If your heart is set on studying A Levels but you don't like the idea of staying in a traditional school environment, then A Levels at MidKent College could be your perfect next step.

Based at our Sixth Form Centre in Maidstone, you'll be taught be specialist lecturers who will support you to gain the qualifications, skills and confidence to progress to university-level study, an apprenticeship, or into employment.

Subjects available are:

English Literature (Awarding Body: Pearson)
A level English Literature studies how great writing enables the analysis and evaluation of fundamental themes such as love, loneliness, prejudice, bravery and perseverance among others. A level English Literature covers a range of modern and historical texts with a combination of prose, poetry and drama texts ranging from Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde to Tennessee Williams and Margaret Atwood. The texts you study are partly determined by the exam board and partly by your cohort’s choices, to ensure that you study a good variety of writing forms, styles and genres across the course. In addition to any set texts which you have to study, you will be expected to read widely and critically around the texts exploring critical theory, contextual factors and in some cases comparative narratives. You will be assessed predominantly through examination and there is only one piece of coursework that will be submitted in your second year of study.

Entry Criteria: 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above, including English and maths.

Film (WJEC/Eduquas)

"Are you passionate about Film? This course will broaden your knowledge of film as an art form and a commercial enterprise. Through analysis of films, you will develop your understanding of how meaning is made and spectatorship. You will consider approaches such as auteurship, structuralism, narrative and genre. Over the 2 years you will study 11 films in depth. The topics range from filmmaking under the studio system in Hollywood and British film in year 1 to global film and film movements in year 2. The course is assessed through essay style questions in 2 exams totalling 70% and there is a coursework component (30%) in which you will get the opportunity to show your creativity with a short film of 4-5 minutes."

Entry Requirements 5 GCSEs above grade 4 including English and Maths

Geography

In today's constantly evolving world, geography is one of the most exciting and important subjects you can study. A-level geography will provide you with an in-depth understanding of both physical and human geography, as well as the opportunity to take part in exciting fieldwork activities. Over the two years, you will study a range of topics, including ecological systems and landscapes, contemporary urban environments, resource security, globalisation using comprehensive case studies to present real-world examples. The course is assessed through exams and a practical fieldwork investigation.

Entry requirements; 4 GCSEs at grade 4+ including English, Maths and Science and Geography at grade 5+.

Physics

This course enables students to build on their knowledge of the laws of physics, applying their understanding to solve problems on topics ranging from subatomic particles to the entire universe. They also have the opportunity to develop all the relevant practical skills.

Content is in six modules:

· Module 1: Development of practical skills in physics
· Module 2: Foundations in physics
· Module 3: Forces and motion
· Module 4: Electrons, waves and photons
· Module 5: Newtonian world and astrophysics
· Module 6: Particles and medical physics

Entry Criteria:5 GCSE's @ grade 4+ including English, maths at grade 5+ and Physics at grade 5+ or Double Science G55

English Language

This exciting new course will challenge your ability to analyse and evaluate, as well as teach research and investigative skills. Over the two years, we will investigate how language develops in childhood, and what your vocabulary and accent suggest about you. You will study the distinctive features of genres through feature articles, journalist interviews, speeches, scripted presentations, dramatic monologues, short stories, and travel writing.

This is a linear course and will be assessed as follows:

• Language Variation (exam 35%) – What is identity? How does language vary based on gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, class, education, and occupation?
  
  
• Child Language (exam 20%) – What do developmental psychology; theories of behaviourism and cognitivism; and nativism versus innateness, suggest about learning language, grammar use and accent?
  
  
• Investigating Language (exam 25%) – Exploring aspects of global English varieties, including language use in journalism, and power language, leading to a research and investigation task requiring data analysis and evaluation.
  
  
• Crafting Language (coursework 20%) – Here you will pursue your own interests and demonstrate your skills as a writer, crafting original texts for different audiences and purposes alongside which, you will create a commentary on both pieces of original writing to reflect on the decisions you made during the drafting process in order to ‘craft’ language.
  
  
  Entry requirements: 5 GCSE’s @ grade 4+, including maths, English at grade 6+
  
  Law (Awarding Body: OCR)
  
  Law plays a vital and wide-ranging role in society and has functions within our society that includes protecting the public, regulating relationships, the construction of agreements and the resolution of disputes. Throughout A level Law there is very much a ‘case study’ approach, in which legal principles are applied to real-life cases. It is the combination of these case studies raising real and relevant issues that makes this an engaging, yet challenging subject to study. Among a number of topics you will explore core units on the Nature of Law, English Legal System, Criminal Law and Tort Law. You will be assessed entirely through examination and there is no coursework component at this time.
  
  Entry Criteria: 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above, including English and maths.
  
  Business (Awarding Body: AQA)
  
  A level Business introduces students to the fundamental principles of all business, and covers main business functions such as: Marketing, Finance, Operations and Human Resources. It outlines the way businesses have to co-ordinate, measure and adjust these four aspects to remain competitive but profitable. In addition to this you’ll study how to measure corporate performance through analysis of changing external influences on business including technology, competition, the economy and globalisation and finally to compare how different businesses manage change. You will be assessed entirely through examination and there is no coursework component at this time.
  
  Entry Criteria: 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above, including English and maths.
  
  History
  
  History is the study of the past, the causes and effects that drive human action. You will learn about the past, how to study it, compare historical sources, study the numerous debates about past events and how to craft your own arguments. You will study a breadth of British History and comprehend the change and continuity of British History. You will go onto study a key event in European History and study it in depth to grasp the many interpretations and arguments. Alongside this you will develop and study independently a key historical event of the 20th Century developing independent study skills and develop your own conclusions.
  
  Entry Criteria: 5 GCSE's @ 4 grade+ including maths, English and History at grade 4.
  
  Psychology (Awarding Body: AQA
  Psychology is broadly defined as the scientific study of the mind and behaviour, and you will study this across the two year course. You will focus on a number of core units such as social psychology, which focuses on the social interactions people have with each other and explains social behaviours; cognitive psychology, the study of how we perceive and interpret the world around us; developmental psychology considers how people develop and change throughout their lives, with specific focus on attachment theory; biological psychology looks at the role of evolutionary forces and genetics in behaviour and investigates how the nervous system and hormones work, how the brain functions, and how fluctuations affect behaviour. You will be assessed entirely through examination and there is no coursework component at this time.
  
  Entry Criteria: 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above including English, and Maths at Grade 5.
  
  Sociology (Awarding Body: AQA)
  Sociology is the study of society - how people interact in groups. A level Sociology examines social behaviour from a variety of perspectives: how it originates and then develops, and the ways people are organised into groups according to distinctions such as class, gender and race. Sociology focuses on contemporary society, providing an awareness of the importance of social structure and actions in explaining social forces and issues. A level Sociology helps you to develop knowledge and understanding of the essential sociological theories and methods (such as Functionalism, Marxism and Feminism) with which sociologists make sense of the diversity of societies and of different factors which shape social change. You will be assessed entirely through examination and there is no coursework component at this time.
  
  Entry Criteria: 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above including English and Maths.
  
  Politics (Awarding Body: Pearson)
  A level Politics is divided into a number of topics that consider a broad spectrum of political themes within UK Politics and UK Government. You’ll study and discuss such questions as:
  
• ‘What is Brexit all about and why is it happening?’
  
• ‘What powers does the Prime Minister have?’
  
• ‘Why was the result of the 2017 General Election such a surprise?’
  
  You’ll develop skills for reasoning and debate of these topics through consideration of political theory and political Ideas. Political ideals include Liberalism, Socialism, and Conservatism; and the work of iconic political thinkers such as Karl Marx, Mary Wollstonecraft and Edmund Burke will be used to support in the consideration of political structures in UK Politics and Government. There will be some study of US Politics which will provide the chance to compare US and UK politics critically. You will be assessed entirely through examination and there is no coursework component at this time.
  
  Entry Criteria: 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above, including English and maths.
  
  Maths (Awarding Body: Pearson)
  A level Mathematics gives you the opportunity to study topics such as geometry, calculus and trigonometry (pure mathematics) and to use these ideas within the 'applied' topics such as mechanics and statistics. Mechanics is strongly linked to physics and builds on ideas of motion and forces to work out how and why objects move. Statistics enables the comprehension of the complex and variable world via analytical methods in order to draw reliable conclusions from sets of information and data. You will be assessed entirely through examination and there is no coursework component at this time. Also note that you need to achieve a grade 6 or above in math alongside 4 other GCSE’s at grades 4 and above including English.
  
  Entry Criteria: 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above including English, with maths at grade 5 or above.
  
  Biology (Awarding Body: OCR)
  Biology explores theories and principles involved in living systems. In A Level Biology there is a wide range of topics you will study including: lifestyle, transport, genes and health, development, plants and the environment, the natural environment and species survival, energy, exercise and co-ordination, as well as practical biology and research skills. By the conclusion of the course you have a solid underpinning knowledge of the principles of genetics, molecules, taxonomy, natural selection, evolutionary theory, global warming, bacteria and viruses ready for HE or employment. You will be assessed entirely through examination and there is no coursework component at this time, although there will be a practical endorsement as part of course completion.
  
  Entry Criteria:5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English, Maths at grade 5 or above, Biology at grade 5 or above or Double Science at grade 5/55 or above.
  
  Chemistry (Awarding Body: OCR)
  A level Chemistry studies the material world and covers a wide variety of basic concepts such as the structure of the atom; the interaction of matter and energy; how to control reactions; patterns in the Periodic Table; understanding carbon-based molecules among other concepts and topics. At core the study of A Level Chemistry involves the development of practical skills in chemistry, study of foundations in chemistry including the periodic table and energy, study of organic chemistry, physical chemistry and transition metals will form part of your analysis within the subject. You will be assessed entirely through examination and there is no coursework component at this time. Also note that there is a significant math component, and you therefore need to achieve a grade 5 or above in math alongside a grade 5 or above in GCSE Chemistry or grade 5-5 or above in the double award GCSE Science.
  
  Entry Criteria:5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English, Maths at grade 5 or above, Biology at grade 5 or above or Double Science at grade 5/55 or above.
  
  Photography (Awarding Body: AQA)
  A Level photography allows students to expand their creative horizons through taking and editing photographs. Students will work to research and to contextualise their work and to develop an understanding of the creative process used in industries using photography. Initially the course will help students understand the workings of the camera and the use of editing software such as Lightbox. Time and focus is also placed on framing of photographs and the range of artistic styles that can be developed photographically. Lecturers will support and develop students’ responses to stimuli and original response to a theme, artist or idea. The project-based approach ensures students offer a critical response demonstrating technical development throughout the course. Students will explore a range of genres including portraiture; landscape photography; commercial photography; still life photography; documentary photography; experimental imagery; editorial photography; photographic installation; and the moving image/animation. You will be assessed predominantly through coursework submissions as well as through an examination at the end of the course.
  
  Entry Criteria: 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above including English and Maths.
  
  Media (Awarding Body: WJEC)
  Media Studies is a vast and eclectic subject area which includes studying a range of different media disciplines. A level Media Studies will introduce you to many different media forms and encourages theoretical and critical considerations across all platforms studied. Core topics will focus on audience reception, representation, regulation and ownership and gender theory (among other theories) that will be applied to source material. A level Media Studies develops your critical questioning skills as you interrogate and engage with critical debates surrounding modern media. You will be assessed predominantly through examination and there is a coursework component that will be submitted during the course.
  
  Entry Criteria: 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above including English and Maths.
  
  You will study three A Levels over a two-year period. Please confirm your preferred A Level subjects as part of your personal statement when submitting your application and we will discuss these with you at interview.
  
  Students will learn through a range of active lessons that focus on the development of skills to equip them for the exams, university-level study and employment. Lecturers will use appropriate information learning technology, activities and written based methods for teaching and assessing throughout the course.
  
  We anticipated that students will receive 5 hours of teaching per A Level subject each week, with additional tutorial and progress and performance sessions adding to their timetable. Work Experience will also be included within the course. An equal amount of self-study each week is expected.