Worried about GCSEs

Tell that to all the trades people I know - my husband included.
He out earns me by about 250% and I have a first class degree from an RG university.
Kindly, it doesn't sound like your daughter has what it takes to be a Dr, Lawyer, Engineer or Architect if she failed all her GCSE mocks. GCSE's are generally a walk in the park for anyone smart enough to go on to those careers.

Agree with PP - parent and support the child you have not the one you wish you had. Let her follow her own path.

But it’s not up to you, is it?

and perhaps your daughter won’t want to live in the SE either.

Aside from perhaps doctors (depending on type), all of the roles you have listed here are threatened by technology - I suspect the demand for them will be vastly reduced in the coming years. At least with manual jobs, you are not so easily replaced. Plumbing, electrics, hairdressing, driving... They feel like wiser choices at the moment.

Modern apprenticeships are in all sorts of careers. I know some in science who have gone on to do Phds. Similarly in civil service with a degree at the end. There are accountancy ones, and engineering as well. Don’t think it’s all about manual jobs.

Having said that in terms of earning potential you won’t go wrong with electricians and plumbers or service engineers. I live in the south east and have a couple of good degrees but definitely earn less than our (fab) plumber.

What about what she wants?

My heart sinks reading this. Your poor daughter's skills don't lie in the jobs which you mention- Don't make her feel like a failure because of it. If she went into a trade, she has massive earning potential!
I have a DC that will likely get disappointing results next week, and I'm already talking them up and laying out all the exciting paths to the future that potentially lie ahead. Sort your head out, challenge your own preconceptions before results day because your disappointment will hurt your child far more than bad exam results.

I've worked with some really great and successful people who didn't go to university. And someone I vaguely know recently got a degree in their forties after re-sitting some GCSEs and working up from there.

I did go to uni, have a degree and a Masters, but took a lot of time out with my DC and then my XH left me and I had to start my career all over again at entry level in my forties.

There's no guarantee that A-levels and a degree will put someone in a better position long-term.

You can't change anything now. Just be there for your DD on results day and support her to work out what the right next step is for her.

You had your time to go to university and choose a career. Now it's your daughter's turn.
At least hairdressing isn't going to be done by AI.

So you will put “earning potential” above happiness?

I would suggest you need to change your attitude and quickly. It’s her life and you need to support her choices.

Not necessarily.
It's a very skilled job and not everyone could do it.
Many hairdressers might not own their own salon but loads are self employed running their own businesses.

Not everyone can be a lawyer or atvhitect or engineer. You have to be realistic about the next stage now.

You need to parent the child you have, not the one you dreamed of.

Does it matter if it's a low paid job at first?
Hairdressing is a fantastic skill to have because unless there's a plague of baldness people are always going to want hairdressers or stylists.
I was at school with a girl who became a hairdresser.
She owned her own salon by the time she was 30.
Plus she could move somewhere cheaper.
The great thing about being a hairdresser is you can do that job literally anywhere.

No one is dismissing anyone. Most posters have suggested other routes to consider.

However, it would be an extremely bad idea for a child without decent GCSE results to do A Level. In fact most sixth forms will not allow it, simply because they know that they would be doing their students a disservice and setting them up to fail. Your historic experience is not relevant today. This does not mean that she cannot study further, just that she needs to consider how she does it.

If that's true, genuinely true, then she really, really will not enjoy A Levels. They are harder and much more time consuming. If the grades she gets for GCSE aren't great, and she had to absolutely slog for them, please do not steer her towards A Levels. It will be soul destroying. Don't keep impressing on her that the rest of the family went to university. It's not fair. She is not "the rest of the family", she is her.

Not everyone is "academic", and that's fine. This world would not function if we only had academics. In fact, we're probably among the most useless people, really. I went all the way in education, and I would have been so much better off learning something useful straight from school. I have lots of certificates and impressive qualifications.. but past a few impressive looks when you tell people, they don't get you as far as you might hope. When I tell people I'm a Dr, they're momentarily impressed, then when they realise it's not in medicine, they're not so impressed haha.

It would be much better for her to go into a trade, and get an apprenticeship. Is she interesting in hairdressing, beauty, electrics, brick laying, plumbing, dog grooming, baking, cooking...? There are so many very important careers that help the world keep turning, that don't require A Levels and university.

Your post is about what you want her to do. What does she want.

When you say she failed her mocks what do you mean? What are her predicted grades for GCSEs?

Obviously it depends on what course they you want them to do want to do at uni.My dd got only 4 'official' passes, the rest were Ds. She did a btec at college, got 2 distinction * and a distinction. Went to uni, got an upper 2nd, and now doing her masters. All is not lost.

The A level route into further education or even a career is not for everyone and unfortunately too many go that route where it is completely unsuitable. It just delays them finding their real passion. Her future isn't defined by exams at 16.
Look at all the other options available. Find out what she really wants to do. Not what is expected. I'm biased. I went through the BTEC route and ended up with an honors degree, our children all went to university through a non traditional route. They all did really well because they were doing what they loved.

Does SHE want to A-Levels and university?
That's the important question.

They are not dismissive
Just advising that doing Alevels is not the only route to university

I didn’t do my A levels and still did university albeit in my 20s. What does SHE want and why is it all about what you want? She is her own person.

What does she want?
She can still go to university without doing Alevels if thats what she wants .

I want her to do A Levels and go on to University like most of my family

I'd try and stop this thinking for a start. University isn't the be all and end all. I went to uni, my brother didn't. He earns about 3 times what I do.

University is just one path through life. Going to uni doesn't mean you'll be more successful, and it doesn't mean you'll be happier.

Hello,
I’m a teacher so will give some helpful info here. If your DD has failed her mocks, I’m guessing you mean grade 3 or lower (though technically a fail is not getting a grade). Assuming she makes 2 grades progress which is great, she’ll be looking at Grade 5’s. Please don’t go onto A-level with these grades. Although some schools do allow this (including the one my kids went through) it sets them up for a horrible time at sixth form, endlessly failing, resitting tests and exams and at best, ending up with Grade E’s.
A much better way to stay in education is with BTECs. This will allow your daughter to access University, most likely a newer university which wants a points total rather than grades. See grade/points comparison here.
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/support-topics/understanding-our-qualifications/comparing-btec-to-other-qualifications/btec-ucas-points.html
These newer Universities also offer Foundation years too, allowing entry for pupils with lower grades/points.

What subjects is she interested in studying?