Worried about GCSEs

If she isnt academic enough to go to Uni why would you push her to do something she is likely to fail in.

A uni education doesnt mean she is going to get a fantastic high profile highly paid job.

Support her - if she is better academically suited to an apprenticeship then encourage it.

I’m not sure there is a kind way to say this. She has said she’s interested in being a hairdresser but you want her to be a lawyer or a doctor. Her grades have dropped dramatically. Is it possible that she feels that failing her exams is her only way out of your plans for her?

I had a friend who had poor GCSE results. Her parents also felt similarly to you and she aspired to be a dentist as it was a highly paid profession.

She went on to do A-Levels. She did poorly in her exams even after retaking. She went on to get a place at a uni but couldn't manage it. She lost her place after retaking a few times.

After that, she spent 5 years at her parents house mainly just in bed with depression and has worked in a supermarket since then (now aged 40).

My view is that instead of going down a path that was completely unsuitable for her, she could have flourished at doing something less academic that she was actually good at.

I can't really believe this is not a goady post as OP doesn't really sound like someone who went to university. If it is genuine... OP, if you wanted your dd to become doctor, architect, engineer whatever, you most definitely will not be reaching GCSE and be caught by surprise that she may fail. It just wouldn't happen. Families that want their child to go into those professions, rightly or wrongly, will be all over their kids academic performance from an early age. What have you been doing all this time if you have no clue what she will achieve at GCSE?

Thought I was getting on ok in my career until I read this post and saw how I’m only earning 500quid a month more than an amount deemed ridculously low. Haha. Seriously though I’m doing nowhere near as well as colleagues because I wasted my time fanning around at uni when I could have been working my way up the ladder. Daughter’s hopes and dreams matter more than anything here at the end of the day, and feeling like a letdown to family isn’t something our kids should ever be made to feel, especially when she’s tried her best 😢

Your poor daughter - I really hope you aren’t putting your expectations on her!! I lived with a Mum, who almost kicked me out when I failed my a levels because I didn’t meet ‘her’ ideals - needless to say we had a purely functional relationship when I got older and left home.

You do know there’s apprenticeship engineers/ lawyers jobs don’t you? Have you actually looked?? My DD got all A’s at Alevel, didn’t want to go to uni and is now half way through her apprenticeship in accounting. You perhaps need to change your mindset!!

Yabu

Proud of getting 1 GCSE?

Her school will have advice available with results as will the local careers service and your local sixth form /FE Colleges.

Between them they will be able to guide her to an appropriate set of courses to study for the next 2-3 years.

It's probably going to be worth her starting a planned course in September even if she's looking for apprenticeships or other full time employment.

It's obviously worth looking at dyslexia and similar potential difficulties if you didn't after the difficulties with mocks. Also worth bearing in mind that schools can mark mocks very strictly to attempt to improve motivation whilst examiners can be more generous.

Uni may come later for her rather than at 18. All is not 'lost' if she does more vocational courses now and returns to more academic stuff when she's older having a clear idea of what she wants to study. There are and have been for years Access courses for people over 21 who don't have A levels who want to do a uni course. She might also choose to study with the Open University.

Your DD’s path in life has to be suitable for her.

It’s affecting not effecting. Uni doesn’t guarantee a large salary.

GCSEs are often tougher to give some able but under performing students a wake up call .

Ring the school for advice.

I think you need to focus on trying to encourage her to do the best she can, she doesn't need all A stars if she wants to go for a vocational course or a modern apprenticeship. She will need reasonable grades and passes at C and in English and Maths minimum.

. Lots of late bloomers do marvellously at vocational training / apprenticeships and some employers will even fund degrees later when she is in her twenties, if that's what she wants and has demonstrated aptitude. . It might even be win win if she is aware that she will still have options if she puts a bit more effort in even if A levels and university isn't immediately achievable. Don't make her feel a failure at this mock stage, or indeed at all.

She doesnt have to stay in the SE though.

I failed my GCSE English and only got two others above a C.

I graduated from my Ph.D two years ago.

You need to chill out.

Try not to stress! This is her life and she might not want to go to university anyway!
Getting a degree is not the b all and end all (speaking as a successful person without one!)
She will find her way.

I think you have to manage the situation you're in.

If your dd failed her mocks, she clearly isn't en route for a highly academic career path right now.

She can look at something she has the qualifications for (and I don't agree all apprenticeships lead to badly paid careers, thinks like plumbing or being an electrician pay very well) or she can try again for better grades.

Either way, it has to be up to her to plan her life!

GCSEs don’t define you. I have no english no maths yet i work in finance on £43k.

good luck to her but never force YOUR needs of her going to uni.

It is absolutely crazy to think that uni would be better than an apprenticeship. Is she’s not academic then she won’t be able to do a good degree from a good university so then she’ll end up with a degree but be far far less employable than if she has good life and work experience through actually working through an apprenticeship

I'm university educated, post grad too, nice life, nice job etc I'm actually at this point pretty against my kids going to uni and acquiring all that debt if an apprenticeship was available if tell them to chase that instead.
You can do degree apprenticeships you know in all types of roles which do attract good salaries at the end - working and learning seems a much better way to get a job now than coming out of uni green.
If she's struggling in her GCSEs she could go to college and then uni still - my friends son failed most of his GCSEs but two years later after college hes off to uni. Or you might need to adjust your expectations

My hairdresser earns an absolute bomb - far more than me (I am a university educated white collar professional). I also think your views on apprenticeships are outdated. Plenty of earning potential post apprenticeships these days!

Your poor DD. It's unlikely she'll jump from failing all her mocks except one to the grades needed to do the A levels required to be a doctor or lawyer. What happens if she doesn't get them?
For the more academic subjects they want at least a seven, preferably an eight, or at least that was the case for my DD's bog standard Northern sixth form.

Goodness me. Hopefully she will do what she wants to do.

I have so many examples of people who didn't go to uni and have earned big but mostly older (like my DH) so not terribly relevant in today's market. But my DS did an apprenticeship and now earns £70k plus bonuses that takes him over £150k a year. I have a feeling though the the OP isn't so bothered about earning potential - more about how she would feel telling 'the family' that DD is a hairdresser. Poor kid.

Hairdressing is a great trade.
my dd graduated a year ago with a 2.1 we are in London, no jobs, working part time now with huge debts, she may as well not have bothered with 5 extra years of education, no help, no support in university for job hunting, the jobs she is now applying for are 25,000.
let her do what she wants
university is so overrated, unless they get a Russell group, but saying that her friend left with a first from a RG, now works for his dad

Well I’ve got 2 undergrad degrees and a masters degrees and work in a job earning less than £2K a month. I am a qualified teacher and lasted 25 years but left for a better work life balance with my children.

You do know that there are apprenticeships in alsorts these days including law. And what she chooses now might not be what she ends up doing in 20 years.

If she has an interest then let her explore it. My DD left with all passes and a distinction in drama, went to college but after a month went back to school for a levels as college wasn’t for her. To be honest A levels aren’t for her either as she has to do 2 extra subjects on top of drama which was what she was doing at college on its own. But we will just have to see what happens. She’s desperate to go on to university but I’m not sure she will get a place - auditions onto very competitive courses plus passing her a levels.

Not everyone’s path in life is linear from A-B. I left uni 27 years ago and am still searching for my dream career, teaching was not it.

Ah. I see. OP hasn't given predicted grades. Hopefully some 5s and above. GCSE results are next Thursday - my error!

OP said this - I think her drive is earning a lot of money to get by in this world!!