A Levels, Science and GCSEs

About our A Level programmes

A Levels are available at Bracknell and Wokingham College, City of Oxford College and Reading College.

You are encouraged to pursue additional activities during your time with us, both to broaden your skills and prepare yourself for the steps following your A Levels. Some students take up internships during the summer.

You can pick a choice of three A Levels from our business, science, communication, and social sciences pathways. Click the green button below to view full subject choices at all locations.

As part of your studies, you will also have access to:

• laboratories with expert technician support
• dedicated study spaces
• IT suites and computer facilities
• the opportunity to purchase discounted laptops through our partnership with Academia
• well qualified, specialist teachers

If you are focused on a career in science, our full-time science programmes offer you the opportunity to specialise in applied science, forensic science, or applied psychology; providing the equivalent points for university progression.

What is a career pathway?

Education takes time and money. By giving you a clear view of what qualifications you need to get the job and the salary that you want, we take the stress out of learning.

Our career pathway maps show you the entry requirements for each qualification and how long they take to achieve. With each new qualification, you have the option to continue studying at the next level or explore your employment options with a guide to the jobs and salaries you can expect at that stage. Each step of the way, our career advisors are there to help you make the right choice for you.

By focusing on your future employability and opportunities, we hope to inspire in you the drive to succeed and make the most of your investment in education. 95% of students that completed a course with us progressed directly into employment or onto higher-level learning such as a higher-level course, apprenticeship or university study.*
*AL destination data for 16-19 year olds

While the right qualifications can get you a job interview, it’s the attributes that we teach alongside your chosen programme that will get you the job. Click here to find out more about our Attributes and Learning Philosophy.

What could an A Level career pathway look like?

Business pathway

Potential career options: Accountancy, business and finance; childhood studies; English; film and media; history; journalism; creative writing and PR; law; media; performing arts and theatre; project management; psychology and occupational therapy; social care; sociology; teaching; tourism and hospitality.

Communication pathway

Potential career options: Accountancy, anthropology, business and finance, criminology, journalism, creative writing, PR, management studies, performing arts and theatre, politics, project management, law (eg paralegal, solicitor, legal assistant, barrister).

Science pathway

Potential career options: Anthropology; astronomy, audio equipment technician, chemical technician, electrician; film and video editor; food science technician, food scientist or technologist, forensic science technician, occupational health and safety specialist, physicist, physics teacher, precision instrument repairer.

Social sciences pathway

Potential career options: Business and finance; childhood studies; English; film and media; journalism; creative writing and PR; media; performing arts and theatre; project management; psychology and occupational therapy; social care; sociology; teaching.

Why study at Activate Learning?

Our A Level and science programmes will give you the skills, knowledge and attributes you need to make a success of your next step.

We give particular focus to university progression. Every year, hundreds of our students go on to study higher-level programmes at almost 100 top universities across the UK and abroad. Recently this has included 18 of the world-class Russell Group’s 24 universities, such as University of Oxford, Newcastle University and King’s College, London.

We also offer one-year, full-time programmes for 16–19 year olds who want to improve their GCSE grades.

search our A Level programmes

What could my future job look like?

With our A Levels career pathway, you could access a range of exciting careers, including:

• Marketing manager: help a company create and promote services and products, devising and managing campaigns and evaluating their success.
• Radiologist: work with x-rays in a medical environment, interpreting x-ray images and deciding on the best course of action to manage the patient's condition.
• Journalist: research and write news stories, articles and opinion pieces for written or digital publications, or present programmes to be broadcast over TV or radio.
• Social worker: identify and handle complex situations affecting families and vulnerable individuals, managing your own caseload and helping your clients access support to minimise risk.

Industry partnerships

A Level students at Activate Learning benefit from the faculty’s many links with leading universities, such as:

• University of Reading
• Oxford Brookes University
• University of Winchester
• Southampton Solent University

In autumn each year, second year A Level students take part in UCAS Takeover Week, with workshops run by universities on subjects such as personal statements and student finance. Each college also has a higher education fair, with over 40 university exhibitors on campus.

In addition to university links, employers such as Penningtons Manches, a leading law firm, provide legal masterclasses for A Level students. We also share close ties to SIEMENS Healthineers.