Learning at college or sixth form

If you want to stay on in full-time education after you are 16, there are lots of courses to choose from. But you'll need to decide which subjects you want to focus on and find out where you can study them.

What do you want to study?

To get the most out of studying after you are 16, it’s important to take time to choose the right courses and qualifications. Ask yourself:

what you are good at, and what you enjoy - most people do better when they study a subject they like
do you want to learn something new - for many courses, you may not need any previous experience
what course structure will suit you - do you prefer end-of-year exams, continual assessment, or a mixture of both?
what learning style will suit you - do you prefer lectures, classroom discussions, or practical workshops?
where the course will lead - does it fit in with your long-term plans?

If you prefer a practical approach to learning, you might want to consider a work-based training option like an apprenticeship?

ApprenticeshipsNI - more information

Qualifications: what’s on offer?

You could study for an academic qualification such as AS (Advanced Subsidiary) or A levels (Advanced), Applied GCE's (General Certificate of Education) or go for work-related qualifications such as BTECs ( Business and Techinical Education Council), City and Guilds and OCR Nationals (Ordinary National Certificate).

Selected colleges also offer the new Diploma qualification for 14- to 19-year-olds, in addition, you can take qualifications in Key Skills. These are the essential skills that employers look for and many of these qualifications can help you get into university or higher education.

Qualifications explained - find out more

You also need to think about how your choices will fit in with your career plan.

Planning a career (young people section)

Where do you want to study?

Find local colleges and sixth forms

Once you’ve thought about what you’re going to study you will need to find a local college or sixth form that offers those courses.

Choosing where to study

You can choose from a:

school sixth form
further education college
specialist college

Each type of institution has its own structure and atmosphere and will offer a different range of subjects and courses.

Sixth forms

You may be able to study at your own school’s sixth form, the sixth form of another school, or at a sixth form college. They offer a wider range of options than you’ve probably had before and the environment is usually more relaxed than in Year 11.

Sixth forms vary a lot in size and in the courses and facilities they offer. Sixth form colleges tend to be larger and more informal than school sixth forms.

Further education colleges

Further education colleges can offer similar courses to sixth form colleges. They also vary a lot in size too and in the subjects and facilities they offer. Your fellow students may include adults of all ages as well as young people.

Specialist colleges

Some further education colleges specialise in particular areas like:

art and design
agriculture and horticulture
dance and drama

Some also support students with a particular disability or learning need. Going to a specialist college may involve a lot of travelling, however.

If it is a long way from home, you may need to live there during term time. If so, you might qualify for financial help. However, some courses are only available to people over the age of 18.

Applying to Further Education colleges and sixth forms

You can apply to more than one sixth form or college. Many colleges let you apply online, or you can contact them for an application form. You should start applying for popular or specialist courses in the autumn term of Year 12.

For other courses, you normally apply in the spring. You do not normally need to apply if you want to stay on at your school’s sixth form.

Next steps

Get a prospectus

Some schools and most FE colleges publish their prospectus which is a free booklet that describes the facilities and the courses they offer. Many prospectuses are now available online.

Search for school and college websites:

Find a further education college (Department for Employment and Learning website)

Go to open days

One of the best ways to find out what a school or college is really like is to go to an open day or an open evening. You will get to see the facilities, meet the staff and some of the students. Many further education colleges also have stands at careers fairs.

Where can you get advice?

You can get advice from your current teachers, parents/carers, friends, relatives. You can also speak to a careers advisor from Careers Service Northern Ireland.