ABSTRACT
The transition from compulsory schooling to 16-19 education is marked by an abrupt change of curriculum. Until the age of 16 all pupils follow a programme of study aimed at providing a broad general education. Post-GCSE courses are much more narrowly focused, being designed as a preparation and means of qualifying for a specific higher education course or career: they are a progression route. There are in fact two distinct routes: the academic and the vocational.
