A Levels have changed and they are now all studied on a two-year linear basis. This means that the A Level course will be like most of the IGCSEs you are taking and you will be examined on everything you have studied at the end of your two years in the sixth form. With the exception of Art, the school will no longer be offering AS Level exams at the end of Year 12, though you may have the option to study some subjects at AS (Maths for example) over two years and then take the AS exam at the same time as your A Levels at the end of Year 13.
The new system will allow teachers to teach their subjects from the outset with the demands of the full A Level in mind.
It is tempting to look a long way down the line when deciding what subjects to study. This is a consideration, and for some career paths is essential, but simply choosing the subjects you are best at and that you enjoy the most is likely to be sound advice. The exception to this rule is Economics which is not studied at Runnymede at IGCSE. However, in this case you might choose the subject because you have looked into it and think it will suit your strengths and interests as a student.
Put simply, doing the subjects that you are good at and that you enjoy is likely to prepare you effectively for doing a university course that you are good at and enjoy. In turn this university course is likely to prepare you for a career that you are good at and enjoy (remember that in the UK at least, apart from medicine and architecture, most graduate jobs require no specific degree as qualification).
Choosing a subject because you feel you ought to study it can lead to a great deal of stress and can cause underperformance in other subjects because of the need to dedicate extra time to the subject you are not so good at. It is vital that you are good enough at the subjects you choose and interested in them.
Many students (and parents) want to keep their options open. Studying extra subjects or specific subjects can have this result, but a common result is shutting down options because the results are not as good as they might be. IGCSE results (particularly a B grade or above) are often good enough to demonstrate the level of numeracy/literacy required. The best way to keep your options open is to do well in your exams. Good grades give you more options!
Different A Levels can need different skills such as essay writing, discussion and debate skills, mathematical skills, practical techniques and so on. In deciding which A Levels to take you should consider how your own skills match up with those needed to do each subject. However, your A Levels are also designed to help you develop new skills that will equip you for study at degree level and beyond.
You are usually expected to have at least a B grade to be admitted onto that subject’s A Level course. This is a sign that you have the necessary level of proficiency to make the success of the A Level course (these are academic courses). However, even an A grade without any interest or enthusiasm is likely to mean you are not suited to the course.
For some courses, some additional qualifications are expected:
While UK universities are clear that they only require students to take three subjects at A Level, many students at Runnymede will begin studying four A Levels (especially if their choices involve Spanish or Further Maths). This will allow them to engage with four subjects in Year 12 and will provide them with a greater breadth of study. Many students may continue with four subjects into Year 13, others may decide to focus on just three, although these decisions should only be taken after consultation with all subject teachers, your tutor and the heads of sixth form.
If you are thinking of going to a Spanish university, the latest agreement with the Ministry of Education mean that your potential grade for bachillerato will be based on your best four A Levels and no more. You will need to study a minimum of three A Levels, but no more than four will not count towards your final score.
Additional points will continue to be accessible via “pruebas especificas” but also by using individual A Level subject grades, for certain approved subjects which are relevant to your degree.
Given the linear nature of the new A Levels, a student may not receive a formal qualification if a subject is dropped at the end of Year 12. However, the academic enrichment of having studied a fourth subject can still form a valued part of a university application.
Whilst the British system does not require that any specific subject is studied and, in theory, any A Levels could be studied together, many students do sensibly choose subjects that complement each other. This is likely to happen anyway if students stick to their interests and talents, but some subjects do support each other. Some obvious examples are: Maths and Physics; Physics and Chemistry; Chemistry and Biology; French and Spanish; History and English; Literature and French.
Sometimes people worry about the excessive workload of doing subjects requiring a similar style of work, but the skills required will improve more quickly by making such a choice.
It is also possible to do one subject from a completely different part of the curriculum and this can add variety and interest and way well reflect very well on a student with a wide range of interests (e.g. sciences and literature, humanities and mathematics).
For many university courses, specific subjects are required, but the requirements can vary from university and it is essential to look on department pages to see exactly what is required (it is not always as you might imagine). A good place to start is the UCAS website. Sometimes there are requirements in terms of IGCSE grades (e.g. a B in mathematics for business is often required, but not the A Level).
Because many Runnymedians are native Spanish speakers and nearly all have lived a large portion of their life in Madrid, some universities will not accept Spanish as one of the 3 A Levels to be included in a conditional offer (this A Level is designed principally for British students living in the UK, after all). That said, many will, and it depends on both the course and the university. The rules here are not fixed and we can only offer guidelines as to where it is likely to be accepted based on past experience. It is, much more likely to be accepted for a language degree than an engineering one, for example.
The course does offer the opportunity to study Spanish history, literature, society etc and should be considered by students interested in this. Students wanting to study in a public Spanish university should choose it because it is counted as any other A Level in the conversion to the Spanish grading system.
Doing Spanish as a fourth A Level is a sensible option for many students, but this is a serious undertaking and recent syllabus changes have made the course much more demanding. Anything less than an A* does not reflect very well on a native speaker and there is a substantial amount of content to learn about.
These are the people who know best what your ability is in their subject. They also know about the A Level course. Take their advice seriously if they tell you are well suited to the course (and also if they dissuade you). Remember, though, that the decision should be yours.
Your form teacher has a good overall picture of where your strengths lie, and you will already have had conversations with them about your future plans.
It is tempting to think of some A Level subjects being useful and others not. This often comes from a misunderstanding of what we actually learn and what is typically applicable in “real life”. Being able to speak French is a skill that has an obvious real life purpose, but that is not the case for all subjects. As well as looking at the content that you study, you should also think of the skills that you will learn and develop.
Whilst some of the topics studied might not have an immediately applicable use in the job market, these are all skills that are hugely in demand from employers.
As well as researching here, talk with your teachers about what you will actually be learning in terms of skills.