Is it possible for Y13 DC to drop an A Level?

[Minfilia]

As above, really.

DD17 has struggled with one of her subjects all the way through and is now only achieving a U with six months left to go.

She is working at a B for her other two subjects.

If she is inevitably going to fail, hates the subject and it’s causing her huge levels of stress, I would rather she dropped the subject she is doing badly at in the hopes that the extra time will mean she does well in her other two subjects. But are 3 A Levels mandatory at this age?

School have said if she failed then she could just repeat the year which isn’t a solution. Her plan is to have a year off before Uni, but if she had two years out she could secure a third A Level in a different subject to get the grades she needs.

Thanks for any help.

I think she will need 3 ALevel to get to uni but worth looking at courses to see. Ds switched and ALevel end of year 12 and did an extra year, was not easy but he got into the uni course he wanted in the end.

Thank you - I would encourage her to take a third subject back up but an extra year or two at school isn’t the right route for her.

I guess I’m more curious to know whether compulsory education until age 18 means she has to do 3 A Levels or whether she could just drop to 2!

If she doesn't go back to school next year how is she going to get the third AL?

What subject would she pick up instead? Can she drop the one she hates and replace with year 1 of one she'll do instead? Problem is that two ALs isn't enough for uni, or for the school to get funding for her as she wouldn't be full time.

Slightly different but when our ds started 6th form this year, we asked if he could just do 2 subjects for the first year and build up, taking three years overall, for various personal reasons. The school said no because the minimum subjects to count as full time is 3 and the school only gets funding for a child if they are full time.

Could she carry it on but remove all the pressure, do what you can in the lessons but don't worry about revising for it, focus on the other two and just see how you do, type of attitude?

I am trying to remember, but I think funding is calculated at a set point in the year, which for some reason I think is January??
So once the funding date has passed, then she can drop an A level and it won't make any difference to the school.

Can she stay at school for another two years? In most schools that wouldn’t be possible

@Minfilia What is her end goal? If it is uni then the easiest route in is the 3 A levels and easier when half your cohort go.

The reason school are offering her the extra year is because she will have the time to dedicate to bringing up whatever grade she is going to get in her subject. Now she has 3 A levels timetabled, for year 14 she will have only 1 and then lots of time to access help from college and go back over everything she has been taught.

From a school's point of view, she is a B grade student so capable academically but clearly something is amiss in the subject she is failing in. Do you want to tell us what the subjects are which might make it easier for us to advise?

Secondly, she only gets further education funding from 16-19 so that extra year is covered. She can't take a 2 year A level at this point unless she self funds it through a college somewhere. She is lucky they are offering the resit. They are literally giving her a student place that could go to someone else.

I understand that she is stressed and clearly disappointed in her grade, has she always had low grades for assessments with this subject? Does she know why she is struggling with it? Memory? Technique? Understanding the subject?

Of course she can drop it. It may be that her sixth form let her stay to take an extra a level next year ( know of someone here who retook his in y14) or your local fe college may have something. Talk to them about potential costs as she will have a level 3 qual by then. Or a foundation year at university in her chosen field ( that will be the costliest option though as charged at university fees and accommodation).
Good luck to her. Her year have suffered as much as any under lockdown. Education is an opportunity, something that should help us make the best of ourselves not be a hindrance or obligation or a source of humiliation.

Is it too late to start an as level this year and drop the a level? Lesser qualification but still worth something.

University is not the be all and end all. Look at apprenticeships (not just for practical jobs, but available for things like accounting or computing too) and vocational courses too. Plenty of people don't have 3 a levels and do well in life.

Thank you all, this is very helpful.

The subject she is failing is geography, she got an 8 in her GCSE. Her other two subjects, she got an 8 in the second and the third subject was brand new at A Level, but she’s doing well.

She has struggled with severe anxiety and her attendance last year was poor, and she has just struggled to catch up in geography basically. She has been seeing CAMHS and we have put some other strategies in place so her attendance this year is much better at 96%.

I have found an online college that offers A Levels, home and independent learning seems to really suit her so that’s the route I’d encourage her down for the third grade she needs.

She isn’t sure whether she wants to go to uni, but she doesn’t need uni for her chosen career.

Marathon not a sprint OP. Sounds like you and her are making the most of a difficult situation
Her wellbeing is everything. Wonder if this fund would be helpful too
www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-funding-additional-hours-in-study-programmes/16-to-19-funding-additional-hours-in-study-programmes

If you are planning distance learning, I'd check that you have somewhere to take the exam before signing up - that will be the hardest bit tbh!

As previous posters have said, the three year funding is why the school will have offered her the extra year - it sounds like she has a good basis in geography so they are probably confident that she will cover the necessary content and pass in that timeframe.

If she has a specific Uni in mind (I know you said she is still thinking about this) check that they do not require all the A levels to be taken at the same time. Not many do, but it's worth checking.

As far as I remember (ex teacher), there's a minimum number of hours teaching that you have to have in Sixth Form. So 2 A Levels will drop her below that level and the school won't allow it.

Can she honestly not stick it for six more months? If, as someone said, the funding date is January, she'll only have three more months after that because effectively Year 13 finish teaching not long after Easter. If she did stick it, that takes away the need to do an extra year/subject at college etc.

Again, in my memory Geography had a coursework element which will get her some marks and so, even if she did badly in the exam, there's a good chance she'd come out with some sort of grade.

Any possibilty of a tutor? Good revision guides? On line support - youtube have really good revision/topic videos? Or does she know anyone who took it last year who could help her out? Can you?

And in my experience, year 14 is never a good idea - everyone else has moved on, they feel like a spare part in the class and it accentuates their feeling of failure - and it rarely results in a good grade.

It's actually in her interests, but maybe not the school, to only do 2 A Levels, once she has 3 A Levels or equivalent then she looses funding even if the three A Levels are all E grades.

Dropping the Geography down to an AS Level is an option.

Other options, take the 2 A Levels and then do a Level 3 course at college, depending on the options a 1 year BTEC would give her the UCAS points. You do need to check that she gets all the 'compulsory units' first.

Or there is the option of an Access course, she would have to be 19 before she started.

Then there are other options. What does she want to do at uni? Some unis have a foundation year in some subjects and will accept lower UCAS points, it adds a year to the degree but is an option.

Also starting with an HNC/D and then top up to a degree.

Absolutely OP. Let her drop it. She can work next year and also pick up a third A level or equivalent.