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Original poster

DS1 thinks he has done badly in his GCSEs

109 replies

winterrabbit · 23/07/2024 16:45

DS1 sat his GCSEs this year and we'll get the results next month. He missed a chunk of time in year 10 as he was excluded from school and it took us ages to find him another place. He has ADHD and really struggles with focus and behaviour. He would only revise with tutors which he ended up having pretty much every day in the lead up to his exams but only for a few hours. The exams themselves seem to go ok, or so he said at the time. No disasters where he forgot to answer half the paper although he mentioned a few were tough (Biology paper 2 for example). He finished all papers so I thought/hoped he had done ok but he casually mentioned the other day that I shouldn't get my hopes up as he thinks he did really badly and failed at least a few. Obviously I'm now super worried. He only failed one mock and scrapped by with 4 and 5s in most subjects plus a 6 in French although he did literally no revision. Surely he can't have done worse in the real exams than he did in the mocks? If he has done badly then what options are there for him? Can he resit or do you have to get certain grades to be eligible to resit, e.g. a 4 in Maths and English?

OP posts:
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Janedoe82 · 23/08/2024 12:31

That is great he has some offers. I am a big believer in what is for you won't pass you and I am sure he will do well on any of the courses.

Original poster
winterrabbit · 23/08/2024 12:29

clary · 23/08/2024 12:25

What did he get in GCSE geography @winterrabbit ?

I might go back to the first setting and argue for him - how much of a hard line is it? Some schools will be flexible esp if they know the student.

Well done on his 9 in French - that is amazing!

Thank you Clary. He got a 5 in Geography which he claims is nothing short of a miracle as he probably missed most learning for this subject and he got a 2 in the mock.

I have just emailed them asking if they will reconsider letting him do A-levels but am not hopeful as the Head of Year 12 was pretty firm yesterday. Annoying as his EHCP names the school so we have to go through the palava of getting that changed too.

OP posts:
clary · 23/08/2024 12:25

What did he get in GCSE geography @winterrabbit ?

I might go back to the first setting and argue for him - how much of a hard line is it? Some schools will be flexible esp if they know the student.

Well done on his 9 in French - that is amazing!

Original poster
winterrabbit · 23/08/2024 11:48

Yes, however, the sixth form at his current school require 4 grade 6s in order to do A-levels so will only let him do BTEC Business and 1 A-level (French) which is really annoying as he meets the subject specific requirements for A-level French, Business and Sociology but doesn't have 4 grade 6s. He has offers at two other local sixth forms which both require 5 grade 5s so he meets requirements there but one school only does Economics not Business and he needs a 6 in Maths (only has a 5) so he would have to do French, Sociology and one other, possibly Geography (I just enrolled him with this to make sure he actually has a place). The other school does both Business and Economics and he meets all entry requirements so he could go there but doesn't want to. So really not sure what to do.

OP posts:
Janedoe82 · 23/08/2024 10:46

Is he getting back into sixth form?

Janedoe82 · 23/08/2024 10:44

That is brilliant! well done to him.

Original poster
winterrabbit · 23/08/2024 08:49

He got 965555544 (6 in English Lang and 5 in Maths, annoyingly 3 marks off a 6).

OP posts:
Janedoe82 · 22/08/2024 23:59

OP how did your son do in the end? Fingers crossed went well!

glitches78 · 17/08/2024 16:41

That would be why she hasn't said then! Lol 😂

clary · 17/08/2024 16:17

glitches78 · 17/08/2024 15:17

How did your son get on OP?

GCSE results are next Thursday :)

glitches78 · 17/08/2024 15:17

How did your son get on OP?

Original poster
winterrabbit · 12/08/2024 17:19

He wants to do A-levels at his current sixth form so fingers crossed he gets enough. He was thinking about another college which offered A-levels and a sports academy but is now saying he wants to stay at his current school which is great as he has only been there since middle of year 10 so want him to stay put for a while plus all the teachers know him well and give him a lot of flexibility which helps massively.

OP posts:
caringcarer · 08/08/2024 14:05

No point worrying about his GCSES until he has the results. What does he want to do next? I'd be focussing on that.

BrumToTheRescue · 08/08/2024 13:15

You have't posted that in those words but it's basically what you're saying.

No it isn’t. Nowhere near. Being able to study independently is not the preserve of the top 10% or so. Neither did I say DS shouldn’t do A levels. I asked what DS’s plan was for coping with the demands of the level of independent study required. Because, if DS struggled with the independent study required at GCSE, unless something changes, he will struggle with the even greater amount of independent study required at A level.

Original poster
winterrabbit · 08/08/2024 13:03

BrumToTheRescue · 08/08/2024 11:34

That’s not actually answering the question about independent study.

I have not said DS is “stupid/not capable/not academic". But he clearly struggled with the independent study required of GCSE and A levels require so much more independent study. Therefore DS needs a plan on how he is going to cope with that.

Why don't you stop trying to make out A-levels are the preserve of only top 10% or so.

Where exactly have I posted this?

We do have a plan. We will continue to support with tutors where we need to but hopefully as he gets older then he will start to do more on his own. It also helps studying only 3 subjects that you're interested in rather than trying to cover 9 subjects at once.

You have't posted that in those words but it's basically what you're saying.

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BrumToTheRescue · 08/08/2024 11:34

That’s not actually answering the question about independent study.

I have not said DS is “stupid/not capable/not academic". But he clearly struggled with the independent study required of GCSE and A levels require so much more independent study. Therefore DS needs a plan on how he is going to cope with that.

Why don't you stop trying to make out A-levels are the preserve of only top 10% or so.

Where exactly have I posted this?

Original poster
winterrabbit · 08/08/2024 11:16

CoffeandTiaMaria · 06/08/2024 20:18

Your opening post clearly states:
If he has done badly then what options are there for him?
You have had a number of very helpful suggestions from posters with clearly a great deal of experience yet you chose to be rude and ignore them.
🤷🏼‍♀️

I am ignoring them because I don't agree with them and they don't know my son, I do. You do know that I don't have to blindly accept advice from strangers on MN don't you? I wasn't seeking advice on BTEC or vocational courses, more on resits/how to support DS/what to do given that he has had a very disrupted GCSE experience due to a permanent exclusion which meant he missed a chunk of school, etc. If I want information on BTEC and vocational courses, I know where to get them but I DO NOT NEED THAT INFORMATION AT THIS POINT. I do hope that is ok with you Coffee?

OP posts:
Original poster
winterrabbit · 08/08/2024 11:12

BrumToTheRescue · 06/08/2024 20:47

If DS struggled with the independent study required at GCSE level, how does he plan to cope with the independent study required at A level? Far more is required at A level than GCSE.

Assuming he gets decent grades at GCSE and has the right support, I think he will manage fine at A-level. Remember he is a 16 year old boy and is maturing all the time. Let's be careful not to make a judgement of 'you're stupid/not capable/not academic" for someone who has not finished growing. Even 16 years without ADHD don't like studying and won't do it unless pushed. ADHD kids are typically a couple of years behind in terms of maturity. I know plenty of kids who are not especially hardworking who managed absolutely fine at A-level. Why don't you stop trying to make out A-levels are the preserve of only top 10% or so.

OP posts:
TeenToTwenties · 08/08/2024 11:06

Why do you believe he will manage the independent study better at A level than he did for GCSEs? That's the crux of it for me.

Original poster
winterrabbit · 08/08/2024 11:02

nicknamehelp · 06/08/2024 20:35

If he's not academic but more practical why not look at other educational options? A college might suit him better doing a practical course.

I haven't said he isn't academic.

OP posts:
BrumToTheRescue · 06/08/2024 20:47

If DS struggled with the independent study required at GCSE level, how does he plan to cope with the independent study required at A level? Far more is required at A level than GCSE.

nicknamehelp · 06/08/2024 20:35

If he's not academic but more practical why not look at other educational options? A college might suit him better doing a practical course.

CoffeandTiaMaria · 06/08/2024 20:18

Your opening post clearly states:
If he has done badly then what options are there for him?
You have had a number of very helpful suggestions from posters with clearly a great deal of experience yet you chose to be rude and ignore them.
🤷🏼‍♀️

Original poster
winterrabbit · 06/08/2024 20:02

FanFullPower · 06/08/2024 18:02

I don’t think you are seeing how you are coming across. Many people have given up their time to consider what you have written and give an educated opinion. Based on their own experiences either personally or in the world of education.

You are being very defensive. Maybe if you look back at this thread in a week or so, you will realise how badly you have taken this pretty good advice.

You asked for options and are telling people to shut up when they are trying to help you.

On threads, conversations can go slightly off topic. It doesn’t mean you have to be rude to people.

I wish your son all the best. But be careful that by being so prickly and defensive, you’re not being open-minded to all the different avenues he could pursue, including A-levels.

Show quote history

Why would I care how I am coming across? I honestly could not give 2 hoots what strangers on MN think of me when they don't know me or my son! If I am defensive then it's because the last five years has been a battle in many ways and I was told (on Mumsnet) that DS shouldn't even sit 9 GCSEs given how much school he had missed. Glad I didn't listen to that! I am happy to be informed of my options but I don't want to be told that my son should not do X, Y or Z because MN posters honestly have no clue.

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FanFullPower · 06/08/2024 18:11

winterrabbit · 06/08/2024 16:50

Whereabouts are you as those grade requirements seem higher than usual? Most places in London you need a 6 in the subject although oversubscribed schools ask for higher. Private schools tend to set higher entry requirements, not lower.

Why did you assume he is not medicated? He did take ADHD medication over his exams for that exact reason.

Two other things - his mocks are not his real exams. Secondly, it's completely wrong and discriminatory to say that if you have ADHD then you are not A-level materials. Students with ADHD need reasonable adjustments to allow them to learn and access learning in the same way as other kids. It does not mean they are not capable cognitively or academically or that they can't achieve the same as their non-neuro diverse peers. Your and other posters attitudes are about 20 years out of date.

Show quote history

Your anger is blinding you to what is being written. This poster said that his mock grades might mean he will struggle with A Levels. Not because of discriminating against his ADHD.

For what it’s worth I know three kids who are at Russell Group universities with ADHD. They all struggled a bit at A-level and they didn’t get their first choices. However, they are coping okay now. They had extra time in A-levels. I know that none of them got below grade 7 in their GCSEs.

It is crucial that you listen to your son and do not pressurise him to do a levels unless he really wants to do them. Speak to him and the school and make an informed choice after you get your results.