ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF THEIR STUDIES
Whatever their next step, your child will need to demonstrate to universities, training providers or employers that they have a range of skills and qualities in addition to their academic achievements.
During the year, encourage them to continue broadening their experience, confidence and‘ people skills’ through things like:
• Volunteering, work experience or paid part-time work, either during term time or holidays.
• Activities outside school, such as sports or drama. See page 15 for more information and guidance on non-academic activities.
HIGHER EDUCATION DECISIONS
If your child decides they would like to go to university, during the summer they’ ll need to decide on the courses and universities they want to apply for. The following quick guide to higher education explains the range of post-18 qualifications and some of the terminology you and your child might come across in your research.
WHAT IS HIGHER EDUCATION?
Higher education refers to qualifications at Level 4 and above, such as Bachelors degrees, foundation degrees and Higher National Diplomas( HNDs).
WHAT ARE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS?
A higher education institution is an organisation that delivers these qualifications.
Most people associate higher education with universities, but higher education institutions can also be called colleges, academies, schools, conservatoires and institutes.
Some further education colleges also provide higher education qualifications.
SPECIALIST HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
Some subjects may be taught at specialist higher education institutions such as:
• agricultural colleges
• teacher training colleges
• technology institutes
• business schools
• art schools( for visual arts and crafts, such as painting, sculpture, textile design and graphic design)
• conservatoires( for performance-based arts, such as music or drama)
QUALIFICATION TYPES
Undergraduate qualifications are the next academic step up from Level 3 qualifications such as A Levels. They are delivered at higher education institutions, such as universities. There are various different qualifications at different levels.
Higher National Certificate( HNC) and Higher National Diploma( HND)
• Work-related courses provided by higher and further education institutions.
• An HNC takes one year to complete, and an HND takes two years.
• An HND is roughly equivalent to the first two years of a university degree and many students use it as a stepping stone to a full degree.
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