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.

That's fantastic!! I've been checking for updates over the last couple of weeks. Well done to your ds

Thanks Ellmau, and Clutter I'm heartened that you've been checking for updates!

Thought I'd do a quick update.

He's been continuing to catch up, including throughout the holidays, but motivation comes and goes.

His predicted grades in July had improved to 3 x Cs. He'd done all this off his own back.

We had a very heated Zoom call with a member of the senior leaderhip team at college at the end of last term.

Feel apprehensive about the coming year, but I guess everyone does!

Just caught up on this thread. Good for your DS. I see PS hasn't changed - I went there back in the early 00s and unless you were an Oxbridge candidate they weren't interested - no pastoral care, no flexibility for differing learning styles, nothing. I was off for 3 months recovering from surgery and because I missed so many classes they forced me to pay privately to take my A Levels because they were worried about me dragging their average down. Ended up with two As and a B, no thanks to them (though of course some individual teachers were wonderful) and was delighted they didn't get to take any statistical credit. And I agree with your previous post - the jump from secondary school to PS was much worse than PS to university - it really is a sink or swim environment.

Why not a BTEC Level 3 Computing and IT? It is practical, coursework assessed and would allow him to access a very good Computer Science degree course. It is equivalent to three A levels and he could get 168 UCAS points which is fab for most Uni's ....good luck....

Good for your DS. He needs to keep at it, he clearly has the ability, he must keep going as he has been and all will come right!

Whoops teach me to read more threads....apologies

Peach you're spot on!!! I wouldn't let my Y11 son go to PS if he begged me (and he's not as academically smart but has EQ, people skills and creativity in spades).

During the Zoom call during one of the several times she got shitty she actually said if he prefers studying at home he can do that and still come into college for exams. DH and I agreed there was no way we would let PS take the credit for his results!

She kept repeating that what he was doing wasn't working (he had gone back to the very beginning and restarted, but she was obsessed with him doing current assignments instead. Not even possible given that he was so disengaged and had missed so much learning early on, upon which later learning was reliant). We had to tell her that his approach WAS working and that was borne out in his improvement grades. And the fact that he was enjoying the subjects so much more than when actually in college .

She gave him an ultimatum too. He hadn't been attending the few online lessons they put on after about 8 weeks of lockdown (I think they thought their students were so conscientious they could leave them to it: they had a BIG shock!). The lessons were pointless according to his friends and he had so much more to do so he wasn't going. She said if he didn't attend he could leave. She said she didn't even care if he learned nothing from them: her actual words were "you have to attend, even if you don't learn a bloody thing".

That's not to say it's been plain sailing with DS. Whole weeks have gone by where he's lost all interest and I get that it's been tough for him. And he's now doing a last minute scramble to get the long list of assignments she insisted he finish complete and uploaded.

I am not looking forward to the next year!!

That all sounds extremely familiar! God I hated it there. If I could go back I'd go to BP in a heartbeat. I really hope he continues to power through without them and prove them wrong.

I'm a bit late but just seen your September update!
How's your ds getting on now?

Thanks for asking Bott. His predicted grades have gone from D/Es across the board to:

Maths - B
Comp Sci - B

Economics - test after half term but he says it's his strongest subject.

And for the tests above he definitely slacked off a bit. He's got at least one A in him for sure.

So proud of him. This is all off his own back too.

He doesn't want to go to uni so is looking at degree apprenticeships.

Wow! That's fantastic. What a relief for you all

DS has had his 3 exams over the last 3 days. And has officially left college. Hoping for 3 Bs but maths was tough yesterday and he was 'unlucky' with the paper. But his college (mentioned upthread) seem to be being way more picky than other colleges. Anyway, he might get 2 Bs and a C. But this time last year he was predicted D/Es and when I reminded him of that yesterday he said 'they were being kind mum, most of the work I was turning it was getting Us.

I am beyond proud of him. He was capable of As. He's a smart kid. But he's grown massively this last year and he's worked so hard to catch up after a shit first year and a couple of bouts of being very glum.

I'll come back with his grades in August.