What is this gateway?

Thinking about your Options?

Start shaping your future with the right choices.
Explore how the subjects and skills you’re learning now can lead to exciting, vibrant careers in Creative & Culture—one of the UK’s fastest-growing and most inspiring sectors. From designing blockbuster films to dressing global music stars, curating museums, performing on West End stages or creating the visuals that go viral, this is where imagination becomes your job.
Check what’s available at your school and remember: choosing a strong mix of creative, expressive and practical subjects keeps your options wide open and your future full of colour.

Core subjects

📖 English Language & Literature – Essential for storytelling, scriptwriting, article writing, journalism, marketing and copywriting, grant applications, proofreading and editing, and understanding your readers to communicate your vision clearly.

🔢 Maths – Used in fashion pattern cutting, set design, lighting rigs, budgeting productions and digital animation.

🧪 Science – Supports special effects including eye colour changes and effects using forces and chemicals, costume technology, acoustics and lighting design.

💻 Digital – Powers film editing, animation, games design, digital art, sound production and online content creation.

What to study?

Relevant Year 9 Options Subjects

Closely Linked Subjects

🖼️ 3D Design (Excel only) – Ideal for sculpture, prop making, installation art, exhibition design and 3D visualisation in creative and cultural projects.
🎨 Art – The foundation of fine art, illustration, concept art and visual storytelling.
🏗️ Construction & the Built Environment  – Leads to set building, prop making, theatre staging and exhibition design.
📽️ Creative Media – Perfect for film, TV, animation, advertising and digital content creation.
⚙️ Engineering – Opens doors to technical theatre, lighting & sound engineering and creative fabrication.
🎨 Graphics (Excel only) – Essential for logo design, branding, posters, digital illustration and visual communication in creative industries.
🎶 Music – Closely linked to jobs in any creative industry providing Music and Audio knowledge for creative sector roles
🎭 Performing Arts – Confidence inspiring knowledge and understanding of any creative industry from sound & lighting to performing and creating.
📸 Photography – Core skill for fashion, advertising, journalism, film stills and gallery work.
🙏 Religious Education – Builds cultural understanding of origins of culture, why people dress, languages spoken, and beliefs to support diverse arts, media, and community creative roles.
🧵 Textiles – Directly feeds into fashion design, costume, interior design and textile art.

Linked Subjects

🚀 Boost: Skills for life & learning – Builds confidence and core skills in numeracy, literacy, science & digital to support GCSE Maths & English pass for Year 9 students working towards grade level.
⚽ BTEC Sport (Discovery) / Physical Education (Excel) – Links to dance, sports photography, performance art and activewear design.
💻 Computer Science – Essential for games design, VFX, 3D modelling and interactive installations.
🗣️ French (Discovery) / Spanish (Excel) – Key for global media, international film, cultural events and multilingual content creation.
🌍 Geography – Useful for location researching, landscape photography and sustainable design.
📜 History – Key for heritage, museum curation, period drama costume/prop design and archiving.
🗺️ Travel & Tourism – Connects to travel journalism, destination marketing, cultural discovery and events.

Career areas

Unlock Careers in Engineering, Design & Manufacturing

See the exciting career areas you can unlock by studying subjects within the Gateway. From designing smart factories to shaping sustainable materials and ensuring global supply chains run smoothly, these pathways turn your classroom learning into real-world impact.

The table below highlights the most popular and diverse roles currently in high demand—perfect starting points for your future.

Career Areas within this Gateway
🛋️ Interior Designer

 🎬 Animator

 🎨 Art Therapist
✍️ Copywriter

 🎧 Sound Engineer

 🎭 Stage Manager
💄 Makeup Artist

 🧵 Textile Designer

 📑 Editorial Assistant

Post-16 opportunities

T Levels

T Levels are a two-year qualification equivalent to three A Levels and combine classroom learning with an extended  in-depth industry placement lasting at least 45 days.   On completion, progression can be onto Higher / Degree apprenticeships, university or employment.

T Levels are available locally in :

  • Ceramics
  • Media, Broadcast & Production – Content Creation

Local colleges offering one or both of the above T levels are:

City of Stoke on Trent 6th Form College – Courses Archive
Stoke on Trent College – T Levels

A Levels

A-levels are a 2-year programme ideal for students who want to study 3 subjects in depth and plan to progress onto university or a Higher apprenticeship. They can be a great option for learners who enjoy learning facts and theories, are good at exams and good at doing independent learning and research outside of the classroom.

Subjects relevant to Creative and Culture include:
Art & Design, Photography, Textiles, Graphic Design, Product Design, Media Studies, Drama, Music, Dance. English Language, English Literature, History, Modern Foreign Languages, Religious Studies

A levels are offered at the following local colleges and 6th Forms:
NSCG – A Levels and A+ Programmes
City of Stoke on Trent 6th Form College – Courses Archive
St Thomas More – Sixth Form Courses
St Josephs College – Sixth Form Courses
St Margaret Ward – Sixth Form Courses

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships can be a great option for learners who are ready for the work place and are sure about the job they want to pursue.  Learners will have to find an employer to take them on by searching for apprenticeship vacancies and going through the employer’s recruitment process.  Employers are generally looking for applicants who are self motivated, have a good standard of maths and English and are reliable and passionate about achieving their chosen job role.

School leavers will usually start on either a Level 2 (Intermediate) or Level 3 (Advanced) apprenticeship depending on job requirements and GCSE grades.  Level 3 apprenticeships are generally equivalent to 2 A-levels.

Search for Engineering & manufacturing vacancies by postcode Browse apprenticeships before you apply

Pre-Apprenticeships

Pre-apprenticeships are ideal for learners who want an apprenticeship but may not yet be work ready. Need to improve your maths and English, develop your confidence or gain some relevant work experience? If so, a pre-apprenticeship at a local training provider could be right for you.

The following training providers offer Hospitality & Catering pre-apprenticeships:

The following training provider offer Hair & Beauty and Barbering pre-apprenticeships:

The following training provider offers a Performing Arts pre-apprenticeship for EHCP students:

Skill-Based courses

Vocational courses can be a good option for learners who know what career sector they want to go into but may not meet the entry requirements for T levels or A-levels, or where there is no relevant T level option available. Focusing on coursework with some external assessments, they include both practical and classroom based learning.

Vocational courses are available from Level 1 up to Level 3 depending on GCSE grades and will include English and maths, if grade 4 or above has not already been achieved in these subjects.

Level 3 vocational qualifications are equivalent to 3 A-levels and are widely-recognised to get you into university, apprenticeships or employment.

The colleges and school 6th forms below offer vocational courses in subjects such as:

  • Art & Design
  • Media, Graphics & Photography
  • Games Design
  • Dance
  • Travel & Tourism
  • Culinary Skills
  • Hair & Beauty
  • Acting
  • Music Performance
  • Music Production

Stoke on Trent College (Cauldon) – Courses
NSCG – Course Departments
City of Stoke on Trent 6th Form College – Courses Archive
St Thomas More – Sixth Form Courses
St Margaret Ward – Sixth Form Courses

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