News & Info > Headmaster, Magnus Bashaarat, advises, "Keep your options open and choose a school that offers both Headmaster, Magnus Bashaarat, advises, "Keep your options open and choose a school that offers both A Levels and BTECs" Milton Abbey's Headmaster, Magnus Bashaarat, was invited to contribute to an article featured in the Telegraph today which examines the question of whether a child's future options will be narrowed if they pursue a vocational qualification. The question posed by the Telegraph reader asks, "Are BTECs recognised by universities or should my daughter stick with A Levels?...She is keen to go to one particular school where they offer BTECs but I worry that she would be limiting her choices post sixth-form and should stick with A Levels. Are BTECs well recognised by employers and top universities?" The response from Mr Bashaarat is for parents to keep their options open by choosing a school that offers both A Levels and BTECs, "Apart from Oxford and Cambridge, who both offer a very limited range of courses, most UK universities offer places on their degree courses either by grades or a points total according to the UCAS tariff. BTECs and other vocational qualifications, just like A Levels, translate as UCAS points depending on the final grades, either pass, merit or distinction." He continues, "A leaver from my school has just been accepted at Durham with a combination of A Levels and a BTEC, with a similar story at Birmingham, both top Russell Group universities. Employers like BTECs because of their focus on practical and collaborative work with industry specific skills taught during the courses." He concludes with, "As she would do when choosing her A Level combination, your daughter needs some idea of what she wants her learning journey to be after school and then find a school that can offer the best combination of subjects to help her fulfil her ambitions. Most schools or colleges offer A Levels or BTECs in the sixth form, to keep your options open I would recommend choosing a school that offers a mixture of the two." We invite you to read the article in full by clicking here.