The Tettenhall College Sixth Form Pathways Programmes are aimed to guide pupils in their A Level selection depending on future career aspirations. The pathways will provide pupils with supplementary skills and experiences to enable them to be successful university applications as well as in the competitive world of work.
Pupils can select one pathway to follow from the following:
Examples of careers in this field:
Veterinary medicine, pharmacologist, biomedical scientist, pathologist, geneticist, immunologist, dentist, physiotherapist, doctors.
A Levels required:
Chemistry, biology, maths, further maths and possibly physics.
It is strongly recommended that pupils following this pathway take the EPQ in addition to their A-levels and research an area of medical interest.
Supplementary activities to enhance your skills & experiences:
- Join the Medical Society- affiliated with Medic Mentor
- Work experience relating to the medical profession – NHS Work Experience support or Medic Mentor Virtual Work Experience
- UCAT sessions with Medsoc
- Take part in the Medical Leadership Programme
- Partake in Medic Mentor Essay and Art competitions
- Partake in the Biology & Chemistry Olympiads
Examples of careers in this field:
Lawyer, psychologist, political scientist, business analyst, social worker, human resources manager, police, probation service, urban planning, sociologist, geographer, historian, theologist, philosopher, economist, teacher, anthropologist, geologist.
A Levels required:
For most degrees there are no particular A Levels required (although some universities ask for an essay-based subject). The exceptions are as follows:
- Law – history & English literature
- Economics – maths & economics
Supplementary activities to enhance your university application:
- Take part in the John Locke Essay competition
- Mock trials at Wolverhampton Crown Court
- Attend the Royal Geographical Society Lectures
- Take part in Model United Nations
- Take part in psychology seminars
- Complete religious studies scholarship tasks
- Take part in the Royal Economic Society Essay competition
- Take part in the Durham University Economics Essay competition
- Take part in the John Locke Essay competition
- Attend the history residential trip
Examples of careers in this field:
Academic researcher, diplomatic service officer, English as a foreign language teacher, intelligence analyst, international aid/development worker, interpreter, secondary school teacher, translator, journalist, linguistics.
A Levels required:
French or Spanish, English literature and possibly history as the third subject.
Supplementary activities to enhance your university application:
- Attend language lectures and conferences
- Attend language day trips
- Complete MFL scholarship tasks
- Complete English scholarship tasks
- Attend the Wolverhampton Literary Festival
- Take part in language competitions
- Study an online course in linguistics or your chosen language to enhance your learning
Examples of careers in this field:
Dancer, actor, musician, stand-up comedian, arts administrator, music technologist, theatre technologist, curator, choreographer, costume designer, artist, teacher of the arts, theatre director, music producer, music therapist, drama therapist, film director.
A Levels/ BTEC required:
- A Levels required in art, music and English literature
- BTEC in Performing Arts
Supplementary activities to enhance your university application:
- Complete English scholarship tasks
- Attend the Wolverhampton Literary Festival
- Interview a professional performer
- Attend theatre visits & performances
- Take part in the school production/musical or be part of the tech/backstage team
- Take part in film studies extended day activity
- Partake in the ISA Composition Competition for Sixth Form
- Take the opportunity to sit-in on orchestral work in the orchestra pit at the Grand Theatre
- Partake in the Rotary Club Young Musician competition
- Take part in the Dudley Festival of Music
- Take part in the ISA Art competition
- Attend Art lectures and workshops by local artists and Old Tettenhallians
Examples of careers in this field:
Professional sports person, sports medic, sports nutritionist, coach, fitness instructor, personal trainer, sports psychologist, events manager, sports scientist, physiotherapist.
A Levels required:
Most courses require one or two sciences (biology, chemistry, physics) plus PE, psychology or maths as the additional subjects.
Supplementary activities to enhance your university application:
- Complete the Sports Leadership programme
- Attend the trip to England Football Headquarters to take part in their Game Changer programme
- Represent the school in ISA and other regional and national competitions
- Complete PE scholarship tasks
Examples of careers in this field:
Accountant, financial analyst, business development manager, business consultant, sales and retail manager, auditor, bank manager, communications director, distribution manager, energy and utilities manager, hospitality and leisure manager, insurance broker, journalist, logistics operations manager, manufacturer, media administrator, production manager, public relations specialist, civil servant, diplomatic service officer, risk manager, tax consultant, marketing manager, advertising executive, human resources director.
A Levels required:
For most degrees there are no particular A Level requirements (although some universities ask for maths for business management and financial based courses).
Economics, business, English literature, psychology, languages, computer science and further maths may be useful as additional A-level choices, depending on the career. Art could be a good addition if you are interested in marketing/media.
Supplementary activities to enhance your university application:
- Take part in the Mathematical Olympiad
- Take part in the Senior Mathematical Challenge
- Attend the Maths Fest – A festival of maths for sixth formers which looks at how mathematicians use maths in the real world
- Take part in the Investor Challenge (Wharton Business School)
- Take part in the ICAEW Base Accounting Competition
- Take part in Young Enterprise
- Take part in the Bank of England 2.0 challenge
STEM Pathway (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths)
It is recommended that pupils following this pathway complete a Gold CREST Award which is a nationally recognised STEM enrichment programme. Gold Awards allow students to conduct real research, contributing something new to a particular field of study.
Students complete 70+ hours of project work, which is assessed externally by a trained CREST assessor. At Gold level students develop and lead the project, consider the broader impact of their project and demonstrate an innovative approach. Students write a project report and reflect on their work using a CREST student profile form.
Examples of careers in this field:
Archaeologists, environmental scientists, theoretical physicists, biologist, forensic scientist, chemist, zoologist, astrophysicist.
A Levels required:
One or two sciences depending on the field of study
Supplementary activities to enhance your university application:
- Attend conservation field studies trips
- Partake in the British Wildlife Photography Competition
- Take part in the Royal Society of Biology Olympiad
- Take part in in the Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad
- Attend the Education in Action Lecture Series (Chemistry) at Warwick University
- Take part in the Schools Analyst Competition
- Take part in the Physics Olympiad
Examples of careers in this field:
Web developers, software developers, computer systems analysts, computer programmers, computer network architects, IT manager, artificial intelligence researcher, robotics scientist.
A Levels required:
Computer science with physics and/or maths.
Supplementary activities to enhance your university application:
- Forge links with Amazon Future Engineers
- Join the Coding and Robotics clubs
- Take part in coding competitions
- Attend additional virtual classes through Isaac Computer Science
- Sign up to mentoring younger students in Computer Science/IT
- Take part in the Mathematical Olympiad
- Take part in the Senior Mathematical Challenge
- Take part in the Physics Olympiad
Examples of careers in this field:
Chemical engineer, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, aerospace engineer, environmental engineer, geospatial engineer, civil engineer.
A Levels required:
Physics, maths, chemistry for some types of engineering, geography for geospatial, further maths for some courses.
Supplementary activities to enhance your university application:
- Take part in the Mathematical Olympiad
- Take part in the Senior Mathematical Challenge
- Take part in the Physics Olympiad
- Take part in in the Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad
- Attend the Education in Action Lecture Series (Chemistry) at Warwick University
- Take part in the Schools Analyst Competition
- Attend the Royal Geographical Society Lectures
Examples of careers in this field:
Architect, statistician, mathematician, economist
A Levels required:
Maths, plus physics and art for architecture, plus economics to be an economist.
Supplementary activities to enhance your university application:
- Take part in the Mathematical Olympiad
- Take part in the Senior Mathematical Challenge
- Attend the Maths Fest – A festival of maths for sixth formers which looks at how mathematicians use maths in the real world
- Take part in the Physics Olympiad
- Take part in the ISA Art competition
- Attend Art lectures and workshops by local artists and Old Tettenhallians
- Take part in the Royal Economic Society Essay competition
- Take part in the Durham University Economics Essay competition
- Take part in the John Locke Essay competition
- Take part in the Bank of England 2.0 challenge
For further information please contact our Admissions Team on +44 1902 751119 or email admissions@tettcoll.co.uk
