Y11 2025-26 Results Day and Next Steps

My eldest did an EPQ and the extra points got her over the line for uni, she also said it really helped her with referencing needed for her degree. Can’t comment on the core maths.

So many amazing results on here. My DD has signed up for A levels in Chemistry and statistics with a vocational course in applied science which is A level equivalent. Results means she is a bit restricted and will have to resit Eng Lang after a grade 3 disaster. My question is does this look like a good mix, she is unable to do 3 A levels because of the grades in other subjects. Maths was a grade 6, as was Chemistry. Any advice appreciated. She is very science focused and would be looking to do some sort of science at uni.

My dd is doing all essay subjects and was firm on the epq too but is now toying over core maths to support psychology. I’m a bit nervous though as she only got a 6. I’m on all ears for anyone with intel on it. When are the exams? I know it’s worth less ucas points than the epq but the content is useful for real life maths.

@BeasKneemy DS is doing exactly the same A’levels as your DD. His college offer core maths which is half an A’level (AS level?) to support science students who aren’t taking A’level maths - is this a possibility? For us it’s perfect, obviously a more work but it also carries UCAS points.

Thanks for the new thread. Just looked at DS school’s results. It’s a non selective state school and their results are ridiculously high this year. I guess the group pulls some students up. I can’t say I thought the kids exceptional but there you go

Mine will be doing A levels in Sociology Media and English at her first choice inner city sixth form. She’s a great fit for these subjects and takes after me in her academic choices. Exciting times.

Daughter off to a boarding college next year (first time boarding so very nervous how it will all work out 😬). If she doesn't like it, she will have to move to Germany with me and the only option will be for her to do A-levels online (as all international schools near us do the IB which she doesn't want to do and her German is not good enough to do the Abitur).

She chose the boarding college over moving to Germany as she thinks she will have no social life if she's at an online school and the college she is going to has a reputation for being very fun 😬 (it's connected to a university and is very sports-focused). I'm very nervous about her being led astray with boys and all that stuff.

yeah agree @BeasKnee - physics without maths is unusual (one person did that in DS2's cohort but all the other physicists took maths).

Also is she planning a comp sci degree? They usually ask for maths A level rather than CS as such. Might be worth checking a few possible universities to see if that is the case with the kinds of levels she would be aiming at.

Here's Warwick for example looking for A star in maths https://warwick.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/bsc-computer-science/#entry-requirements

OK that's very toppy - here's Southampton wanting an A in maths https://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/computer-science-degree-bsc#entry but here's Newscastle https://www.ncl.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/g400/ favouring computing and not asking for maths so there is a range.

What a queen 👑 @FatLarrysBanned - congrats to your dd!

At DD’s school, you can’t take physics A Level without doing A Level maths. According to the A Level brochure this is because 40% of the A Level Physics assessment is utilising maths skills that far exceed GCSE maths.

If she is determined not to do maths A Level (and I don’t blame her if she doesn’t love maths) then I would rethink Physics, personally.

A few worries from DD today after a happy day yesterday. She is down to do just Science (Physics & Biology) and Comp Sci A levels. However, not planning on doing Maths as she got a mid 7 and not particularly enthusiastic about it. Worried that a science / computer science path with no maths might be limiting but she's so much better at those subjects (8/9s) than maths. No option to start 4 and drop 1 at her college so I'd be wary of her starting maths and then struggling. Not sure uni would be for her anyway (she thinks it would be but I'm unsure!) so perhaps it doesn't matter. Any advice on this?

She sounds similar to my dd - English literature, history, sociology, psychology (one gets dropped at half term) plus essay epq.

Is there maths bridging work she can focus on over the weekend to “trial” it?

Thanks all, she absolutely will NOT do politics. She is doing English Lit and sociology and an essay based EPQ extension, she said she doesn't want another essay based subject.

I have posted on Noble's thread, where she said not to take maths A Level unless you get a 7.

She did REALLY well on the masses of higher tier past papers I gave her. Her mistakes tended to be not including all the formula (she has a habit of not showing the workings if she has worked it out quickly in her head), or showing all the working - including the correct answer - but not putting the answer in the box separately. She works too fast and forgets these simple steps.

@Anonymousemousesthat sounds immensely stressful for your dd. We’re definitely not a stem family but everything I’ve read says avoid maths alevel unless really able and confident. There is a poster on mn @noblegiraffewho regularly gives advice on this.

Ah thanks for the new thread! I just posted this on the previous one but for those unsure of remarks I put it in with my friend chat gpt and it made it a clear decision for us.

Brilliant well done to your DS.. and.. ha ha - I did a ski season in France.. Speaking French wasn't a top priority ;)

@FatLarrysBanned another amazing inspirational story, huge well done to your DD and you.

Oh bless her @Anonymousemouses that sounds incredibly tough for both her and you. How frustrating too about the subject blocks.

A 7 is absolutely an A but the problem with the number system is that DC are encouraged to think of anything below a 9 as ‘lesser’ - which is ridiculous. Back in ye golden olden days when I sat my GCSEs the highest you could get was an A so we had none of this 987 angsty malarkey.

Would DD consider taking politics out of those options, rather than maths? That might fit quite nicely with her other choices of English and sociology. Or even economics as that at least has a good combination of maths and English. I would also caution against her doing maths tbh - apart from anything else her heart won’t be in it and I think if you’re going to succeed at and enjoy A level maths you really need to WANT to do it.

Hope she can find a way forward that you are both happy with.

Thanks for the new thread @UncomfortableSilence 💐

DD still in bed, I poked my head around the door but apparently she is still exhausted from yesterday (ASD) and she needs today to recover. I expect she will need the whole weekend tbh, yesterday was pretty full on with results, lunch and dinner out - me and her dad are divorced so she has to do everything twice. Then lots of family messages - my poor ex MIL had 3 grandchildren getting their results yesterday.

She starts at school 6th form on 2nd September, just Yr 12 and Yr 7 on the first day, then the whole school back the next day. She's doing English lit, politics and history. School were brilliant and let her shadow Yr 12 straight after her GCSE's so she could get a feel for what the days would be like. She's been EBSA since Yr 8 so this is her first attempt at going back to school properly since she was 13.

Grades were 755554 as I could only afford for her private tuition for English lang/lit, maths and 3 sciences. She only decided to do her GCSE's last July so we've had an absolute whirlwind of a year. Anyway, she smashed it as far as I'm concerned. Couldn't be more proud.

Thanks for the new thread 🙂.

7 is an A in old money. Maths is hard, my eldest son got an 8 at GCSE and a C at A level but by his own admission he could’ve worked harder. The options blocks sound quite restrictive - it’s a shame for your daughter to miss out on Spanish with such a good grade. What’s her third A level?

Hmm.
Unless you're getting 8s or 9s I don't think maths is a good choice tbh

How stressful, and disappointing that she can't do the combination of subjects she wants! Amazing to turn a 3 into a 9 though, huge congratulations to her.

I think a 7 is the equivalent to an A, but could be wrong.

Well done to everyone. I didn't come here yesterday, it was just too stressful and although adrenaline and optimism carried me through yesterday, today I am terrified and extremely emotional.

DD got 50 points, comfortably above the 44 required to stay at her grammar school.

We had a problem though. She got a high 6 in her Biology mock - needed for psychology at her school - when the weird second paper happened in the actual GCSE (the one about fish-farming and landmass of New Zealand), I worried - and alas, she got a 5. She got a high 6 in physics and was 3 marks off a 6 in chemistry, but didn't qualify for psychology.

She decided to do both English Language and English Literature instead. But the school told us that double English wasn't possible (taught separately), as they are in the same block. She could do maths, geography (she didn't like, didn't prioritise it for revision and got a 6), physics or Spanish.

She amazingly went from a predicted 3/4 in Spanish at the start of Y11 - to a 9 yesterday - 9!!! So the choice was easy, DD was happy.

However, we then got told that Spanish clashed with both English Literature and sociology (she is keen to do that for some reason). The only options were economics, politics, RS or geography.

DD was distraught- properly crying her heart out. As doing Spanish woud mean doing TWO out of the options above, and she didn't want to even do ONE, she had to drop Spanish.

She couldn't decide between them (and time was running out as they were going to offer to external students after returning numbers were confirmed, we were thrown a lifeline- maths.

DD originally put maths as a choice last year, but got a 5 in her mocks, so panicked and dropped it. Her teacher said it was s 'blip' abd she was more than capable of doing math A Level - but DD's confidence was knocked.

She got a high 7 in her actual GCSE yesterday - same result as English literature.

But I am scared. I know she us capable, but I've read lots of scary stories about maths A level.

I was also under the impression that a 7 was the equivalent to the old style 'C' - which is what my son's GCSEs used.

DS also did maths A Level but dropped out as it was too hard - he is coming o see her tiday and I KNOW he will tell her it us too hard and she shouldn't have chosen it - when after the hysterics of yesterday, I just want a little peace.

Yes he did 3 hours of French a week January to exams. He can’t believe it. I hope he uses it to enjoy a ski season in France one day.