School Leavers

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Our courses get you ready for your future career, whether you want to progress on to university or go straight to work when you finish college.

Choose one subject and learn the skills to start a career in that industry. Our teachers have come from industry, so know what you need to do the job. You’ll also learn lots of transferable skills too, so you can always change your career path later if you want to.

You’ll be at college for 15–18 hours of classes each week over three or four days, depending on your course. You will also need to study and do assignments outside of class.

Find a Course

Our courses are made up of:

Main Subject Qualification

Focusing on your chosen subject, you will learn the knowledge and skills that employers are looking for from our industry expert teachers.

Work Experience

Depending on your course, you will either complete a 37 hour (i.e. 1 week) work placement, or a longer placement of at least 45 days over the year.

English & Maths

If your GCSE grades are 4 or above, you will develop your English and maths as part of your Main Subject Qualification.

If your GCSE grades are lower than 4 then you will re-take your GCSEs or do functional skills qualifications. This will fit into your timetable alongside your main subject qualification.

Tutorial & Enrichment Programme

You will have regular tutorials that allow you to think about your own wellbeing and plan for your next step after college.

We also talk about topical themes that will broaden your horizons beyond the subject you are studying.

Course Sectors

Close-up of a hand with a paint brush. Working on a canvas with outlines drawn of flowers and a butterfly obscuring the top half of a face, painting one of the flowers pink

Art, Design & Photography

Student gives an electrical facial, using electrodes with wires that connect to a machine in the background. The client lays, relaxed, on a therapy couch covered in a towl

Beauty

Student stands at the front of a room, giving a presentation in front of a large screen. In the foreground are students sitting on tiered seating watching the presentation

Business & Law

Student sits at a table reading an illustrated story book to a life-size toddler doll that sits on her lap

Childcare & Education

Student in high-vis and gloves uses an adjustable spanner on copper pipes to attach them to a hand basin that is upside down on the floor

Construction

Computer suite where student sits at a computer drawing in a sketch book. In the background are students wearing headphones working at computers

Digital, Media & Games

Student uses a torch to cut a sheet of metal. You can see orange sparks falling below

Engineering

Busy classroom with students in groups of 3 at tables. In the foreground 3 students smile as they work together on a writing project

ESOL

Student wearing a white, hooded, paper crime scene overall, mask and gloves places an object into a brown paper evidence bag. There is a body laying on the floor and a table with wine bottle and glasses and yellow cards with crime scene number

Forensic and Criminal Investigation

Student wearing a plastic apron and gloves uses a paddle and brush to colour a client’s hair

Hairdressing & Barbering

Student sits at a desk looking at a paper label on one of the bones of a model skeleton. She has an open text book and is writing in a spiral bound notebook

Health & Social Care

Students in chef’s whites plate up food. In the background you can see saucepans with steam rising from them

Hospitality & Catering

Students in a classroom working on laptop computers

Kickstart

Student in an apron whisks eggs in a bowl. In the background is a domestic cooker

Life and Living Skills

2 students in white protective suits and gloves lay a sheet of material inside a white boat hull

Marine

Student applies make-up to a face. It covers the edges of a fan of bank notes that curve around the eyebrow and down the cheek making it look like the money is embedded in the face

Media Make-up, Special Effects & Hair Design

Student with protective eye wear, gloves and overalls. He stands underneath a car, in a workshop, using a torch to inspect the underside

Motor Vehicle

Back of a student sat at a mixing desk with sliders and coloured lights. In the background is a DJ with decks and a laptop, with smoke and purple and blue stage lighting

Production Arts

Course Levels

Our courses are taught over a range of levels, so we can best support you to learn no matter where you are starting from. For some subjects you will need to start at a lower level so that you can learn the basic technical skills first.

You can work out which level of your chosen subject you can apply for, based on our entry requirements and your predicted grades. Don’t worry if you are not sure, apply for the course you want to do and at interview we can support you to make sure you are offered a place on the level course that is right for you.

See our guide to the course levels.

 

Trips, visits & competitions

As part of your course we offer activities, competitions, trips and visits so you can discover new interests, develop new skills, and ultimately have fun!

We organise visits to businesses, exhibitions, shows and attractions. We also have guests from industry come into college to speak or organise hands-on activities and workshops for you.

We encourage you to enter regional and national industry-based competitions and our students have had some fantastic successes in competitions and winning awards.

If you want to represent your class and organise clubs and events then you can put yourself forward as a Class Rep. You can also help out at college events by becoming one of our Student Ambassadors. These are both a great way to make new friends and get involved with College life, and also an opportunity to develop your CV, and increase your confidence.