Overview
The UK education system has 4 stages
- Primary Education
- Secondary Education
- Further Education (FE)
- Higher Education (HE)
Further Education refers to post-16 courses and qualifications that are not a degree. In England, it is compulsory to be in education, including apprenticeships, until 18. FE consists of different types of courses to appeal to the different types of students.
Structure
Sixth-form refers to the last two years of secondary school, year 12 (lower sixth) and year 13 (upper sixth) which is classed as Further Education. It can take place in the same secondary school as the lower years, while A-Levels are most commonly offered, other programmes such as the T-Levels are offered in certain institutes.
Sixth-form college is slightly different as it only provides education at the A-Levels. They tend to offer a wider range of subjects compared to schools and learning is more independent as it is in a college environment.
Further Education colleges are the most common FE providers as they offer a range of courses and subjects, as well as cater to adult learners.
There are specialist FE colleges that provide courses exclusively in subjects such as agriculture, engineering, and performing arts, as well as colleges specifically for adult and community learners.
Courses
A-levels
A-Levels, short for advanced levels, is the traditional progression from the GCSEs as they are taught in the most similar way. Over two years, students study 3 to 4 subjects; they can choose traditional subjects like English and math, as well as subjects such as sociology, sciences, dance, ICT and politics.
A-Levels are assessed through final exams at the end of the second year of study, some subjects include coursework that is assessed throughout the course.
See the gov.uk’s guide for more information.
BTECs (Business and Technology Education Council)
BTECs is a vocational qualification and a popular alternative to the A-Levels as it focuses more on practical skills that can be brought easily to the workplace.
There are three types of BTECs. Starting as an alternative to GCSEs with BTEC 1-2, then BTEC 3-4 equivalent to A-levels and BTEC 4-5 which is 1st and 2nd year at university level.
There are approximately 2,000 BTEC qualifications under 15 different sectors including business, applied science, sport, hospitality, media, ITC and performing arts.
BTECs assess knowledge primarily on coursework and projects, emphasising hands-on learning with practical application to provide them with relevant experience in the career or higher education course they wish to advance to.
The BTECs were due to lose funding in 2024, citing an overlap with the T Levels, but this is under review by the current government.
T Levels
The T Levels are a newly introduced technical qualification (2020) that combines work experience and traditional study.
Students study over two years and can pick from a range of subjects such as construction, engineering and manufacturing, business and administration, and agriculture, environmental, and animal care.
This makes T Levels the ideal course to study alongside an apprenticeship.
The practical element of the programme includes a minimum of 315 hours of work experience, giving students real-world experience and application of the knowledge learnt in the classroom.
Similar to the BTECs, students are graded on a Pass, Merit, Distinction, or Distinction* scale with assessments through exams and practical skills tests.
Find out more about the T Levels from gov.uk.
Job in Further Education
Teaching Roles
Educators in FE are sometimes referred to as lecturers or teachers, this depends on the course and provider.
The duties are the same regardless of title, the planning and delivering of lessons in their subject area.
Some vocational trainers provide practical teaching in their specialised areas, such as hairdressing, construction, and plumbing.
Industry experience is needed for this role, and while a teaching qualification, such as an Award in Education and Training, is often required it is not always necessary.
An assessor has a similar role, they evaluate students in their vocational skills.
Industry experience is required along with an assessor qualification such as a Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement.
Learning support assistants (LSAs) assist students who need additional support, such as special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) or Social Emotional Mental Health Needs (SEMH).
Formal qualifications are not always required but a qualification such as a Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools would improve your employability.
Support Roles
Further Education is a varied sector, there are many opportunities in non-teaching roles such as in HR, finance, administration, estates and maintenance, and student support.
Discover support roles in FE with our overview.
Resources
Further education courses and funding: Overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
AoC Home | Association of Colleges
View jobs in Further Education
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