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Original poster

A-level course full - what to do?

63 replies

seymour · 15/08/2021 05:38

Hi there, my daughter enrolled at sixth form today but one of the A-levels she wants to do is oversubscribed and the course is full. It’s geography and there isn’t another subject she wants to do as this is what she wants to study at uni. We didn’t realise this could happen. She surpassed the entry requirements. They made her put down another subject which she doesn't want to do! I’m assuming they enrolled kids that were already at the school before external applicants. My daughter's school didn’t have a sixth form so she had to apply somewhere new. That now appears to be a disadvantage. Can anyone advise?

OP posts:
TeenMinusTests · 15/08/2021 12:01

No help to the OP but this is one of the reasons I think the Hants system is good with its large 6th form colleges. So big that they have multiple classes of most A levels and can timetable pretty much anything.

NotQuiteHere · 15/08/2021 11:40

It is a complete shambles with the choice of A level for students everywhere. Our children finally have an option to do what they really want to do, it might be the choice for life, and the provision is terribly poor.

To start with the option blocks where, for example, you have to choose either Biology or Computing but not both, then the course might be offered but not enough students or too many of them so have to switch to something else. If there are so many constraints then the 6th forms should not claim that they offer such and such courses. The situation is appalling and must change.

Original poster
seymour · 15/08/2021 11:28

@clary

I hear you on PE A level, ds2 did that and not many sixth forms offered it.

I would contact them tomorrow if possible and stress that she wants to do it at degree level; were multiple people refused a place or is it just her? How many in the class? I must say I have never come across this - not enough students to run a subject, yes for sure, but never too many. If it is only her, surely they can fit one more? It's not as tho it's about lab work or cooking practicals.

Great advice, thanks. I'll hopefully find out more tomorrow. In the offer letter it listed three or four subjects that were usually oversubscribed, Btecs mainly - but geography wasn't on the list!
OP posts:
Original poster
seymour · 15/08/2021 11:25

@Revengeofthepangolins

Perhaps worth emphasising that she plans to study it a university?

But if they can’t budge a s she really wants to take the subject further, perhaps it has to take priority over PE?

Thank you, she ideally wants to go geography/PE at uni. I will definitely be taking this up with them tomorrow! I've gone from laidback mamma to tiger mum overnight! Smile
OP posts:
clary · 15/08/2021 11:10

I hear you on PE A level, ds2 did that and not many sixth forms offered it.

I would contact them tomorrow if possible and stress that she wants to do it at degree level; were multiple people refused a place or is it just her? How many in the class? I must say I have never come across this - not enough students to run a subject, yes for sure, but never too many. If it is only her, surely they can fit one more? It's not as tho it's about lab work or cooking practicals.

Revengeofthepangolins · 15/08/2021 11:02

Perhaps worth emphasising that she plans to study it a university?

But if they can’t budge a s she really wants to take the subject further, perhaps it has to take priority over PE?

Original poster
seymour · 15/08/2021 09:12

Thanks so much everyone. There are other sixth forms but it's limited due to the fact she wants to do PE A-level and not many places do it. Plus two of her good friends are going to this sixth form so she wants to go there. I'm hoping someone will drop off the course at the start of term as some of you suggested. She's just told me her name is on a waiting list so will call them tomorrow and find out more info. It's good to know she could do it as an external candidate worse case scenario but not ideal.

OP posts:
Flaunch · 15/08/2021 07:34

My dd is doing geography A level at our local
College as she didn’t want to stay on at 6th form due to bullying.

CrunchiestCru · 15/08/2021 06:54

Forgot to mention there is a large cross over generally between A level biology and geography, or if the college have it environmental science. Depends if she’s interested in human or physical geography really.

CrunchiestCru · 15/08/2021 06:52

If there aren’t any nearby sixth forms whether due to availability or want definitely keep insisting that as soon as someone drops/leaves the course your DD has the space. In the meantime ask them if she can still study independently so she doesn’t miss out on knowledge, they’ll likely have an online platform with all the lessons so she can follow. If a space comes up she’s not lost time, if it doesn’t then she’s going to need to study independently of the school will allow her to sit the a level exam. If the school won’t allow that then she can sit the a level at an independent test centre

SpringSparrow · 15/08/2021 06:15

How annoying for her! I would be contacting the school and asking for her to join the class. A lot of students drop their subjects in the first few weeks of term. At my dd’s sixth form a lot of students started with four subjects and dropped one either at half term or the end of the first year so there was movement. A lot were kicked out of maths after a few weeks. It sounds really unfair to your daughter they it’s oversubscribed already.

Everydayisawindingroad · 15/08/2021 05:51

@ZealAndArdour

Can she do A-Levels at college or a different sixth form instead?
This. If she doesn’t want to move college perhaps she could do geography somewhere as an external candidate.
ZealAndArdour · 15/08/2021 05:42

Can she do A-Levels at college or a different sixth form instead?

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