Some of our qualifications are changing. From September 2026, large BTECs will no longer exist in Applied Science and Health & Social Care.

The government has now confirmed that students must instead study smaller qualifications called AAQs.

As a result, we will no longer be able to offer triple Applied Science, or double/triple Health and Social care.

The new AAQ qualifications aren’t in our prospectus yet, so this web page lists what we'll be offering to replace Applied Science and Health & Social Care in September 2026.

Applied Science

We recommend for Biomedical Science pathways:

• NEW AAQ Applied Science (Science and Maths grade 4 required)
• NEW AAQ Medical Science [with Biomedical optional unit] (Science grade 4 required)

And any third course of your choice, such as:

• A Level Statistics (Maths and English grade 5 required)
• BTEC Applied Psychology (Science grade 4 required)
• BTEC Sport & Exercise Science [single] (Science grade 4 required)
• NEW AAQ Health and Social Care (Science grade 4 required)
• Or anything else you feel good at or enjoy!

We recommend for Pharmacy and NHS pathways:

• NEW AAQ Applied Science (Science and Maths grade 4 required)
• NEW Medical Science [with Diseases, Disorders, Treatments and Therapies optional unit] (grade 4 in Science required)

And any third course of your choice, such as:

• A Level Statistics (Maths and English grade 5 required)
• BTEC Applied Psychology (Science grade 4 required)
• BTEC Sport & Exercise Science [single] (Science grade 4 required)
• NEW AAQ Health and Social Care (Science grade 4 required)
• Or anything else you feel good at or enjoy!

Health and Social Care

We recommend for Nursing and Midwifery pathways:

NEW AAQ Health and Social Care (Science grade 4 required)
NEW AAQ Medical Science (Science grade 4 required)

And any third course of your choice, such as:

• NEW AAQ Early Childhood Development
• NEW AAQ Mental Health: Individuals and Society
• BTEC Applied Psychology (Science grade 4 required)
• NEW BTEC Sport & Exercise Science [single] (Science grade 4 required)
• A Level Sociology (English Language grade 5 required)
• A Level Psychology (Science grade 5 required)
• Or anything else you feel good at or enjoy!

We recommend for Medical and Science pathways:

• NEW AAQ Early Childhood Development
• NEW AAQ Mental Health: Individuals and Society
• Criminology
• A Level English Language
• A Level Sociology (English Language grade 5 required)

Our six new courses

Each course is the equivalent of one A Level and you must choose to study the equivalent of three A Levels from these and the rest of our courses.

AAQ Applied Science (Pearson BTEC)

• Unit 1 – Principles and Applications of Physics 
• Unit 2 – Principles and Applications of Biology 
• Unit 3 – Principles and Applications of Chemistry 
• Unit 4 – Practical Scientific Procedures and Techniques 
• Unit 5 – Science Investigation Skills or Unit 6 — Contemporary Issues in Science (specific unit to be confirmed)

AAQ Early Childhood Development (Pearson BTEC)

• Unit 1 – Children’s Development
• Unit 2 – Keeping Children Safe
• Unit 3 – Play and Learning
• Unit 4 – Research and Reflective Practice

AAQ Health and Social Care (Pearson BTEC)

• Unit 1 – Human Lifespan and Development
• Unit 2 – Human Biology and Health
• Unit 3 – Principles of Health and Social Care Practice
• Unit 6 – Safe Environments in Health and Social Care

AAQ Medical Science (Pearson BTEC)

• Unit 1 – Principles of Human Physiology, Anatomy and Pathology
• Unit 2 – Health Issues and Scientific Reporting
• Unit 3 – Practical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 
• Unit 4 – Diseases, Disorders, Treatments and Therapies (Pharmacy) or Unit 5 – Biomedical Science (specific unit to be confirmed)

AAQ Mental Health: Individuals and Society (OCR)

• F400 – Fundamentals of Mental Health and the Individual
• F401 – Mental Health, Wellbeing and Society 
• F402 – Supporting and Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing in Organisations 
• F403 – Community-Based Support for Mental Health and Wellbeing
• F404 – Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing with Physical Activity

Sport and Exercise Science (Pearson BTEC)

• Unit 2 – Functional Anatomy
• Unit 3 – Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology
• Unit 6 – Coaching for Performance and Fitness
• Unit 10 – Physical Activity for Individual and Group-Based Exercise