How can my son do another A level after sixth form?

[Biologyquestion]

He is in Year 12, is set to hopefully get his Maths, Physics and French A Levels next year, and now wishes he was also doing Biology, as he would like to study Zoology at university.

How could he get another A Level after sixth form? Do you think he could do it in a year, and could he then go straight on to a Zoology course the year after that or would they first have to see what Biology result he had got?

Thanks a lot .

Lots of really good advice here, but I'll just pick up and reiterate something that PP said upthread. As there's a specific uni he's interested in, definitely get in touch with them (admissions, or the admissions tutor) for their advice. There's a difference between what unis publish as their entry requirements and the nuances of what they will actually accept. So you really need to know what the situation is regarding Biology for them. E.g
They might say he definitely needs it, they might say AS would be fine, they might say take a foundation year.

(But wait a week or so before you contact them - they'll be really busy at the moment!) Good luck to your son!

DD did an ALevel in a year, whilst in year 13, but she dropped the one she didn’t do well in to do it. Ironically the dropped subject was Biology as she found it really hard despite getting an A at GCSE.

I thought you could do an extra year at sixth form too, or is that just for fails?

I work in Admissions - I second everything @Bluebrush says - call the uni and discuss it first. We are really quite friendly! (But do leave it a couple of weeks - it's all a bit nuts at the moment 🙂).

I'm also giving a shout-out to the National Extension College: I recently did an A level with them and found the materials and support excellent. If your dc does go down the route of taking another A level, then I reckon they are one of the best distance learning providers. They're not the cheapest, but you do get what you pay for. I contacted several providers before I made my decision and NEC were very impressive.

It’s definitely worth discussing it with his school. If they are open to entering him for the exam at their centre, the biology teachers might help him through it in a year. It would be a lot of work, but if he wants to do it then he should. As a teacher, I would always help a kid through a course if they wanted to get the qualification, whether in class or out with!

What did he get in biology GCSE? It is very difficult at a level. My school accepts students with a 7, but to get a good grade really they need an 8 or 9. The content isn’t as hard as physics, but the wording of the exam questions are VERY difficult. Students have to be fantastic at de coding the language. This is according to our head of science.

My advice would be look at other London universities that would accept without biology. Or Hertfordshire surrounding counties? Queen Mary is an excellent uni but will have high entry requirements.

An alternative could be to just carry on 2 A levels into year 13. Then start year 12 biology. So he’ll be in school an extra year to finish the biology A level, but only 4/5 hours a week so could work / get some experience whilst in year 14. Socially these students find it difficult to “stay behind” though, as they’re friends move on to the next stage and they feel stuck with the “year below” so he’d need to REALLY want to get bio A level! Hope that helps

I know people are recommending various distance learning options, NEC etc, but you will also have to pay a separate fee to a college somewhere else for the practical assessment which will be in the region of £1k.

Why Zoology? What jobs is he aiming for?

Amy application needs a strong personal statement which explains their interest in the subject.

Actually he could also take one or two OU Biology modules - QM would probably accept those in lieu of the A level.