college students across the UK are successfully gaining places at top universities. If leading universities don’t see a distinction between colleges and schools when it comes to selecting future students, parents and learners owe it to themselves to explore all post-16 avenues that are available to them.
College, much like school, provides students with a high quality of education and pastoral support, with the added benefit of greater flexibility in terms of subject choice and extracurricular activities, as well as a “taster” of the greater freedoms and responsibilities found in university.
For learners, college represents a stepping-stone between adolescence and adulthood, helping them make the transition as smoothly and successfully as possible.
South Wales’ Coleg y Cymoedd Sixth-Form Centre is run in conjunction with St David’s College.