School Leaver FAQs

At York College we offer a range of courses including A Levels, Vocational courses, T Levels and Apprenticeships, with a variety of different levels:

• A Levels are Level 3 qualifications
• T Levels are Level 3 qualifications
• Vocational courses range from Entry Level to Level 3 (depending on the course)
• Apprenticeship programmes come in a range of different levels, with some continuing up to Level 4

The level each student starts on depends on their GCSE grades, as different levels of courses have different entry requirements. Some courses may require students to start at a lower level, particularly if it’s a subject that hasn’t been studied before.

Students studying A Levels usually choose 3 A Level options to study.

Students studying a Vocational course, T Level or an Apprenticeship choose one course to study.

A Levels are studied over two years and are mainly assessed via exams at the end of those two years. These can be studied in practically any combination.

Vocational courses tend to be more practical and hands-on, and are assessed via practical observations/examinations, coursework, projects etc. and may include work experience. Some Level 3 vocational courses, such as Extended Diplomas, are worth the same amount of UCAS points as 3 A Levels.

T Levels are vocational qualifications, equivalent to 3 A Levels, that combine academic classroom study with a significant work placement of around 45 days.

Apprenticeships combine workplace learning in paid employment and learning in the College environment, and will be assessed in a variety of ways including practical observations, building a portfolio, online tests etc.

The College day starts at 9.15am and finishes at 4.15pm. A Level lessons are one hour long, but vocational courses lesson length may vary. You may also find that you do not have a lesson at some points during the day and so this would provide time for private study in the learning areas around College. For subjects such as Hospitality or Hair & Beauty, you may find that you are required to be in College beyond the end of the normal College working day if you are involved with events or services in our facilities open to the general public.
 

For apprenticeships, start and finish times can vary depending on your course.

Class sizes vary between 17-25, depending on the subject you are taking and also the capacity in the work areas for some subjects due to health and safety requirements.

Each student will be assigned a Progress Coach. Progress Coaches will undertake group/1:1 tutorials and will provide pastoral support; monitor student progress, attendance/retention, and support work placement and enrichment. Their role is to provide students with support, advice and guidance so they can successfully progress on to their next step.

Apprentice students will be allocated an assessor who will be the link between College, yourself and your employer.

We also have several other support teams in place including our Learning Support Team, Careers Team and Well-being Team.

In addition to any trips and activities organised as part of your study programme, we offer a programme of activities called “Xtra Curricular” which aims to meet the needs of students outside the classroom. There are a range of different activities students can take part in which will enhance their learning and development, and are great fun. This is a great way to meet people, have fun and learn new skills! If there’s something you’d like to do that isn’t offered, let the Xtra Curricular team know and they’ll see if it’s possible to form a new group.

To apply please visit our Apply Now page and complete the online application form. We will let you know once we have received your application.

Your application will be reviewed and you may be invited to attend a Guidance Discussion to speak to a member of the Curriculum Team to discuss the course. You will then receive the outcome of this via email. Students are then invited to enrol in August.

You can apply in Year 11 as soon as you feel happy with your choice of course/s, and we would advise that you do this as soon as you can and no later than the Easter holidays to have the best chance of securing a place on the course/s you have chosen.

Please remember that the courses you put on your application are just a starting point, and we are aware that you may want to make some changes over the coming months, so don’t worry if you are a little unsure of your exact plans when you make an application. Please note that we will still accept applications that we receive after the Easter holidays.

It's not too late to change your mind about your course choice once you have applied. You can either email our Admissions Team at info@yorkcollege.ac.uk or you can advise us when you enrol at the end of August.

Depending on the change, you may need to speak to a tutor from the new area to establish if the course is suitable and confirm a conditional offer.

If you are under 19 on the 31st August before your course starts you will not have to pay tuition fees for most courses. However, if you are 19 or over, you may be responsible for paying tuition fees for courses unless you meet certain criteria. For more information please email info@yorkcollege.ac.uk

For apprenticeships, regardless of your age, these will be funded through the government and your employer.

Some courses may have uniform or kit requirements. You can find out more about these on the course description pages or ask our tutors at Open Events. All students will be informed about any requirements at enrolment.

We have 15 College coaches that travel from outside of York and there are a number of bus routes that drop off directly outside College. You’ll find more information about these and other transport options on our Travel and Transport page.

Our general entry requirements for A Levels are a minimum of four GCSE subjects at grade 5 or above, plus English Language and Maths at grade 4 or above. Individual A Level subjects will have specific requirements in addition to these, so check subject course descriptions for further information.

Our A Level courses are primarily for school leavers. If you are a mature student and are considering A Levels, please take a look at our Access courses. All of our Access to HE courses are designed to give you the skills and UCAS points required to pursue a degree or higher-level qualification.

Most students will be asked to select 3 A Level subjects.

You'll have three 90 minute taught sessions per week over 4 days, with one day a week as a study day where you are not required to be in College.

Our Vocational and T Level courses are full-time, equivalent in study hours to three A Levels, and so it is not possible to combine them with A Levels.

After completing A Levels you can progress on to higher education study, into employment or an apprenticeship.

Below are the current tariffs per A Level. Not all courses will specify a UCAS points tariff as entry requirements and therefore you should check with individual institutions as to what they are requesting.

You can further advice on the UCAS website.

A Level

• A* = 56
  
• A = 48
• B = 40
• C = 32
• D = 24
• E = 16

You can only study one Vocational course as they are full-time courses.

The entry requirements are dependent upon the level of the Vocational course you wish to do. Our courses are set at Entry Level and Levels 1, 2 and 3. The below gives an overview of typical entry requirements for each level:

For some Entry Level courses there are no formal entry requirements.

• Level 1 requires 3 GCSE subjects at grade 2
• Level 2 requires 4 GCSE subjects at grade 3
• Level 3 courses require 5 GCSE subjects at grade 4 or above including English and/or Maths

The above is for guidance only and some courses differ to the above for their level. You should check specific entry requirements on each course description page, including any specific GCSE subjects that you would need to have.

The course title will include the name of the qualification you will achieve. This could be Certificate, Technical Certificate, Diploma, Extended Certificate, Foundation Diploma and Extended Diploma depending on the level of course.

Students can progress into employment, on to the next level of study, higher-level degree study from Level 3 courses (subject to course entry requirements), or on to apprenticeships.

Yes they are full-time courses, although you may find your teaching time in College condensed to three or four days a week. For the remainder of the week, you will have assignments and home study or work placements.

Our Vocational courses are full-time, equivalent in study hours to three A Levels, and so it is not possible to study an A Level alongside.

If you complete a Level 3 Vocational course and achieve the grades necessary, you can progress to a degree or higher education course. Always check specific university entry requirements for the course you are interested in, as they may not be suitable or accepted qualifications for some degree courses. You can do this on the UCAS website.

T Levels are Level 3 qualifications that follow GCSEs and are equivalent to 3 A Levels. They are 2 year courses that offer a mixture of classroom learning and 'on-the-job' experience during an industry placement of 45 days.

Studying a T Level gives you the opportunity to experience an industry while you continue your studies, with the opportunity to specialise later.

T Levels have been designed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares you for work, further training or study.

T Levels are Level 3 qualifications with exact entry requirements varying according to the course. Please refer to the individual curriculum T Level course pages for details.

You can only study one T Level as these are full-time courses.

The T Level courses are full-time, equivalent in study hours to three A Levels, and so it is not possible to study an A Level alongside.

We have a Work Placement team based at the College who will arrange this for you with participating employers, ensuring you can gain the knowledge you need.

The work placement is 45 days and is undertaken as a block or as individual days. When it will take place across the two years will differ depending on the T Level.

These courses are designed to provide you with the skills needed to apply for employment in the relevant industry. Alternatively, you can progress to university to study further or you could apply to study an apprenticeship.

UCAS tariff points were allocated to T Levels in 2019, with the top T Level grade equal to achieving 3 A* at A Level. Points have been allocated to the overall T Level grade, and students must achieve at least an overall pass grade to receive UCAS points.

We would encourage students to look at UCAS and at their preferred higher education provider’s website for more information on entry requirements. Admissions offices can be contacted directly should students require further information on entry requirements.

Yes, This can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/t-level-resources-for-universities/providers-that-have-confirmed-t-levels-suitable-for-entry-on-one-course

There are likely to be differing entry requirements for different providers and courses. This list will be updated on a regular basis as more providers confirm that they will accept T Levels.

It is not possible to study an A Level alongside an apprenticeship as your time in College is focussed on the Technical qualification of your programme and the remainder of the time is spent working for your employer.

Yes, you can, then as soon as you are able to find an employer you should notify the Admissions Team so that the procedures can be put in place for you to start your apprenticeship. Until you have found an employer, you will not be able to start your studies.

Apprenticeship vacancies are advertised on our website and you can also search for apprenticeship opportunities in your area on the Government Apprenticeships page. You can also contact companies working in the field you are interested in and enquire if they are taking on apprentices.

You can study a full-time qualification – often the full-time course in the same subject covers the technical elements included in the apprenticeship. You could then look to apply for an apprenticeship when one becomes available or you may decide to continue with the full-time route before entering employment.

Your study at College may be organised for one or two days per week during the academic term, with you working for your employer the rest of the week. However, for some courses you may attend on block release, studying in College for one week every four or five weeks.