In recent years, many parents have been asking whether it is better to choose the traditional high school curriculum (A-Level) or the University Foundation programme. This question has troubled many parents, but each family's situation is different, and each student is an individual. Therefore, I'm sorry to say that there is no fixed answer to this question. We must choose the most suitable option based on the student's abilities and the family's actual situation.

So, what exactly are A-Level and Foundation? 

First, let me briefly introduce these two types of courses to parents who may have limited knowledge about them.


A-Level is the traditional high school curriculum in the UK. It is a two-year programme, and typically, students choose to study 3–4 A-Level subjects. Afterward, based on their interests, they apply to their desired universities and degree programmes through the UK university admissions service, UCAS. Since A-Level is a high school curriculum in the UK, the teaching syllabus does not take into account the situations of international students. It focuses more on understanding and applying academic knowledge. The admission standards of UK universities primarily consider students' A-Level exam results. For example, top universities like Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial College London require a minimum of straight A or A* grades.


On the other hand, the University Foundation programme usually lasts about one year and is the fastest pathway to entering a university degree programme. Foundation students first need to determine the subject they want to study at university and then choose a broader area related to that subject (such as business, humanities and social sciences, arts, science, engineering, media, etc.) as their main focus of study. Considering that international students may be unfamiliar with the UK education system and face language challenges, schools also provide language courses and university study skills training based on students' abilities. Universities primarily consider students' performance in the Foundation programme for admission. As long as students meet the specific requirements of the university, they can be directly admitted without going through the UCAS application process and proceed to their affiliated university.