Engineering (Extended Diploma)

This vocational course, equivalent to three A Levels, is designed for students considering a career in engineering, ranging from product design through to high technology production methods and technical sales. Being a vocational course it is aimed at students who prefer learning through doing. This course will provide you with a firm, broad foundation in engineering enabling students to choose from a wide range of careers to move onto upon successful completion of the course.

Before You Start

You may be required to complete an activity before you start in order to help introduce you to the subject. Check back in the summer term for more details.

Course Content

In the first year you will focus on areas including engineering principles, computer aided design (CAD), secondary machining, electrical engineering, commercial and quality and design and manufacture. Most of the work is internally assessed where students are given up to 2 weeks to complete an assignment which has to be handed into strict deadlines, the rest of the course is externally assessed. During the second year you will study engineering materials, mechanical principles, microcontrollers, analogue electric circuits, calculus and either further maths or additive manufacturing. there is also a design, build and test project. This is all internally assessed except for the microcontrollers unit. Also in the second year students are also expected to undertake work experience, some of these may be through college contacts with prestigious local companies like Costain, BMW and Carlin Motorsport.

This practical, work-related course is demanding in terms of the coursework required from you. Good organisational skills and the ability to meet deadlines are vitally important to be successful.

Life After Henley

This course is designed to give students a wide choice options. Some students go onto higher level apprenticeships with some notable companies such as GSK and Rolls Royce. Others go onto university where the qualification is widely accepted. At university students go on to study subjects including mechanical engineering, product design and aeronautical engineering. Some students find that studying Maths A-Level alongside the BTEC Manufacturing Engineering course offers them a wider choice of universities.

Last year students went on to various destinations including university places at Brighton, Northampton and Glasgow Caledonian.

Careers

Many students go onto higher level apprenticeships sometimes with the companies they completed their work placement at. These days more students are applying for Degree Apprenticeships where their employer pays for them to complete a university degree. Engineering Students from Henley College have successfully applied to, and joined the companies and organisations shown above.

Higher Education

Students completing their BTEC at Henley typically go on to study a wide range of engineering disciplines including Mechanical, Electrical, Automotive, aeronautical and even civil  Engineering. Popular universities are Portsmouth, Oxford Brookes, Hatfield, Coventry, Cardiff, Southampton, Birmingham, Nottingham

Students are required to complete at least 30 hours of enrichment per academic year whilst studying at The Henley College, learn more about Enrichment here.

Learn more about our application process here.