A Level Courses
MPW Birmingham offers a range of pathways for ambitious students looking to take their A levels with us:
- Two year courses
- One year courses
- Full year retake courses
Two-Year Courses
Our largest category – the majority of A level students at MPW are studying on the basis of two-year A level courses.
Two-year courses are designed for:
- Students who are continuing at MPW after GCSE.
- Students from other schools seeking a specialist A level college after GCSEs.
- Year 13 transfer students who have changed plans after an unsatisfactory first year of A level at another school. Depending on their academic progress up to the point of joining MPW, such students either repeat Year 12 or join MPW’s Year 13.
One-Year Courses
Our most varied category – self-contained courses for students who have previous experience of sixth-form work. They cover the whole syllabus in one year and are run entirely separately from the second year of our two-year A level course.
One-year courses are designed for:
- Year 13 transfer students from other schools who are able to complete in one further year but only by means of a self-contained course covering the whole syllabus.
- Retake students taking a brand new subject to widen UCAS options, give fresh motivation and avoid ‘retake status’ in at least one subject (making them more attractive to universities).
- Mature students – especially those converting to Medicine following an Arts-based first degree.
Retake Courses
Full-year retake courses
One-year courses for students who have fallen substantially short of their target grades and who require thorough revision of multiple units, often over more than one subject.
"The best part about studying at MPW is the friendly, encouraging and supportive classroom environment that MPW provides. It makes asking for help and reaching your potential easy and enjoyable. The college really helps students to believe in themselves. The Personal Tutor system is great because it is available for you to use to whatever extent you might need whether that be having weekly meetings or meeting every now and then for a quick catch up to analyse my current progress. The weekly Timed Assignments have also enabled me to build my confidence in the build up to my exams. They help you to feel comfortable in an exam environment, as well as enable you to consolidate the material you need to recall in the final exams"
Grades achieved at MPW: AAA Progressed to: Leeds University (Dentistry)
"I chose MPW because of the academic support provided by the college, which was instrumental in helping me throughout the challenging nature of my one-year A level courses. The weekly Timed Assignments and assistance provided by the Personal Tutor system helped me in areas I had previously struggled. Playing for the college football team was a great release from the challenging academic nature of the year and it helped me build friendships with other students in the college"
Grades achieved at MPW: A*AA Progressed to: Exeter University (Business Management)
"Having not achieved the grades I wanted or needed in my A levels at my previous college I decided that retaking would be the best option for me. I have found the small classes at MPW to be a real asset, and that, coupled with the fantastic teaching, has certainly enabled me to grow academically. Further to this, both the academic support and the university guidance provided by the college have been exceptional."
Grades achieved at MPW: A*AB Progressed to: Exeter University (International Relations and History)
"After failing to get into Dental School last year I lost a lot of confidence and was worried that I might never get into my dream course. The one-to-one support you get from MPW is so much more efficient compared to the main stream schools and colleges. The individual help you get for applying to University which includes interview support is amazing. No matter if you are a resit or a first time student, no one judges you and as long as you are hardworking and want to be a success"
Grades achieved at MPW: A*A Progressed to: Manchester University (Dentistry)
"I joined MPW because I wanted to be part of a close knit community that focuses on helping students attain the grades they are really capable of. Each student is assigned a Personal Tutor who assists them in all aspects of student life. I would recommend the individual and personally tailored care given to any student looking to expand their academic horizons. The encouragement and support has allowed me to aim high and achieve results that I had previously thought weren't possible."
Grades achieved at MPW: A*A*A*A Progressed to: Oxford University (Mathematics)
"MPW gave me a second chance in pursuing a career in dentistry. The small class sizes and weekly timed assessments gave me and my tutors a clear indication of my progress. The rigorous teaching schedules, structured and tailored to my personal needs, was exactly what I needed. MPW placed heavy focus on exam technique as the key to achieving the required higher grades. Being able to talk with my tutors at any time in the day was an invaluable aid. It was also clear how much the teachers took a personal interest in the development of each individual student"
Grades achieved at MPW: A*AA Progressed to: King’s College London (Dentistry)
"I joined MPW having not fulfilled my academic potential during my AS level exams at my previous school. I decided to retake my AS year at MPW and it was the best decision I ever made. The tutors at MPW have pushed me to achieve my maximum potential and have greatly improved my academic performance. The best part of studying at MPW is the weekly timed assignments as they ensure that you continuously review and revise work as well as helping you to make weekly improvements on exam technique."
Grades achieved at MPW: A*AA Progressed to: University of Warwick (Management)
"Throughout my time at MPW I have been provided with constant support. The college has prepared me for not only my exams but also the university interviews I attended. It has been an amazing experience from start to finish. The friendly and welcoming environment created by the staff and students made it an ideal setting for me to concentrate on achieving my targets"
Grades achieved at MPW: A*AA Progressed to: Bristol University (Dentistry)
"I came to MPW with very low self-confidence after under-achieving at AS level at my previous school, and have left with greater confidence about my academic ability and with a definite degree of clarity about what I hope to achieve in terms of my career. My experience at my previous school was that those with Oxbridge potential receive the most support and attention. This is not the case at MPW. I have found that it does not matter about that what the student's potential may be, each student receives the same amount of help to achieve their goals"
Grades achieved at MPW: AAA Progressed to: University of Birmingham (Law)