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Original poster

Friend has asked for advice on her DS's exam results

32 replies

MaximiseProductivity · 13/08/2015 21:32

I'm the only person in her circle who has any A-Levels, so I'm the one she asks for anything to do with school, but it was a long time ago....

Her DS has just finished his 2nd attempt and the 1st year of sixth form. He was originally taking 2 A-Levels and a BTec (equiv 2 A-Levels?) but struggled and dropped an A-level, still didn't pass the AS Level at the end of lower sixth, so repeated the year.

Just has the results for the end of his 2nd 1st year (IYSWIM!) and he's failed the AS level. In the Btec he's got merits or distinctions for 4 our of 5 modules, but a fail in one of them, which I'm told = fail overall.

He's had poor attendance at school due to anxiety, often friend can't get him out of bed until evening, then he stays up all night.

So, he has to decide what to do next. My "advice" would be to do something completely different for a year and see what he wants to do then. Maybe a year of NMW jobs will motivate him to actually work next time. Friend says he's still saying he wants to go to Uni so they will look at him either repeating school again (if the school allow it) or continuing the BTec at college. I don't think the BTec alone would get him on a degree course?

What would you advise? Where can they get proper advice? Personally I don't think they were best advised to let him repeat the year at school, he's been very unhappy seeing his year group progress without him.

OP posts:
Charis1 · 13/08/2015 21:59

I would say return to school and continue with the Btec. He has no option of doing this later, it is now or never. If the school, or another one, will have him, he needs to get as many Btec units as possible, and get a qualification ( not all combinations of units lead to a qualification) yes he can go to uni with a Btec, normally one that is the equivalent of 3 A levels, but some courses will accept 2.

When you say failed the AS, do you mean actually got "U"?

Essexgirlupnorth · 13/08/2015 21:57

You can do access courses for degrees so A levels are not the be all and end all. Though does sound like he would be best taking some time off from education.
There is a good article on the guardian today about people who didn't get the a levels grades they needed and what they did instead.

Original poster
MaximiseProductivity · 13/08/2015 21:55

Yes, Random, I though that might be the case. The failed module is one where there was a lot of messing about and missed/extended deadlines because of the anxiety.

OP posts:
Original poster
MaximiseProductivity · 13/08/2015 21:54

Yes I've asked all those questions homebythesea, without any proper answer.

That's how I feel Fuzzy, but I fear the local college is going to advise him to do it again

OP posts:
RandomMess · 13/08/2015 21:52

To fail in a module in his BTEC takes quite some doing IMHO.

He really needs to work for a while and gain the motivation to work at the things he doesn't like.

homebythesea · 13/08/2015 21:49

There may well be funding issues preventing retaking yet again. He needs to get the message that perhaps A levels are not for him. Why the determination to go to Uni- to study what, and to what end?

FuzzyWizard · 13/08/2015 21:39

That's really tough. My advice would be to get a job, even if at NMW, and spend the next year just working out what he wants to do. I don't see any sense in continuing to do the same thing over and over.