Post-16 curriculum in the North West
6,528 courses open to 16 to 18 year olds, across 26 of our 26 subject areas. Below is what is taught, at what level, and how many providers you would realistically be choosing between.
The mix of routes
A levels
2,768
42% of provision
Applied and BTEC
1,538
24% of provision
Stepping stones
1,176
18% of provision
Vocational and trade
990
15% of provision
T Levels
48
1% of provision
Other courses
6
0% of provision
Apprenticeships
2
0% of provision
Every subject, at every level
Each cell shows how many providers in the North West teach that subject at that level. A blank cell means nobody does.
| Subject | Entry level | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science | None | 1 | 11 | 136 | 553 |
| Skills for life and work | 51 | 48 | 29 | 55 | 521 |
| Psychology and society | None | None | 2 | 131 | 443 |
| Art and design | 2 | 20 | 20 | 127 | 424 |
| History and humanities | 1 | None | 3 | 134 | 387 |
| Building and construction | 7 | 30 | 29 | 20 | 383 |
| Maths | 3 | 7 | 39 | 133 | 347 |
| Business and enterprise | 2 | 14 | 21 | 89 | 341 |
| English | 5 | 5 | 40 | 130 | 330 |
| Sport and fitness | None | 12 | 23 | 90 | 315 |
| Hair and beauty | 5 | 25 | 31 | 33 | 303 |
| Media and film | None | 5 | 15 | 84 | 261 |
| Computing and IT | 2 | 8 | 19 | 98 | 251 |
| Health and social care | 1 | 24 | 26 | 91 | 242 |
| Languages | None | 5 | 4 | 101 | 227 |
| Drama and dance | 1 | 2 | 12 | 65 | 185 |
| Hospitality and catering | 5 | 20 | 23 | 30 | 153 |
| Music | None | 3 | 9 | 52 | 141 |
| Engineering | None | 13 | 23 | 35 | 140 |
| Childcare and education | 3 | 17 | 32 | 20 | 118 |
| Public and protective services | 1 | 14 | 18 | 32 | 110 |
| Motor vehicle | 3 | 23 | 22 | 15 | 99 |
| Travel and tourism | None | 5 | 14 | 32 | 83 |
| Animals and land | 3 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 80 |
| Law | None | None | None | 51 | 67 |
| Games and esports | None | 1 | 5 | 13 | 24 |
Numbers in orange mean two providers or fewer. Provider counts are the highest for any single route within that subject and level, so they are a floor, not a ceiling.
Widest choice in the North West
Providers offering the most to school leavers. Breadth is not quality, but it does mean more room to change your mind.
The Manchester College
MANCHESTER
184 courses across 23 subject areas
St Helens College
St. Helens
149 courses across 19 subject areas
The City of Liverpool College
LIVERPOOL
147 courses across 23 subject areas
Tameside College
Ashton-Under-Lyne
142 courses across 24 subject areas
Hugh Baird College
Bootle
134 courses across 21 subject areas
Hopwood Hall College
MANCHESTER
125 courses across 21 subject areas
Riverside College Halton
Widnes
124 courses across 24 subject areas
The Trafford and Stockport College Group
Altrincham
113 courses across 21 subject areas
Blackpool and The Fylde College
BLACKPOOL
111 courses across 21 subject areas
Wigan and Leigh College
Wigan
104 courses across 19 subject areas
Bury College
Bury
95 courses across 22 subject areas
Furness College
Barrow-In-Furness
92 courses across 23 subject areas