The course aims to give students the opportunity to develop a range of skills, techniques, and attitudes, essential to accessing employment opportunities within the legal and business sector. This is achieved by providing students with knowledge and understanding of legal principles and by developing their employability skills.

This is a two year course leading to an Extended Certificate (equivalent to one A Level).

Law combines well with a wide range of subjects including:

  • Business
  • History
  • English
  • Economics
  • Modern Languages

If you are considering a career in Law, check the university entry requirements.

The qualification provides a very useful background for a number of careers and Higher Education courses. Many students who have completed the two year course (Extended Certificate) have progressed to university to read a degree in Law. University destinations from recent cohorts include: Portsmouth, Winchester, Bournemouth, Kent, Sussex and Surrey. 

The course has also seen students progress to a range of other Higher Education courses including; Youth Justice, Criminology, Business and Social Work. 

The skills and knowledge developed throughout the course are also beneficial in many career paths including:  Police and Armed Forces, Teaching, Social Work and Business.

See what some of our former Law students have gone on to do.

This course covers three core units over a two year period including:

  • Dispute Solving in Civil Law
  • Investigating Aspects of Criminal Law and the Legal System 
  • Applying the Law

Students will also study the following specialist unit:

  • Aspects of Family Law 

The course will provide students with a solid foundation on which they can base future study. 

Course Specific Trips, Visits & Experiences

Law students have the opportunity to take part in a variety of course related experiences. In recent years, these have included:

  • A trip to the Old Bailey designed to give students a practical insight into the workings of the criminal justice system
  • A trip to The University of Law, Guildford for the ‘Explore Law’ event
  • A trip to Parliament giving the students an insight into the creation of Law
  • Guest speakers including Solicitors, Barristers and past students

In addition to course specific experiences, students also have the opportunity to get involved in the College’s Activities Programme.

All students need to gain an experience of the work place during their time at College and for students studying vocational courses it should ideally be linked to one of their subject areas.

Students are assessed by a variety of assignments including: interviews, creating documentaries, debates, presentations, letters, report writing and external examination assessments. The content of the course readily lends itself to both group work and independent study. 

The exam board for this BTEC is Pearson BTEC.

All students need to have at least five GCSEs at Grade 4 or above (and a satisfactory school reference) in order to be accepted on an A Level/BTEC Level 3 Programme. 

In addition, students should meet the following minimum GCSE requirement:  

  • Grade 4 in English Language

This course is designed for students who would like to find out more about Law and the Legal System and who would prefer a combination of coursework and examinations.

Students should have a genuine interest in Current Affairs and Law.

How does BTEC Law differ from A Level Law?

The main difference between the courses is the assessment method.  A Level Law is 100% examination based, with three 2-hour exams at the end of Upper Sixth. The exam papers focus on Criminal Law, Civil Law, and Human Rights. BTEC Law is a mixture of both internally assessed coursework and externally assessed tasks.

Generally, the content for both courses is very similar. However, A Level Law has a module on Human Rights in the final term whereas, BTEC Law covers Family Law.

Is it a requirement to have studied Law at GCSE level?

There is no expectation that students have studied Law in advance. The course is designed for beginners and will include a basic introduction to UK Law. The only requirement is a general interest in Law, current affairs and issues of justice. All students are encouraged to engage in wider reading throughout their course and stay up to date with current cases.

Why study Law at College?

Contrary to some outdated beliefs, Law is a valued subject for Level 3 studies.

The A Level Law Review contacted the most selective universities in the country, who agreed that they treated A Level Law like any other subject.

A Level Law is regarded as equal to other A Levels by OFQUAL, the examining boards and the vast majority of British universities, with some going further by seeing it as ‘expressively advantageous’.

For the 46 students that left Reigate College in Summer 2020 and went on to read Law at university, 39 completed A Level or BTEC Law.

For more information on studying Law at university visit:  www.ucas.com/explore/subjects/law

What is the course structure for BTEC Law?

BTEC Law is divided into four units of study. Unit 1 covers issues of negligence, sources of legal advice and funding, the structure of the civil courts and judicial precedent. Unit 2 examines the role of legal professionals and lay people in the justice system, law-making, non-fatal offences and sentencing. Unit 3 explores the homicide offences of murder, voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter, corporate manslaughter, property offences, defences and police powers. Unit 4 covers all aspects of family law including marriage, civil partnership, divorce and nullity, ancillary relief, parental responsibilities and the rights of children.

What is the proportion of coursework to external assessment?

For BTEC Law, the course is divided into 58% external assessment and 42% coursework.

What other subjects go well with Law?

If you are interested in studying Law further or pursuing a career in the legal profession, Law will go well with History/Classics, English Literature or Language, Mathematics, Science, Philosophy and Languages. If a vocational route is of more interest, recommended subjects are Business, Politics, English, Psychology, Sociology and Criminology. For both courses, it is acceptable to be enrolled on a mix-and-match programme combining A Levels and BTEC subjects. 

How does a BTEC external assessment differ from an A Level exam?

An A Level Law exam is mainly scenario-based, demonstrating application skills, with some multiple-choice questions to assess basic knowledge. Generally, this will be a written exam for most students and will cover the full two years’ worth of course content.

A BTEC external assessment will focus upon one unit of study. Students will receive pre-release material one week before the assessment; this will typically take the form of a case study. Students will have six hours of supervised class time to prepare for the assessment, using their pre-release material for guidance. Students are allowed to take two sheets of typed notes into the assessment that meet examination board standards. The assessment is completed electronically.

What are the typical destinations for BTEC Law students?

Currently, 81 of the students that completed BTEC Law in Summer 2020 have gone on to Higher Education. 44 of these students are reading Law, Criminology or associated courses. Other popular Higher Education course choices include Business, Psychology, English and Modern Foreign Languages.

Other BTEC Law students have followed a vocational route and obtained apprenticeships, particularly in the areas of Law and Business. Training opportunities within the NHS, social care and Police Force are also popular options.

How to Apply

Applications for entry September 2024

Please apply (from 19 September 2023) via the link on this page: www.reigate.ac.uk/apply

Please see the Admissions timetable for information about the College’s enrolment process.

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