Thinking about your Options?
Explore how your current subjects and skills can lead to rewarding careers in Health, Social Care, Sport & Public Services – one of the UK’s largest and most vital sectors. From saving lives as a paramedic to coaching future champions, supporting vulnerable people or keeping communities safe, this is where empathy meets action and every day makes a real difference.
Check what’s available at your school. Choosing a strong mix of caring, scientific and people-focused subjects keeps your options wide open and your future full of possibilities.
Core subjects
What to study?
Relevant Year 9 Options Subjects
Closely Linked Subjects
⚽ BTEC Sport (Discovery) / Physical Education (Excel) – Opens pathways to PE teaching, coaching, physiotherapy, sports therapy and uniformed services fitness training.
🍽️ Hospitality & Catering – Directly leads to the hospitality and catering industry.
🩺 Health & Social Care – The core subject that prepares you for nursing, care work, social services and safeguarding roles.
🏛️ History – Builds empathy and understanding of society; valuable for social work, youth justice and community support services.
🙏 Religious Education – Develops cultural awareness, ethics and sensitivity—crucial for supporting diverse patients, families and communities.
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.
🌍 Geography – Helps with emergency planning, environmental health, understanding community needs and disaster response roles.
✂️ Hair & Beauty – Links to therapeutic wellbeing roles, dementia care, hospital salon services and boosting confidence in social care settings.
🗣️ Modern Foreign Language – Key for communicating with diverse patients, multilingual care, NHS/social services and inclusive community support.
Career areas
Unlock Careers in Health, Social Care, Sport & Public Services
See the life-changing career areas you can unlock by studying subjects within this gateway. From rushing to emergencies to helping people live fuller lives, these roles are always needed and incredibly rewarding.
The table below highlights 10 of the most popular and diverse roles currently in high demand—perfect starting points for your future.
Career Areas within this Gateway |
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| 👂 Audiologist
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💉 Anaesthetist
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👨⚕️ Doctor
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| 🧪 Biochemist
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🦷 Dental Nurse
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🦠 Virologist
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| 🩻 X-Ray Technician
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🚑 Paramedic
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🔪 Surgeon
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Post-16 opportunities
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 level in Health is offered at the following local colleges:
- City of Stoke on Trent 6th Form College – T Levels
- NSCG – View All Courses
- Stoke on Trent College – T 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 doing independent learning and research outside of the classroom.
Subjects relevant to Health & Social Care include:
- Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Sociology, Physics, Maths, Religious Studies, Philosophy
Subjects relevant to Sport include:
- PE, Biology, Psychology
Subjects relevant to Public Services include:
- PE, Law, Politics
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
- St Josephs College – Sixth Form
- St Margaret Ward – Sixth Form Courses
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 ‘Health & Science’, ‘Care Services’ or ‘Protectice Services’ vacancies by postcode Browse apprenticeships before you apply
Pre-apprenticeships are ideal for learners who want an apprenticeship but are not quite 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 local training providers offer Health and Social Care pre-apprenticeships:
- Nacro, Stoke – Nacro Education Stoke-on-Trent | Vocational Training
- Equality Training, Hanley – Health and Social Care – Equality Training
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 widely-recognised to get you into university, apprenticeships or employment.
The following colleges and 6th Forms offer vocational courses in:
Health and Social Care
Stoke on Trent College (Cauldon) – Courses
NSCG – View All Courses
Stoke 6th Form College – Courses Archive
St Thomas More Catholic Academy – Sixth Form
Uniformed / Public Services
Stoke on Trent College (Cauldon) – Courses
Sport
Stoke on Trent College – Courses