If you’ve just finished your GCSEs or you are in year 10 and beginning to decide what to do when you leave school, there are lots of different choices facing you. If your school has a sixth form you may decide to stay there or you could choose from the many sixth form colleges the area has to offer.

When choosing a sixth form or college make sure you do lots of research to find the place that’s right for you – that isn’t always the place where your mates are going. Not all schools and colleges offer the same courses and subjects so spend some time looking at their websites and try and go to an Open Evening. It’s good to start thinking about this as soon as possible.

When thinking about what subjects you want to do, run through the following checklist:

1. What do you enjoy doing?
2. What are you good at?
3. If there is a specific job you want to do in the future, what subjects / qualifications will you need to do that job?
4. Do you want to do a course that will involve training for a particular job? Do you prefer coursework or exams?
5. Do you like doing practical work rather than writing essays?
6. Do you want to go to university?
For some courses at university you will need to have studied certain subjects at sixth form.

Below you will find some of the Further Education (FE) qualifications that you could do when you leave school.

GCE AS levels
These are the equivalent of 3 units. Often students at sixth form will start by studying 3 or 4 AS levels. You will take an exam at the end of the year (although you will also do coursework through the year). After this you can carry on with the subject to get a full A-level qualification.

GCE A level
These are the equivalent of 6 units and are a two-year course (first year is AS level).

Vocational A levels (or AVCEs)
These can be 3, 6, or 12 units depending on which course you choose and replace the Advanced GNVQ level. They allow you to develop skills and knowledge and an understanding relevant to a specific industry sector and prepare you to go into the world of work or into higher Education. They are a flexible way of studying as students can mix Vocational A Levels with other A/AS units.

National Vocataional Qualifications (NVQs)
These are work-related qualifications. A level 3 NVQ is the equivalent of an A level. National Vocational Qualifications are related to an occupational area and aim to help you to develop your skills and ability to perform work tasks. They are made up of a number of compulsory and optional units.

BTECS
Business & Technology Education Council National Diplomas offer opportunities for you to gain a nationally recognised, vocationally specific qualification to enter employment or as a stepping stone to progress onto higher education. Traditionally students that wanted to go to university would study A-levels, but now universities accept lots of different qualifications. All of the qualifications above will let you get onto a course at a university or college of higher education.