Brunel University London is proud of the diversity of its student body and accepts students with a range of non-traditional entry qualifications, such as BTEC, Access, and Foundation Courses. The Transition Project focusses on improving the academic outcomes of students who join Brunel with these qualifications with a particular focus on students with a BTEC.
Please note: The Transition Project at Brunel ended in August 2018. Thank you to all those who were a part of it and contributed to its success.
On 30th April 2018, we welcomed colleagues from across the sector to share different approaches to supporting BTEC students and promote HE and FE collaboration. Further informaion about the day and our presenters can be found in the delegate pack.
As part of the Transition Project we continue to raise awareness of the academic experiences of BTEC students and how they can be supported in their transition to HE. This has included the following:
The BTEC qualification is undergoing a range of changes to the content and the way it is assessed.Students with larger BTEC awards (those equivalent to 3 A Levels) will enter from September 2018 onwards. As such there will be a period of time where we teach students with both the old and the new BTEC. Up-to-date information on the changes in your subject area can be found on Brightspace. The most notable are:
- The introduction of externally assessed work and examinations
- A higher proportion of core units providing greater consistency in learning
- Synoptic assessments covering several units
- Greater maths content in the core BTEC Engineering units
- Changes to unit names and content
- Students can no longer resubmit work multiple times
Education Exchanges are facilitated meetings between staff teaching BTEC students at a local FE college and colleagues delivering Level 1 modules at Brunel. They provide an invaluable opportunity to discuss the academic content and structure of the BTEC qualifications leading into their discipline. So far, we have run Education Exchanges with staff from:
- Brunel Business School
- Computer Science
- Electronic and Computer Engineering
By bringing HE and FE academics and tutors together, the content of the courses can be discussed in detail to identify the knowledge students develop pre-entry and the expectations that exist in Level 1. It provides a useful insight into the learning experiences of our students and how we can support them more effectively when they come to the University.
The Pathways to Brunel programme (formerly Uxbridge to Brunel) is open to BTEC students who have selected Brunel as their firm or insurance choice on UCAS. The day focuses on the academic skills necessary for success in Higher Education and the differences between BTEC and undergraduate assignments. The sessions are led by our Academic Skills Advisors and aim to help students prepare for the academic demands of university.