Post-16 curriculum in the South West
5,560 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
3,129
56% of provision
Applied and BTEC
1,167
21% of provision
Stepping stones
628
11% of provision
Vocational and trade
584
11% of provision
T Levels
47
1% of provision
Other courses
5
0% of provision
Every subject, at every level
Each cell shows how many providers in the South West teach that subject at that level. A blank cell means nobody does.
| Subject | Entry level | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science | 1 | 1 | 11 | 145 | 572 |
| Psychology and society | 1 | None | 5 | 147 | 504 |
| History and humanities | None | None | 4 | 146 | 442 |
| Maths | 3 | 1 | 29 | 145 | 394 |
| Art and design | 1 | 12 | 11 | 137 | 371 |
| Sport and fitness | None | 2 | 9 | 94 | 298 |
| Skills for life and work | 23 | 26 | 15 | 89 | 296 |
| English | 3 | 1 | 29 | 144 | 292 |
| Media and film | None | 3 | 9 | 109 | 266 |
| Languages | None | 2 | 1 | 112 | 247 |
| Business and enterprise | 1 | 3 | 10 | 104 | 243 |
| Computing and IT | None | 2 | 7 | 100 | 193 |
| Music | None | 4 | 5 | 80 | 185 |
| Drama and dance | None | None | 7 | 85 | 183 |
| Building and construction | 3 | 15 | 17 | 7 | 164 |
| Hair and beauty | None | 9 | 15 | 18 | 157 |
| Health and social care | None | 6 | 14 | 67 | 143 |
| Animals and land | 1 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 112 |
| Engineering | None | 6 | 11 | 27 | 107 |
| Hospitality and catering | 2 | 10 | 13 | 30 | 89 |
| Public and protective services | None | 4 | 9 | 20 | 82 |
| Childcare and education | None | 7 | 8 | 16 | 59 |
| Motor vehicle | 4 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 51 |
| Travel and tourism | None | 1 | 6 | 16 | 46 |
| Law | None | None | 1 | 34 | 44 |
| Games and esports | None | None | 5 | 10 | 20 |
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 South West
Providers offering the most to school leavers. Breadth is not quality, but it does mean more room to change your mind.
University Centre Somerset College Group
Bridgwater
215 courses across 25 subject areas
Exeter and North Devon Colleges Group
Exeter
205 courses across 25 subject areas
Truro and Penwith College
Truro
182 courses across 24 subject areas
City of Bristol College
Bristol
152 courses across 24 subject areas
Cornwall College
St. Austell
152 courses across 16 subject areas
City College Plymouth
138 courses across 20 subject areas
Coastland College
Weymouth
86 courses across 20 subject areas
New College Swindon
Swindon
84 courses across 18 subject areas
The Bournemouth and Poole College
Poole
74 courses across 20 subject areas
PETROC
Barnstaple
72 courses across 24 subject areas
Wiltshire College and University Centre
Chippenham
71 courses across 21 subject areas
Cirencester College
Cirencester
66 courses across 19 subject areas