Quick facts
| Qualification type | Pearson T Level Health (3 A-Levels Equivalent) |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Study times | You will be expected to be in college for a minimum 3 days per week, and one day online. The college day will be 9:00 - 4:15. You timetable will be confirmed at induction. |
| Entry requirements | 5 GCSEs at Grade 5 and above, including Maths, English and Science (Triple Science at grade 4). You will also need to pass successfully a DBS check for work placement requirements. There will be no Maths or English timetables for this course. |
| Campus | West Suffolk College Sixth Form Campus, Bury St Edmunds |
| Work placements | Yes |
| Assessments | This course is assessed through 2 external exams in the first year and practical assessments/professional discussion in the second year |
Is it for me?
If you are passionate about becoming a healthcare professional, this course offers an exciting and highly practical route into the sector. Whether your ambition is to progress into Adult Nursing, Children's Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, Learning Disability Nursing, Midwifery, Physiotherapy, Paramedic Science, Speech and Language Therapy, Dietetics, therapeutic services or community healthcare, the course is designed to help you develop the knowledge, clinical skills, professional behaviours and real-world experience needed for your next steps.
Healthcare is not something you will simply study in a classroom. You will learn through a combination of theoretical teaching, clinical simulation, practical workshops, realistic patient scenarios, problem-solving activities, interaction with healthcare professionals and extensive workplace experience.
A significant amount of your learning will take place within our purpose-built clinical learning environments. These specialist facilities allow you to experience realistic healthcare situations in a safe and supportive environment before applying your developing knowledge and skills within the workplace. Facilities include a simulation ward, therapy suite, sensory space, laboratories, and anatomy and therapeutic learning environments, providing opportunities to practise the types of skills used across different areas of healthcare.
You may take part in simulated patient consultations, practise communicating with individuals with different needs, develop your ability to undertake physiological measurements, explore patient observations and assessments, respond to changing healthcare scenarios and consider how multidisciplinary healthcare teams work together.
One of the most exciting elements of the programme is the opportunity to move beyond simulated practice and experience the real world of healthcare through substantial block work placements. Through our partnerships with West Suffolk Hospital, Addenbrooke's Hospital and Royal Papworth Hospital, students can experience healthcare within major clinical environments and begin to understand what working within the sector is really like.
These experiences can help you understand the importance of communication, compassion, confidentiality, dignity, teamwork, safeguarding, infection prevention, patient safety and professional accountability. You will also gain a valuable insight into how different professionals work together as part of a multidisciplinary team and how an individual's journey through healthcare can involve many different departments, specialisms and professionals.
What you'll learn
In the first year, there are three elements to the course - the core subjects of healthcare principles and practices and applied healthcare science as well as an employer skills project. These three elements provide a strong foundation for you to build knowledge understanding and skills to work in all healthcare roles. Additionally, throughout the year you will meet with professionals that work in a broad number of roles within the healthcare sector to help you to develop a career plan and support your decision for your chosen pathway and long-term career.
In the second year, you will complete skills and knowledge development through both class-based and work-based learning that will support you to be prepared for your next steps into a chosen career direction. You will study a combination of core skills-based healthcare subjects including being able to manage physiological measurements, patient consultations, and individual healthcare assessments. You will also engage in specialist learning for your chosen pathways including where possible placements that support this learning.
Equipment required for the course
You will need to buy a fob watch and will be advised about textbooks when in induction week.
Work experience placements
An industry placement is a big part of the T Level course - you'll need to undertake a minimum of 315 hours of mandatory industry experience where you can put your technical skills and classroom knowledge to the test, further enhance existing skills, as well as developing hands on experience in your chosen industry.
Assessment
This course is assessed through 2 external exams in the first year and practical assessments/professional discussion in the second year
Example careers
Nursing (adult, paediatric, mental health, disability, dental)
Midwifery, Dietician, Art Therapist, Audiologist
Paramedic Science, Epidemiologist, Operating Department Practitioner, Dental technician. (may may also wish to consider the Healthcare Science Pathway)
Psychiatry, counselling, mental Health nursing, social prescribing practitioner
Physiotherapist, Occupational therapist, therapeutic radiographer, Speech, and Language Therapist
Days & times
Starting September 2027
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