DS likely to fail A Levels: Options?

[NinnyNewName]

DS is capable and smart but during his whole education he's put in a very half baked effort. This was always generally enough. He was disappointed in his GCSE grades but they were okay in the end.

He's in Y12. His working grades are:

Maths: D/E
Computer Science: D/E
Economics: C/D

He has struggled to settle at college. He doesn't want to go to uni. He wants to do an apprenticeship but with these grades doesn't stand much chance.

He's passionate about power lifting and is about to take part in his first competition. He doesn't drink, prioritises rest and and recovery over partying. The dedication he shows in his approach to lifting is incredible. Has a lovely hard working girlfriend.

We've tried all approaches: he's so difficult to help. He doesn't accept help.

So my questions are:

1. is it too late to pull it back? Any success stories out there?

2. should he consider dropping out and restarting in September? Is this even possible? He always assumed he would do a comp sci degree, pre starting to college. Now I'm wondering if he should have done sports science related A Levels.

Thanks for any advice.

If it’s what he wants he can claw it back, doing a year 14 if needed. I’ve seen many a kid manage it, but, if he doesn’t really want to apply himself academically you can’t make him/do it for him. Can he get an apprenticeship he would value based on his GCSE grades?

I left sixth form after the first year as it really wasn't something I enjoyed. I started an apprenticeship with the railway and I am still doing it 15 years later. Get him to have a look round and see if there are anything's like that, that interest him.

To put it into perspective I earn more than most people I know with a degree so they aren't to be sniffed at.

Are there any sports btecs offered in your area? Would he put more effort in if he was studying something that meshed with his passions?
Though btec don't really suit the procrastinator/crammer.

In terms of resitting, he will need to speak to his college. This is about funding. My friend's son failed year 12 and was told no resit for those same subjects because what would be different? And why should they give him a place when other students would appreciate the year 12 place more than he would? Harsh but true.

It is March and your son does have time to turn this around to better his grades but it depends if he wants it. He clearly can apply himself, but it isn't to his A levels.

Realistically I would be sitting down with him and having a talk about what he could do next, not what he wants to do. What apprenticeships are open to him, what grades does he need? Depending where you are in the country there are huge recruitment fairs that he could attend. Have concrete plans for if he wants to leave at the end of year 12.

Thanks all. He doesn't want to quit. He says it's will be fine. But we've heard this all through his education tbh. He is a bit of a nightmare in this respect. His ability to stick us his head in the sand is astounding.

Yes agree re restarting and someone else wanting/deserving the space.

It's a highly regarded sixth form in Hampshire. The comp sci dept is a joke and even his A* friend having working grades of D.

Dependant on results it sounds like he could benefit from a year out to really understand what he wants to do next. With his passion as a power lifter could he do a personal training qualification so he can at least be earning money doing what he loves while he figures it out?

I also wonder if they will actually let him continue. Could they throw him out?

Ninny PS?

I would seriously think about dropping out end y12 and then restarting at a college.
e.g. Eastleigh run a Extended Diploma in Computer Science.
Sparsholt do an Extended Diploma in Sport.

In the days of AS you needed eg 3 Ds to progress to y13, have they indicated whether there is any criteria for being accepted to y13 now?

I think at minimum go and look at the options. It might make him get his act together, or he might realise he wants to move. Either way if current 6th form does say he can't continue you'll have done some thinking.

It's been a while since I did A-Levels so I don't know how much is already determined because of coursework etc. But I had similar predicted grades to those and ended up with a B and 2 C's - not outstanding but I got onto a good uni course through clearing with them.

I'm a last minute crammer (which I now know is because of ADHD). It's a frustrating and stressful way to be, but it is possible to turn things around, especially if he got through his GCSE's ok.

They will probably let him continue even if it’s not in his best interests.

If he is uninspired by his current choices and doesn’t have a particular goal that will give him a kick up the arse, things are unlikely to improve much next year. I would agree with pp who suggested looking around local colleges for something more suitable like sports btecs.

If he restarts in September he will get funding for another 2 years of study. If he trundles on through y13 and gets mediocre results, getting an extra year will be very difficult.

Thanks everyone. Yes Teen PS. Do you have experience there?

We've looked at the options. Apprenticeships don't seem to have minimumal A level requirements but they'll want some extra curriculum stuff. Powerlifting could be compelling beause of the discipline and commitment it involves, but not with shit grades too. Most places only take one apprentice (we are very near IBM and they just take one). Competition will be fierce. I think he's said apprenticeship because he thinks it's the easy route, but of course it won't be.

We've thought about PT but tbh he's very straight talking. I'm not sure he'd be great at it unless it was a niche re lifting. He would have no patience for people who don't put the work in and get results which let's face it is probably a high percentage of clients. (And ironically this is exactly his issue at college re not putting the work in).

He's so capable. We lived in SE Asia for a year and he got a GCSE in Mandarin (B) aged 14. DH and I just feel so helpless. I went to an awful comp in the 80s and left school with one O Level (parents completely disinterested in education). I did a degree 5 years ago and got a First. DH got a scholarship into a fantastic boarding school and excelled from them on. So between us we're chalk and cheese re education, and we try to get a balance between both extremes. It's so upsetting seeing him considerably narrow his future options.

Need we agree that a year out would be a good idea, certainly after A Levels if he makes it that far. He needs to mature. We spoke about this last night.

No direct experience with PS, though looked round it and have had friends DC go there. DD1 ended up at Brock and DD2 is looking at Sparsholt.
(I get the impression PS mainly leaves you to it. If you can't be bothered to work they will moan a bit but won't waste their energy nagging. Could be wrong though.)

Yes you are correct Teen. Made worse by the fact that DS' secondary school does a lot of hand holding and micromanaging to get them through exams. Someone I now whose DD dropped out of PS in the first term, got a P/T job then started at BP the following September and is now at Bournemouth uni said that the stop from this secondary school to PS was harder than college to uni. I can believe it.

I imagine PS do not want many students like DS as it will really dilute their grades. I wonder if they do ask people to leave. I hadn't even anticipated that there may not automatically be a Y13 place for him.

op - my DSS working grades at the moment are C/D but his predicted grades are still ABB. Recent parents evening confirmed this - they said working grades can’t be higher until year 13 as they simply haven’t covered all the work.

Are you sure that isn’t the case here? Have you had a parents evening yet?

If it is the case then maybe a-levels just aren’t for him? A lot of my DSS friends were academic but didn’t fancy 6th form so are doing app-ships now, they are excelling in them. Could be a good move for your DS?

Erop the predicted grades at the moment are all B/C but these are bades on GCSE results, and he's putting in less effort now that then, so I don't feel we can rely on those predictions. Also, two of his grades in my OP have dropped from the Autumn grades.

Parents' evening is next week. You only get asked to attend if there is cause for concern. We've been called for all three subjects. In Autumn we got called in for two, but decided to see all three whilst we were there.

I can also see from the parent portal that he's not really doing any homework - well, he does about 25%. I think he's drowning but he's also lost confidence and he's not inspired. He keep saying he wishes he could start over. He feels very behind. I think he does care. He is just paralysed, and won't accept help.

Just a thought but have you ever considered that he may have an undiagnosed learning difficulty? It may be worth asking his school if he can be assessed.... if he qualifies for extra time for example that would make a big difference, but even in terms of his self belief, he may realise that he’s capable of more and he may rise to the challenge with help etc.

Thank you belly. Good suggestion but I think think this is extremely unlikely. DS2 has borderling memory processing issues so we're not new to questioning that kind of issue.

If he says he 'wishes he could start over' then surely that's a good thing?
Can you discuss with him

• what he thinks is going wrong and why
• whether he would do the same courses
• how he would approach the work differently if given a second chance

and see where that gets you?

Sounds like you’re on top of it but remember it is very hereditary so if DS2 has it then it’s definitely a possibility. Anyway, you’ll know best, just a thought...

Consider a fresh start in September on a BTEC course. An Extended Diploma is a 2 year course and is ALevel equivalent/carries UCAS points. DS1 finished his BTEC last summer. He really enjoyed it. It is almost all coursework - he struggles with exams. He could pace himself and had regular feedback on his assignments. He kept to the mini deadlines they had and was reassured by the regular grades that came back (so he was v relaxed in lead up to results day last August) His course had quite a few students who had done one year of ALevels before deciding to change to BTEC. I know of a few teens locally who have switched Alevel to BTEC and have gone on to uni/apprenticships. I know there is no way he would have coped with ALevels. The course he did was perfect preparation for his uni course. Worth a thought.

He can claw it back. I pretty much failed everything in year 12 as I was too busy socialising with friends. Realised that if I was to have any future, I would need to sort myself out. I re-did year 12 & year 13 at the same time. I approached my teachers and asked if I could sit in on their year 12 classes to refresh my knowledge and they were all more than happy for that to happen. It was hard work but I passed all my re-sit AS levels with B's and all my A levels with C's. Still not amazing marks, but considering I did it all in a year, I was pretty pleased.
Went on to do an OU course which has helped massively when it came to getting a job as it showed how dedicated I was.

What does he actually want to do an apprenticeship in? Just saying he wants to do one is vague - he needs to have an idea of what industry or job he is aiming for. Once he knows that then he can find out exactly what apprenticeships are available, what are the requirements to do one etc.

True belly. DS1 is very bright and has the potential to be very academic. DS2 blows us away with his EQ. They are polar opposites in strengths.

We talked last night about restarting in September, and not as a punishment, but a way forward but he was absolutely adamant that he doesn't want to because he wants to stay with his friends and his GF (he really does have a cracking group of friends. Lovely set of lads. Most are really bright and/or hardworking and A*/A material and I think this adds to the pressure he feels. They are already talking about university and UCAS points and uni summer camps etc and I think it's freaks him out even more).

Could he get on a lower (post GCSE) apprenticeship?
I think this is one of those situations when you have to let him sink or swim (the A-level pond) and then see what other opportunities there are after that.

He sounds like he can be sensible, hardworking & disciplined in something he truly cares about. That's better than many can say.