Unsure about which subjects to take after Year 11? At York College we want to help you make an informed choice about your future by helping you find the course that suits you best. On our Taster Day you can experience a full day at York College trying some of the exciting subjects that we offer across our A Level and Vocational & T Level subjects. You can also learn more about apprenticeships, support and studying at York College.
Please see all the details below about how the day works and important information about how to make your booking, then scroll to the bottom of the page to click on the booking link.
Students can only book to attend on one of the dates.
You can see the full list of the subjects below (if viewing on a mobile you can view the Vocational & T Level list by swiping right), or view a PDF of the subject list here.
| A Levels | Vocational & T Level Courses |
|---|---|
| Art & Design (Fine Art) | Art & Design Level 1/Level 2 |
| Art & Design (Photography) | Creative Practice Art & Design Level 3 |
| Art & Design (Textiles) | Creative Practice 3D Design/T Level Craft & Design Level 3 |
| Accounting | Creative Practice Fashion & Clothing Level 3 |
| Business | Creative Practice Graphic Design Level 3 |
| Economics | Creative Practice Photography Level 3 |
| Computer Science | Skills for Business Level 2 |
| Design & Technology: Engineering | Leadership & Management T Level (Level 3) |
| Design & Technology: Product Design | Bricklaying |
| English Language | Carpentry & Joinery |
| English Language & Literature | Electrical Installation Vocational & T Level |
| English Literature | Painting & Decorating |
| French | Plumbing Vocational & T Level |
| German | Construction Design, Surveying & Planning T Level (Level 3) |
| Spanish | Digital Skills, Creative Computing, Media & Games Entry Level 3/Level 1/Level 2 |
| History (Ancient) | Computer Games Development Level 3 |
| History (Late Medieval & Early Modern) | Computing & the Digital Environment/Cybersecurity & the Digital Environment T Level (Level 3) |
| History (Modern) | Esports |
| Law | Childcare & Early Years Level 1/Level 2 |
| Politics | Education & Early Years T Level/Early Years Vocational Level 3 |
| Psychology | Engineering & Manufacturing T Level (Level 3) |
| Philosophy, Ethics & Religion | Motor Vehicle |
| Sociology | Performing Engineering Operations/Engineering & Manufacturing Foundation Programme Level 2 |
| Maths | Beauty Therapy |
| Maths & Further Maths | Hairdressing |
| Core Maths | Hair & Media Make-up |
| Media Studies | Health & Social Care Level 1/Level 2 |
| Film Studies | Health T Level/Health & Social Care Vocational Level 3 |
| Music | Hospitality |
| Music Technology | Creative Media Production & Technology Level 2 |
| Drama & Theatre Studies | Creative Media Production Level 3 |
| Biology | Media, Broadcast & Production (Content Creation & Production) T Level (Level 3) |
| Chemistry | Music Performance & Production |
| Physics | Pathways to Work & Independent Living (Entry Level) |
| Geography | Performing & Production Arts Level 2/Acting Level 3 |
| Geology | Performing & Production Arts Dance & Musical Theatre Level 3 |
| Physical Education | Media, Broadcast & Production (Events & Venues Technician) T Level (Level 3) |
| Applied Science T Level/Applied Science Vocational Level 3 | |
| Exercise Instructor | |
| Sport Coaching | |
| Sport & Exercise Science | |
| Uniformed Services | |
| Travel & Tourism Level 3 |
Find out more information about the day in the drop-down menus below and make sure you read the important information about completing the Taster Day booking form.
Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis with bookings closing on Wednesday 27th November 2024.
On this page you can book for Thursday 16th January - if you want to book for Tuesday 14th January please click here.
What happens on the Taster Day?
Please arrive at the College between 8.30am and 8.45am. We’ll have lots of friendly faces around to meet you and advise you where you need to go to register your arrival.
Your timetable for the day will be sent to you by email before the event. You’ll follow this, going to the subject areas where your taster sessions will take place. Don’t worry – there will be lots of people around to help direct you to where you need to go and a central information point if you have any questions.
During the lunch break you can buy some food from our catering outlets or you can bring your own food to eat in our social areas.
You’ll have a full day experiencing life as a York College student, so as well as your main subject choices there’ll also be some enrichment sessions included in your timetable for the day.
Our Taster Day will end at 4.15pm, which is when you’ll depart College.
Do I need to wear school uniform?
No, but please try to dress appropriately as some subjects will be practical. We’ll provide an updated list of any subjects with clothing requirements here, as well as in the confirmation email with your timetable, so please check the week before to make sure.
Do I need to bring anything?
Please bring a pen and some paper to make notes. If you need to bring anything specific to any of the subjects you are doing then we'll provide the information in your confirmation email, as well as here, so please check the week before.
You will need some money to buy lunch, or a snack or drink if you wish to do so.
Getting here
College Coaches
If you would like to use one of the York College coach services (if applicable for where you live) for your journey to and from College then you can do this for free on the Taster Day. We have 15 coach services organised by the College which pick up from outside of York and also the outer York area. Details of the timetable for the Taster Days are on our Transport page or you can download them here.
If you would like to use one of these services then please answer yes when asked on the booking form, and confirm the route number and the stop you intend to travel from. You will be able to use the email we send to you confirming your place on the Taster Day (or print a copy) as your College coach travel voucher to show the driver as you board.
Public transport
You can find details of other bus companies that stop outside or close to York College with the Journey Planner on the transport page of our website, in the section Local services (for areas not served by the College buses), to find routes and pick-up times. Please note that tickets for public transport routes, including the Reliance service from Thirsk and Easingwold, are not free for students using them to attend the Taster Days.
Arriving by car
If you’re getting a lift by car there will be no College car park charges in operation on the Taster Days, so don’t worry about getting a pay and display ticket for drop-off and pick-up.
Here are some important key points you need to know before you make your booking.
Starting your booking
When you click on the link below you will be taken to the Taster Day Bookings Login page.
Click the button ‘Book Taster Day Now’ unless you have already submitted an application to study here in September, in which case click on ‘Login’ and enter the same email address and password you created for your course application.
Please use a personal email address rather than a school one. You’ll use the same log-in details if you decide to apply for a course at York College. All of our communication for the Taster Day booking and your College application will be sent via this email address (including College enrolment details which will be sent to you after you have left school). So please remember which one you have used and the password you have created.
Selection summary
The next page shows the date that you have chosen to book on to. You can only book to attend on one of the Taster Days. Check with your school before booking that you are able to attend, and that there are no exams or important activities planned for the date you have chosen.
If the date shown is the day you wish to book for, click on ‘Continue’.
If this is NOT the date you wish to book for, please select ‘remove’ next to the date, and return to the College website to select the other Taster Day date.
Choosing your subjects
We want you to truly experience what a day at College is like so you’ll have a full day of activities on the Taster Day. When choosing your subject choices you can select up to a maximum of 6. This could be all A Levels, all Vocational & T Level subjects, or a mix. You just need to select them in order of preference, with your first choice subject being the one you’d like to try the most.
A Level subject sessions are 1 hour. Vocational & T Level subject sessions are up to 2 hours. The exception is Pathways to Work & Independent Living which is a standalone session - we'll send further information to students who book on to this.
- If you only choose A Level subjects you can select a maximum of 6. We can timetable up to 5 of these - you must select at least 4 to ensure you have a full timetable for the day.
- If you only choose Vocational & T Level subjects, you should pick a minimum of 2 though you can select up to 6 and the maximum number of sessions we can timetable is 3 to try on the day.
- If you choose a mix of A Level and Vocational & T Level subjects then we may be able to timetable either 2 A Levels and 2 Vocational & T Level subjects, or 3 A Levels and 1 Vocational & T Level subject.
We’ll endeavour to allocate as many of your subject choices as we can though this may not always be possible. We have a maximum capacity in subjects and some of these may be full before the closing date for the bookings. Where subjects are full we will operate a waiting list for students who have booked before 27th November to infill any spaces that may come available through cancellations.
For students who may not want to select this many subject choices, or for whom we may not be able to timetable your full selection, we have a range of enrichment sessions that you will attend. These will give you some insights into the wider College life as well as providing some helpful tips and advice to make sure you know what to expect when you come here and will get the most out of your time with us.
Enrichment sessions could include:
- Core Maths – running as part of the A Level programme, discover how taking this qualification will support your work in other subjects and benefit you in everyday life.
- Magical Mystery Tour of Maths - Discover how maths helps with everything you do
- The Art of Communication - Explore how communication is the key to a successful career
- Your Skills Uncovered - Discover your skills and get to know yourself better
- Well-being: Coping with change & resilience
- Enrich - Experience some of our enrichment activities
Learning Difficulty/Disability/EHCP and Medical/Health Requirements
If you have a learning difficulty, disability or an Education, Health and Care plan, or have specific medical or health requirements please let us know by completing the relevant sections on the booking form. Students with an EHCP will be contacted by our Learning Support team.
Completing your booking
You’ll need to complete the questions on all of the page tabs. The final page is the ‘Summary’ page – check the details are correct. Then you must click on ‘Submit Your Taster Day Booking’ at the bottom of the page for us to receive your booking.
You’ll receive an email to confirm it has been submitted. Keep this or take a screenshot for reference, or make a note of your student reference number, in case you need to get in touch with us.
Keep a check on your email inbox in case we need to contact you with questions about your booking once you have submitted it (and junk folder in case the email we send is delivered there).
We've created some 'How to book a Taster Day' slides which explains the booking process - download the PDF slides here.
Changing your booking date or subject choices
If after submitting your booking you find that you need to change the date you have booked, or you wish to change your subject choices then please email info4schools@yorkcollege.ac.uk quoting your student reference number (found on your booking confirmation email) and we will endeavour to change either or both for you.
Please do not submit another booking, or log-in again to make changes after you have submitted your booking, as the system does not notify us of the changes.
Unfortunately we will not be able to make any changes after the booking deadline of Wednesday 27th November 2024.
Confirmation of your place
We aim to send an email confirming your place by the end of Monday 16th December 2024 (please check your junk folder in case it is delivered there). Your timetable for the day will be attached to the email message as a PDF file. We’ll also include further information about the day.
If you do have any questions that we’ve not covered above then please contact the Schools Liaison Team on info4schools@yorkcollege.ac.uk or 01904 770239.
