Can you take A-levels with 4s or 5s at GCSE?

Sorry just seen that T levels don't seem to be an option

I thought we are constantly told that 4/5 is the equivalent of a C in the old grading system? If so that would have always been fine for a levels?

However I am starting to strongly suspect that 4/5 are more like a D, 6 is more like an old C, a 7 an old B , and 8 an old A and a 9 an old A*

Also @HarveyLouis my DSD really struggled at GCSE and we were so proud with her grades at mainly 4/5. She went to college and did a T level and all of a sudden found her confidence and did so much better and got a distinction and is now looking at universities. I think with dyslexia school can be such a confidence destroyer

I think a more vocational option might be better. What aspect of geography do they like? Its quite a broad topic. There isnt an obvious vocational geography qualification but there might be one that taps into some bits of the syllabus.

I was thinking agriculture/land management or applied science btechs or an apprentiship in digital mapping..

Which part of geography do they enjoy and do better at? At level 3 there may be more specific options like Sociology but bear in mind any statistical elements requires decent maths knowledge. Grade 5 pass is borderline for passing A levels easily.

If someone gets 4-5s because of temporary illness or cba then a levels can work.

if that’s genuinely what they are capable of then a levels are a very bad idea

I teach Geography a-level and I wouldn’t advise it with 3-5s at GCSE. Our students achieving Cs have often achieved 5-7s at GCSE. There is a huge amount of content to learn and the exams are extremely time pressured. Depending on the exam board, each exam includes 2-3 essays and a number of shorter written responses. There is a coursework element (NEA) which is worth 20% of the a-level. This could be a bonus. Our weaker students tend to boost marks with this, but only if they put in the effort over the summer holidays.
Check the course content and see if she would enjoy the modules - there is some flexibility over what we teach so for example if she really enjoys ‘Coasts’ and the college teaches ‘Hot Deserts’ instead, she may be less motivated.
Has she considered a triple BTEC in Business, which would be equivalent to 3 a-levels?

Im a teacher, I wouldn’t recommend it, not because I think she’ll get low grades but because to get the grades below she will have to slog her guts out and it makes for a miserable two years.
Standard Subjects
Most A-Level subjects (e.g., History, Biology, Geography, English) generally expect the following progression:
Grade 8/9 → Grade A or A*
Grade 7 → Grade B
Grade 6 → Grade C
Grade 5 → Grade D
Grade 4 → Grade E
Maths and Physics
Maths and Physics are harder at A-Level. The jump in difficulty means your grades usually drop by about two steps compared to GCSE:
Grade 8/9 → Grade B or C
Grade 7 → Grade C or D
Grade 6 → Grade D or E 1, 2, 3]

4 or 5 grades to a C is a stretch at A level. If English comes out at a 4, it’s going to be very hard. What does the college offer in terms of BTec? This is a far more sensible idea.

I think A' levels with a 5 in the subject would be challenging and I'm not sure if a college would be offer three As with 4/5 in the subjects for that reason. However, she's only Yr10 so this isn't a foregone conclusion. What does she want to do? There are some students who get very average GCSE results but do well enough at A level due to being motivated to work hard, either by interest in the subject or desire to progress to a pathway that demands high results. Is this an option? Is she in a position to work really hard on English, maths and the GCSEs she wants to take for A level or is this unrealistic?

If not, something more vocational might be better suited. Whilst there is nothing wrong with Cs at A level, might she find pedalling that hard to keep up a bit soul destroying?

Motivation and aptitude are both relevant: she'll do best at something she's interested in that feels achievable. What does she like to do generally? What kind of jobs is she interested in? Ideally you would find a course of study she will be successful in, enjoy and will prepare her in broad terms for the sorts of jobs she would like. This might not be available at the college of her choice and might need a bit of shopping around.

It's not impossible but it would be likely that the best she can hope for is a C, but more likely a D, at A-level in a subject where the GCSE grade was 5 - unless the 5 isn't a fair reflection of her abilities and she might have been on track for a 6 or 7 with better teaching/support. If GCSE grade was 4 then A-Level grade will be more likely E, or D at a push. All the sixth forms know this which is why they usually insist on 6 as minimum GCSE grade - their performance stats will be adversely affected if they knowingly admit someone who has very little chance of a B grade or better and they have every right to refuse.

If she really loves geography and you can't find a college that will accept her for it, you could pay for 1:1 tutorials and arrange for her to sit the exams as a private candidate so that it doesn't affect any college statistics, and she coukd do that alongside one ot two BTech courses.

If she gets a 5 at gcse she absolutely has the potential to get a C at A Level. Just make sure you select a 6th form who have a good track record for supporting students with SEND and who will make adjustments from the start - things like ET, digital copies of notes etc.

That’s great but your exam results were the result of going to a bad school rather than a neurodivergence such as dyslexia & adhd - both of these impact academic achievement regardless of the school/college.

I disagree it’s a bad idea. I went to a bad high school and achieved a mixed bag of results..cs, bs and D’s
went to college, great teaching and I got AAB at Alevels and went onto get a 2:1 degree.

My son has just finished his A levels, one of which was Geography. He got a 7 at GCSE which was his highest grade, other grades were 5s and 6s. It’s very writing heavy, he isn’t dyslexic but struggles with motivation and he found it hard - there is a lot of content. His sister is dyslexic and there is no way she could manage it. I would maybe pursue the travel & tourism option at another college, especially as she’s not keen on going on to university.

I would say it’s not a great idea and the school would advise against it. Her English might not be good enough either. She needs to look for something vocational so what about another college? Or school for BTec. I agree about T and T. Any schools offering it?