Sixth Form Curriculum

The A Level pathway

A Levels are based around specific academic areas, such as biology, Maths, etc. Students would normally choose 3 A Levels (but can choose 4 in exceptional circumstances), when choosing subjects it is best to choose a suite of A Level subjects that support one another, for example, Maths, Physics, Chemistry.  Some university/apprenticeships courses require you to study specific A Level subjects.  During an A level course you study for 2 years and are assessed at the end by 6 hours of exams, some A Levels, such as Geography and Computer Science have non-exam assessed units.

At CAST Sixth Form A Level students not studying A Level Maths also study Core Maths, this supports their other A Level subjects.  They will also complete their EPQ as part of the colleges Challenge programme.

The minimum entry requirement for our A Level pathway is 7 GCSEs (grade 4-9), including Maths (5) and English Language (4) with at least a grade 6 in the subjects chosen at A Level.  Additional requirements:  Sciences (Maths - 6), Maths (Maths - 7) and Further Maths (Maths - 8).

The T Level Pathway

T Levels are based around career pathways; we offer T Levels in science and health.  They are large qualifications (equivalent to 3 A Levels), so students would only choose 1 T Level course.  In addition T Level students also complete Core Maths, this compliments their T Level studies. 

There are three components to the T Level course the Core, Occupational Specialism and work placement.  In the Core Component students gain the background knowledge that they will require, this includes subject knowledge, legislative understanding and sector specific knowledge, it is assessed by a mixture of exams (unlike A Level exams these can be retaken) and practical assessments.  The Occupational Specialism teaches the practical skills that the student will need to be successful in their chosen field, this includes practical and transferable skills.  The Occupational Specialism is assessed by external marked practical assessments.

All students completing a T Level have to complete a 3 month work placement in a relevant industry.  At CAST we have strong relationships with many local STEM industries and have a range of placements available including with the NHS, Abcam, Cambridge University, Medical Research Council.

At CAST Sixth Form we offer the following T Levels:

• Science (Laboratory Science)
• Health (Adult Nursing)

The minimum entry requirement for our T Level pathway is 5 GCSEs (at grade 4-9) including Sciences (5), Maths (5) and English Language (4).