Starting Year 12 again - terrible idea or good solution?

My DCs school only allow a repeat of Y12 in exceptional circumastances.I think it is important to remember that sitting A levels is not like playing a fruit machine.You can't just hope you get luckier next time?
I am a bit about his maths too. Generally people go down a grade in Y13 or at best stay the same.

It is only worth starting again if there is likely to be a much improved outcome second time round. Many students who start again do as badly second time round I'm afraid....and then it's 2 years wasted.
I would ask to see the school with your son for a serious, honest chat about why he has done poorly this year and what the chances of things being different next year are......all of it Fter the exams......don't even raise the issue at this point.

CakeAndWine It's good to hear that your son is doing well. Hopefully in a few years his year 12 blip will be a distant memory.

I have a friend whose son moved school and redid his Year 12 and had great success, it would be better to do that than leave school without decent exam results.

I have a friend whose son moved school and redid his Year 12 and had great success, it would be better to do that than leave school without decent exam results.

My DS is just coming to the end of his second year 12! The first was a disaster partly because he thought he could get through his AS levels with the same commitment he showed to his GCSE's (fairly limited although managed to get mostly A's with no work), and secondly he was too busy socialising to do any work. This year has seen a significant change. He changed schools. He is doing the same subjects although dropped one so only doing three which he will take on to A'level. I think this year has allowed him to mature and realise that he is in control of his own destiny. If he decides not to work then he knows what will happen. He is bright but lazy. In a way I am glad he has learnt this lesson in Year 12 and not in Year 13 or even worse at University, which will be a much more expensive mistake. I think it has helped him focus. In my sons first Year 12 - 40 students retook the year. It is not unusual and for some children a very good idea. Of course at the time I was horrified and really worried about it all, but I can safely say it was one of the best things that has happened to him. Hope this helps.

Good point Don't BeAMeanie.

If the OPs DS does sit his AS's and get poor marks these will have to declared if and when he fills out his UCAS application. If he doesn't take the exams at all then he doesn't have to declare them. I'm not sure it matters but maybe it's something to consider.

However, I think, that even if he gets low grades they will still count towards his UCAS tariff total for most 'points' universities. There is a new UCAS tariff in 2017 - I'm not sure if it changes anything but it might be worth checking.

My first thought from your heading before I even read your posts, apart from yes, worth starting again, was about trying somewhere else, sixth form or FE college.

I think you might have to discus the subject with him though, as he will need to convince a college that he is motivated, presumably.

This is all very interesting, as my DS is about to drop out of lower sixth, he is only taking one of his AS levels, so will be finished school in 3 weeks time.

Maybe we will look at him starting again somewhere else, interesting though.

Nice to hear he is not alone in loosing his way.

At this stage, I'd encourage him to sit the exams still whilst you quietly look into him starting Yr 12 again next year.

My DS's AS results were distinctly average last year but school said they weren't bad enough to start Yr 12 again, so we've ploughed on. His mocks terrible, I have no idea how he'll do, although he has revised more since then.

I hope you get him sorted, it is such a tricky time.

I hope it all works out for your DS.

It really isn't the end of the world. My friend was in your shoes last year and is now a proud Mum of a lovely DS who has worked his socks off and is now on course to do very well in his upcoming exams. It's just a blip and your son wasn't the first student to misjudge how hard you have to work for AS's

All the changes are infuriating. I have three DC at Uni and one going in September and there have been so many instances where the goal posts get moved. January modules, grade inflation, increases in uni fees, AAB student caps then ABB then no student caps, it's all too confusing for me. I'm glad I'll be out of it soon.

If the new course is starting in Sept 2015 then students will be sitting the old course in June 2015. In June 2015 they would offer all the modules that would normally be offered in that sitting for the old course, including AS modules for resits. However, I'm not sure whether students would be able to sit the old AS modules and get an old AS as a first time sitting, rather than the new AS.

Does this mean that for subjects that are changing to the new courses after this year, it won't be possible to retake any 2015 AS modules in 2016?

And they might not switch at all if Labour win the election.

Sue - not all subjects will switch to the new A level straight away.

The A level system changes from September. An AS will no longer be half an A2, it will be an AS. An A2 (or A level) will be a full two year course with no external exams until the end of the second year. Students will have to decide at the beginning of the course whether they want to do an AS (one year) or A2 (two year) course. An AS will no longer be able to be topped up to an A2.

Some of my DCs friends have done this and it's worked out well for them. I suspect there might be more students wanting to repeat since the removal of the January Exams. The January exams used provided the shock 'bad, results that some students seem to need to spark them into starting to work really hard.

I've also know some DC who have got dissapointing AS's but who have really improved their results in year 13.

My DCs school gets plenty of students retaking year 12 who have been asked to 'leave' by their grammar and independent schools. I don't know if this is due to funding or due to the grammar and independent schools wanting to keep their grade averages up.

There doesn't seem to be any stigma attached to having to retake year 12 - some kids just haven't quite got their act together quick enough.

There are a few courses (eg medicine) and, I guess, there are some uni's that don't like students to take three years to complete A'levels but it's not going to be a problem for the vast majority of courses.

As I said, the school may not be permitted to offer AS repeat, because school are ONLY allowed to take new pupils, or pupils making progress to the next level, so if you are retaking AS year, it is normal to be a new pupil somewhere else, rather than a retaking pupil in the same school.

Will the school allow a yr12 repeat?
DD wanted to last year, and was told only generally allowed in exceptional circumstances. And less likely to be allowed unless changing most subjects (she also wanted to keep 2 the same).
Also, her school also required a D at AS (with pass in all modules) to allow subjects to be continued into yr13. They would have allowed 2 A2 and a new AS, which may suit some applying to Unis on points.

She has pressed on, but is retaking one module in 2 of her subjects. To meet her firm offer, she needs to improve by 1 grade in one and 2 grades in another on her AS grades. Not impossible, but she's struggling.

Both, go all out for the highest marks he possibly can for this year, then restart year 12 next year. Any AS grades he gets this year, but doesn't carry on with will still count towards his UCAS application.

He should be able to repeat year 12, you get three years post 16 education funded, however, depending on exact government funding criteria ( with changes with the weather), may not be able to do it at he same school. sometimes schools are only allowed to take new pupils, or puplis who are progressing.

This isn't a real problem, as he can go and become a new pupil elsewhere.

Apply now, both to his current school, and to others, and convince him to absolutly work his socks of for these AS grades. Even a couple of Es at AS are worth something.

In DD's year (year 12) there are quite a few who have moved from other schools to redo AS levels. It is very common either because of poor grades the first time round or because of a change in subjects.

He won't need A-level maths to be a primary school teacher but he will find it far easier to get a primary job if he has it. Primary schools are desperately short of teachers with maths qualifications beyond GCSE.