Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Original poster

Year 13 - thread for those who are NOT A grade students and finding A levels hard

43 replies

LadyNorthStar · 19/08/2025 19:56

I was on the other thread, but everyone on there seems to be predicted A stars and applying to oxbridge. I’m just hoping my DS gets good enough grades to do the course he wants. He will need BCC and his last mocks were DDE 😬. He hasn’t been doing enough work and has (finally) been revising over the summer as the next mocks in Oct need to be at least Cs. Anyone in a similar position?

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Bufftailed · 01/09/2026 20:07

LadyNorthStar · 31/08/2026 13:29

Hi just thought I would provide an update - my DS got CEE in his A levels. Not great, and he missed both his firm and insurance offers.

However he has now been accepted for a foundation degree instead so it seems to have worked out in the end. He is happy. It will mean an extra year of course.

He did work harder in the last few months but it wasn’t enough really. The main problem is he was only interested in the subject he got the C in.

Obviously we’ve gone through all the options but this is what he wants to do. It will be a modular course now with coursework so I think it will suit him much better than exams. He should have done a Btec in the first place but it’s done now….

I would say the sixth form’s predicted grades did seem to be broadly right for him.

How did everyone else get on?

Congrats!

DC going into year 13 and this thread making me feel more normal!

Original poster
LadyNorthStar · 31/08/2026 17:03

@Almostwelshwishing your DC good luck, sounds like they’ve found their ‘thing’ which is great

OP posts:
Almostwelsh · 31/08/2026 16:10

My DC who was doing the practical engineering college course has now got an apprenticeship to learn a trade. It's paid and should lead into a job at the end. DC is really happy and it's confirmed that a degree was never the right choice for them.

Original poster
LadyNorthStar · 31/08/2026 13:29

Hi just thought I would provide an update - my DS got CEE in his A levels. Not great, and he missed both his firm and insurance offers.

However he has now been accepted for a foundation degree instead so it seems to have worked out in the end. He is happy. It will mean an extra year of course.

He did work harder in the last few months but it wasn’t enough really. The main problem is he was only interested in the subject he got the C in.

Obviously we’ve gone through all the options but this is what he wants to do. It will be a modular course now with coursework so I think it will suit him much better than exams. He should have done a Btec in the first place but it’s done now….

I would say the sixth form’s predicted grades did seem to be broadly right for him.

How did everyone else get on?

OP posts:
RainyDayCoffee · 18/12/2025 19:10

@LadyNorthStar I do wish DD would agree to applying for a foundation year. She is stubborn.

Original poster
LadyNorthStar · 18/12/2025 17:05

There’s still time yet @RainyDayCoffee

Another offer has been received today so that’s all 5!

It’s such a minefield, his tutor last week was trying to encourage him to apply for foundation courses as he didn’t meet the ‘book’ requirements. I had sleepless nights thinking he wouldn’t get any offers at all. Now he can just concentrate on getting the grades.

OP posts:
RainyDayCoffee · 17/12/2025 20:22

@LadyNorthStar
Great news about the uni offers! I can imagine the relief. I hope you and DS can take a well earned Christmas break and recharge for the next years exams.
We have no luck here with even the UCAS submission.DD and her college are just pointlessly procrastinating and I have lost all hope it is even going to go in.
Xx

Original poster
LadyNorthStar · 17/12/2025 18:05

Hi how is everyone doing? DS has done his last mock exam today so is now officially off for Christmas.

He has also received 4 uni offers already - his UCAS application was only submitted on Fri 12 Dec so we are surprised and very relieved! His predicted grades are CCD and his offers are mostly BBC/112 points so we’re hoping he can achieve that.

He doesn’t have a firm choice yet, in fact he’s still wavering on whether to go away or commute from home. But we don’t have to decide yet so we can now enjoy our Christmas time off. Hope everyone is doing OK 😊

OP posts:
Original poster
LadyNorthStar · 14/11/2025 20:35

He actually moved from E to B so it was remarkable! But he did concentrate a lot on this subject and needs to pay attention to the others too now.

OP posts:
Original poster
LadyNorthStar · 14/11/2025 20:33

@RainyDayCoffee Who knows, maybe they think your DD could achieve that and they’ve seen potential?

It’s all a minefield isn’t it? So much rests on the predicted grades and all schools/colleges seem to have a different approach. I wish they could apply with grades in hand to avoid all this.

OP posts:
Original poster
LadyNorthStar · 14/11/2025 20:26

@ShredderQueen as I understand it the grades on Unifrog are the predicted grades from his teachers.

BBB would give him good options and I think he could do this if he works hard.

He is not set on one particular uni at the moment, he has 5 in mind which are a mix of local and some further away to keep his options open.

For the unis he’s interested in, they seem to have accepted CCC and even lower in previous years. However the listed entry requirements are mostly BBB so I think he needs to be predicted this to get some offers on the table.

OP posts:
RainyDayCoffee · 14/11/2025 19:26

@LadyNorthStar moving from D to B is very good. Hope this motivates DS.
Yes, do find out about predicted grades. Also have a look at foundation year. Some unis offer this and the offer is usually lower for foundation year.
I have stuck my fingers in my ears and don't want to think about mocks and grades and ucas.
DD has talked college into giving her BBB but she is so far from it. I despair! Very silly of the college but they have terrible outcomes so I don't think they really care.

ShredderQueen · 14/11/2025 18:32

All Sixth forms work differently but at ours they can send them off as soon as they are completed.

Has he had his predicted grades from teachers yet? What grades does he need?

Original poster
LadyNorthStar · 14/11/2025 17:59

How’s everyone doing?
DS got BDD in the latest mocks, which is an improvement from DEE! The B was in the subject he wants to do at uni. He’s determined to further improve and will hopefully turn the D’s into C’s in the next mocks in Dec.

The thing is, I’m not sure whether it will be too late for his UCAS applications. His college want his application by 5 Dec and then his next mocks are 15 Dec, which is the week before they break up for Christmas. He says UCAS won’t be submitted until 14 Jan but I’m sure they would do it earlier and not at the last minute. Even if they did, when will they have time to mark the papers and look at predictions? Unless they will spend their holidays doing this and I can’t imagine they would.

I’ve sent a query to ask whether there is still time to improve the UCAS predicted grades.

I hope so otherwise I can’t see what offers he will get with these grades.

OP posts:
Original poster
LadyNorthStar · 17/09/2025 18:30

My DS has got mocks starting on 13 Oct, so we will see where he is after that. He’s doing his UCAS form on Thursday so seems set on uni. I hope it helps to focus him.

We wouldn’t mind at all if he didn’t go to uni, but it seems to be what he wants.

OP posts:
Almostwelsh · 17/09/2025 07:43

My DC who got Ds and Es at A level and then couldn't find work has started a City and Guilds Engineering course at the local FE college. The course involves mostly practical work in electrical wiring, machining using lathes etc. and is aimed at people wanting a craft apprenticeship. It also offers help in Maths and English for those who didn't pass their GCSEs on those subjects.

DC does have good GCSEs so they are in the top of the cohort, rather than struggling like they did at 6th form and appears to be enjoying the practical aspects of the course. If I'd known A levels were going to be so difficult for them I'd have looked at a course like this at 16. I'm hopeful they can get a craft apprenticeship at the end of the course, but realistically these are in high demand, so there are no guarantees.

RainyDayCoffee · 16/09/2025 22:27

@MustDust
It is so hard when they feel so dejected they stop trying. We have moments like this with DD. I just hope she does enough to sit the bloody exams and scrape a pass and we can then draw a line under education.
Xx

MustDust · 16/09/2025 22:03

Hello, joining you all as this is our place away from the A crowd. I think year 12 mocks were DEE, he's just doing year 13 mocks now and has already had a meltdown and had to leave one of them (Dx ADHD and anxiety, not formally Dx asd but recognised). I just feel devastated for him, he got into 6th form at a great school where they know and support him, but his friends are getting high grades and he's now saying he might not even look at uni when he was previously keen. I don't care as long as he's happy, but right now he's just stressed.

sproutsandparsnips · 16/09/2025 21:35

@NotDonnayes - I have to say though it was the only thing DS really smashed. His individual project was really good and got full marks. The other A Levels, well less said the better!

NotDonna · 16/09/2025 05:42

@sproutsandparsnips ahh don’t worry I’ve googled it and it’s entirely different! Sounds very interesting but quite demanding alongside A levels.

NotDonna · 16/09/2025 05:39

@sproutsandparsnips can I please ask if the Welsh Bacc is the same as 4 AS’s taken in England? Or is it a separate course that gives 4 grades?

DipsyDee · 09/09/2025 15:00

At the end of Year 12 my DC was at a BCD and was at one point a BDD. On the start of year 13 it was as if a switch came on and they worked their socks off to achieve a BBB in this years A levels. I want to echo what a PP said about some of these education threads where nothing less than an A is a complete disaster and please don’t even consider A Levels if your DC didn’t get 7 -9’s in GCSE’s! Thats all bollocks. It’s a lot of parents showing off trying to one up their children over yours and they are as transparent as a pane of glass. The majority of students don’t get these grade so please do be disheartened by those comments.

sproutsandparsnips · 07/09/2025 17:54

@LadyNorthStarI feel you!
DS was straight A stars at GCSE (we are in wales) but went in to A levels with no clue how difficult they are. He needed AAA for medicine, got the offers, got the UCAT but did nothing over summer having got BBB at AS level. Didn’t really do much extra work until March before A Levels even though mocks were poor. Ended up missing the grades, tears all round. Like @Tealfishhis Welsh Bacc pulled him up and he at least got into insurance to do pharmacology with ABBD. I’m really hoping this is the kick up the behind he needs. He also did maths (that was the D) which he struggled with despite 2 As at GCSE and really regrets not doing history instead. It’s so hard to see them make these mistakes and you can’t force them to do the work. But I think things do work out in the end.
edited but can’t get rid of the bold!

RainyDayCoffee · 07/09/2025 17:07

DD still hasn't gone back to college. Has done very little work over the summer and has mocks on Oct too. She went to a uni open day yesterday. I still don't think uni is for her but it's not for me to say. I just want this year to get over with.
Still hoping the switch in her brain will finally turn on one day!!!
Xx

Original poster
LadyNorthStar · 07/09/2025 16:18

DS has got his dates for his October mocks now. They are before the half-term, which I’m surprised about as I thought they would be after. It means he has 2 weeks less than I thought.

He seems to have made a good start to Y13 and I have seen him working more. He did quite a bit of revision over the summer. I hope it’s going to be enough so that he can get decent predictions for his uni applications.

OP posts: