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Original poster

A Level timetable clash - help please!

55 replies

Namechanged4obviousreasons · 22/08/2025 19:51

My DD picked up her exam results yesterday and has the grades to do the subjects she wanted, but sixth form have said there’s a timetable clash so she can’t do all 4 of her choices. She had asked to do Chemistry, Physics, Maths and Further Maths, but Chemistry and Further Maths clash so it’s either or. She loves Chemistry so that’s not optional, but we’re worried it may go against her if she’s only doing 3 A Levels when a lot of her peers are choosing 4 and also if she applies for Engineering degrees or sciences, whether uni’s will look unfavourably on her not doing FM (despite the school blocking this, not her).

We’ve called the local college to see if she could do FM at night school but they won’t allow her to do one A Level there - it’s all or nothing.

Can anyone with any experience in Engineering/Science degrees give any advice on what you would recommend? She is pretty academic and will be looking to study at a good uni, so we’d hate it to against her for only doing 3 subjects. Science and Maths are what she loves but would you recommend picking a random 4th subject? She has the grades to choose anything she studied at GCSE, but we’d need to be quick before all places are filled (if not already).

Any help would be hugely appreciated!

OP posts:
youhavenoidea6 · 22/08/2025 22:35

If she is self-motivated, she should self-study FM. There's lots of resources online, both free and paid, to cover the whole syllabus.

Octavia64 · 22/08/2025 22:30

Ah, if she got a 9 on the further maths GCSE and also has gcse stats then I wouldn’t be too worried about the step up to a level to be honest.

That sounds like a good foundation for a level maths.

she may run into scheduling difficulties - ie FM assumes you know a level maths.

the schools that teach FM usually put a class together with just the FM students and they do the a level maths in one year then move on to FM content.

so I’d advise that she gets an a level maths textbook and works her way through this and then onto FM. There are some standalone FM topics.

a tutor with FM experience will know how to direct her study.

Algonqueen · 22/08/2025 22:22

We have this issue. My DS wants to do French but it clashed with FM. The school have not been great as this issue was only highlighted when collecting GCSE results yesterday and not last December when a level choices had to be selected.

Anyway we know FM will be very helpful for engineering (DH has a PhD in e&e engineering where I think FM or Maths is a mandated a-level) but French won so he is taking Maths, Physics, French, and Economics as the 4th level but it can be dropped at Christmas of year 12. The school expects students to take 4 A-levels to start with.

We know Imperial expects FM and Oxford I think, and others recommend it. It will make his first year much harder. I’m a bit disappointed in that he’s not taking it but lots of things can change in two years so engineering may not even be on the cards.

We’re not sure what we’ll do if engineering is still preferred uni option. My DH said matrices and calculus covered in FM will be very helpful for engineering. Self-teaching or a tutor or DH😂). I don’t have any answers.

Original poster
Namechanged4obviousreasons · 22/08/2025 21:11

@Michele09 that may be an option if the others decide they still want to pursue FM. We don’t know them terribly well as they weren’t in my daughter’s classes but it’s something she can ask about when she goes back to school.

OP posts:
Meredusoleil · 22/08/2025 21:10

My dd1 has a similar clash (FM/Politics) at her 6th form and despite having a place at another 6th form AND at a college where she could do all 4 A levels, she prefers to stay where she is and drop the FM.

I feel bad for her, but think it may be a blessing in disguise!

Original poster
Namechanged4obviousreasons · 22/08/2025 21:09

@Octavia64 I will have to see if we can get a tutor. She did maths and FM at GCSE, with 9’s in both. She also did statistics which I believe features in FM A Level and again got a 9. She self-taught for this. She’s just concerned about the step up for A Level and whether she could teach herself without messing it up or affecting her other 3 grades.

I don’t want her to take on too much and risk affecting her grades or mental health, but also don’t want her to be at a disadvantage when applying to uni as she’s a really bright girl and I didn’t go to uni, so have no experience of any of this.

OP posts:
Octavia64 · 22/08/2025 20:58

Maths teacher.

many schools do not offer FM so there are quite a few online/self study type options.

did she do additional maths gcse?

self study on it’s own isn’t really great, ideally you’d want a tutor but an online tutor is very do able.

Michele09 · 22/08/2025 20:56

If there are several affected could you share a private tutor?

Original poster
Namechanged4obviousreasons · 22/08/2025 20:53

Yes it’s a ridiculous clash and there were several others wanting to do the same mix who are now also only doing 3. We all complained but it didn’t seem to matter. We did consider the college option but it isn’t as good as her school sixth form, so that concerned us. It’s also in another town and would require 2 buses, which isn’t terribly convenient. She can walk to sixth form and this will hopefully give her more time to study and go to the gym which is also near school.

I know it’s a long shot but does anyone know how hard A Level Maths and FM is, compared to GCSE? She got 9’s in both at GCSE but is doubting her ability to do both at A Level and self-teach FM. She taught herself a different GCSE (with a small amount of help from a tutor friend) but is concerned that this will be far harder and doesn’t want to impact her grades for the other 3. She would also like to get a part-time job to add something extra to her CV, ready for uni.

Thank you for the link @ConBatulations I will share this with her.

OP posts:
Corfumanchu · 22/08/2025 20:19

That is crazy, it is a classic combination.probablu the most common for STEM students. Three out of 4 of my kids fid the selfsame.

BCBird · 22/08/2025 20:15

FixTheBone · 22/08/2025 19:54

No help, but that's madness... There must be more than one person wanting to do chemistry and further maths?

There may be more than one person but this obstacle could be due to staffing issues. If those are the 4 she wants to do she needs to go elsewhere.

TeenToTwenties · 22/08/2025 20:13

That is a ridiculous clash.
Move to the college?

bumbaloo · 22/08/2025 20:12

MamaElephantMama · 22/08/2025 20:05

3 is more than enough. No need for the extra pressure.

It’s not that simple. Many top engineering degrees at top unis ask for further maths. But the vast majority will be taking this as a 4th a level as taking only 3 where two of them are maths and further maths is very limiting and not ideal

bumbaloo · 22/08/2025 20:10

Hadalifeonce · 22/08/2025 19:56

Surely, she will only need 3 A levels?

If the OPs child is very able and applying to top unis they will be competing with people with 4.

also most top engineering programs request further maths and taking 3 a-levels two being maths and further maths is very limiting

TimetableMadness · 22/08/2025 20:10

This was us back in Feb. DS had to have an "Interview" for 6th form where he was told the same thing - not possible on the timetable.
I knew of at least 2 others in the same boat, and we complained. They have actually changed the timetable - physics was hand written on in another box on the grid when we registered yesterday, but id been nervous until I saw that that they would reverse the decision. That said, i dont think they will change the timetable now, so that route probably wont work.

Is there anywhere else that she can do her prefered combination? DS is wavering between elec eng and Chem eng so not starting all 4 was problematic for him.

titchy · 22/08/2025 20:10

3 is fine - unless you are also offering FM. The vast majority of kids who start FM start 4 A levels. That’s madness from them - it’s a pretty common combination. She can’t be the only one wanting C and FM? Is it a very small sixth form?

are there any other colleges/schools?

Michele09 · 22/08/2025 20:07

It seems very late and unfair to tell her at this stage. Our subjects were put into 4 timetable blocks way back in March and options chosen from those blocks. The blocks conformed to 4 A levels or 3 plus epq. The choices you mention would have been possible.

MamaElephantMama · 22/08/2025 20:05

3 is more than enough. No need for the extra pressure.

ConBatulations · 22/08/2025 20:04

AMSP is a good starting point if self-study appeals. 4 A levels are a lot of work unless the fourth is further maths and normal maths is relatively easy so wouldn't add a subject just for the sake of doing 4.

amsp.org.uk/students/studying-an-advanced-maths-qualification-independently/

MigGril · 22/08/2025 20:03

FatherFrosty · 22/08/2025 20:01

Very few 6th forms round me allow 4, due to burn out. 3 is definitely the norm, which surprised me as 4 was normal when I did mine and I was heavily pushing for my dd to do 4

They are more intense now and DD found it was definitely a full time job doing 4, especially as she did 3 STEM subjects and art. She has also done quite a few extra circular activities on top. I'm worried she be board at University.

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 22/08/2025 20:03

MigGril · 22/08/2025 20:00

Oh and do be aware that a lot of universities don't count the 4 A-level anyway. DD did 4 as she was unsure of what she wanted to do, but all her offers even the two RG universities she applied to only wanted the first 3 grades. I think it maybe be different for medicine but most other subjects not actually relevant.

Even for medicine most only expect and recommend three. The A levels are more substantial than they were pre 2015.

Mumofteenandtween · 22/08/2025 20:03

That is a crazy timetable crash! Of 11
of us who did Further Maths when I was at 6th form, 5 were doing the M, FM, P & Chem combination. It is a really
common one!

FatherFrosty · 22/08/2025 20:01

Very few 6th forms round me allow 4, due to burn out. 3 is definitely the norm, which surprised me as 4 was normal when I did mine and I was heavily pushing for my dd to do 4

MigGril · 22/08/2025 20:00

Oh and do be aware that a lot of universities don't count the 4 A-level anyway. DD did 4 as she was unsure of what she wanted to do, but all her offers even the two RG universities she applied to only wanted the first 3 grades. I think it maybe be different for medicine but most other subjects not actually relevant.

ConBatulations · 22/08/2025 19:58

DB did those A levels 30+ years ago. Was a pretty common combination then so don't understand why they don't offer it. I would go with Chemistry. Not having further maths will rule out a few places like Cambridge. There are options to self-study and maybe try and do AS?