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Original poster

DD messed up AS levels. Advice needed.

190 replies

Cakeonthefloor · 01/06/2023 07:26

My daughter did really well in her gcses (8s and 9s). She moved to a new school to do chemistry, maths and economics a-levels. She has struggled to motivate herself to study and has got 3 Es in her AS. She has a retake in a few weeks as she needs D grades to continue to A-level. She doesn't know what to do. She could repeat the year, leave with an AS level and teach herself the final A-level year and take the exam at a college. She could drop an a-level and concentrate on 2 and try and get a nhs or police apprenticeship. She could switch subjects but they were her favourites. She could try and get an apprenticeship but she needs a-levels for any she is interested in. She has asked me to post this as she is desperate for advice or similar stories. Thanks for reading.

OP posts:
nahwhale · 01/06/2023 07:29

See how she does in the retakes.
Don't try to teach herself - it will be incredibly difficult.
Would the place she's at at the moment consider letting her continue if she dropped to two and went for the apprenticeship?

DustyLee123 · 01/06/2023 07:29

They may have been her favourite subjects, but was she any good at them ?
To move on in a subject she needs to be good at it and enjoy it.
Would she be better starting the two years again with something she is good at ?
What does she want to do, does she want to get out of education and earn but that will affect her future, or does she want to get A levels and move on ?

LIZS · 01/06/2023 07:30

Where in UK are you? AS are not really a thing in England anymore. If she is struggling maybe a level 3 btec/t level etc or apprenticeship will be better. Retaking AS is probably not worthwhile.

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General education
MrsHamlet · 01/06/2023 07:32

Has she sat actual AS levels? Because they won't have been marked yet.
If they're internal exams, then the school really needs to support her to make the jump up to better grades. Those are notoriously difficult subjects.

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 01/06/2023 07:36

It sounds more like internal mocks, an actual AS she won't get marks until August if in England. I think it has to be up to her to put in the study and prove she can achieve the grades. You can though sit down and discuss with her what her goals and ambitions are. Why did she not work for her exams. If she plans on turning the A levels around then I recommend she plans for a gap year because any predicted grades will be based on these exams and if she is applying in the autumn for university she may be rejected from places which she ends up being able to go to with actual grades.

Original poster
Cakeonthefloor · 01/06/2023 07:41

nahwhale · 01/06/2023 07:29

See how she does in the retakes.
Don't try to teach herself - it will be incredibly difficult.
Would the place she's at at the moment consider letting her continue if she dropped to two and went for the apprenticeship?

She says she taught herself gcses so she feels she could do it.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 01/06/2023 07:42

Or she could work her arse off for the next few weeks, pull her grades up to Ds, continue to A-level, work her arse off over the summer and do better next year?

EnglishRose1320 · 01/06/2023 07:42

Why can't she stay on to complete her A levels? I know a fair number of students that got E at AS level but then went on to get B-D at actual A levels. Sometimes really low AS results can be the shake up/motivation a student needs.

What does she want to do after A levels?

Original poster
Cakeonthefloor · 01/06/2023 07:43

DustyLee123 · 01/06/2023 07:29

They may have been her favourite subjects, but was she any good at them ?
To move on in a subject she needs to be good at it and enjoy it.
Would she be better starting the two years again with something she is good at ?
What does she want to do, does she want to get out of education and earn but that will affect her future, or does she want to get A levels and move on ?

She got a 9 in her gcse maths and an 8 in science. She is new to economics.

OP posts:
MrsHamlet · 01/06/2023 07:45

There is an enormous difference between GCSE and A level, especially in those subjects.
She says she taught herself GCSE, but you say she's struggled with motivation at A Level - it sounds to me like she needs to focus a lot more on what her teachers are telling her!

Original poster
Cakeonthefloor · 01/06/2023 07:47

MrsHamlet · 01/06/2023 07:32

Has she sat actual AS levels? Because they won't have been marked yet.
If they're internal exams, then the school really needs to support her to make the jump up to better grades. Those are notoriously difficult subjects.

I am not sure. We are in England and I thought this year they did AS and next year A-level. I don't think she can stay at school and redo the 2 years. I think she can redo the year and leave with AS levels.

OP posts:
Ellmau · 01/06/2023 07:48

Don't try to teach herself - it will be incredibly difficult.

Especially chemistry - how would she manage the practical elements? And maths is hard anyway.

She needs to sit down and work out what has gone wrong. Has she just not worked hard enough? That can change, even if she needs to repeat the year. Hopefully the threat of not getting the qualifications she needs for the next step in life will give the motivation she's been lacking. Can you discourage some of the socialising/make sure she concentrates on homework rather than chilling out/netflix/whatever at home?

Has she found the step up to A level too much in these subjects? Maths is notorious for this. Maybe a new college and restarting different A levels would be best.

Original poster
Cakeonthefloor · 01/06/2023 07:48

noblegiraffe · 01/06/2023 07:42

Or she could work her arse off for the next few weeks, pull her grades up to Ds, continue to A-level, work her arse off over the summer and do better next year?

This was my advice but she feels so overwhelmed that it stresses her out and she can't focus.

OP posts:
UsernameNotAvailableNow · 01/06/2023 07:49

How did she teach herself GCSEs? Did she not go to school? Or was she homeschooled with no supervision?

SeverineSix · 01/06/2023 07:50

Is the problem her motivation or is she finding the courses too difficult?
A levels are very different from GCSEs. There's a big leap required in understanding, commitment and study skills.

If she was well taught/ spoon fed to achieve her 8s and 9s st GCSE, is she struggling with a different teaching style at A Level? Or are they too difficult, too theoretical??
She needs to commit to her resits over the next couple of weeks- and the effort and time they require- and see how they go.

If they don't go well, you and she need to work out why? and that will lead you to her next step.
Btecs? - more applied, less theoretical. Work broken down into more manageable chunks.
T Levels- with a bigger work placement element?
Apprenticeship- but assume she'd have to go in at same level as those with GCSEs?

EnglishRose1320 · 01/06/2023 07:51

If she wants to stay on and complete her A levels she can, she doesn't need to panic about getting high enough grades in her resits. She needs to focus on pulling her overall grades up over the next year.

Schools can not kick children out mid Alevels based on results/academic achievement, they can only ask a pupil to leave for behavioural reasons.

Original poster
Cakeonthefloor · 01/06/2023 07:52

Ellmau · 01/06/2023 07:48

Don't try to teach herself - it will be incredibly difficult.

Especially chemistry - how would she manage the practical elements? And maths is hard anyway.

She needs to sit down and work out what has gone wrong. Has she just not worked hard enough? That can change, even if she needs to repeat the year. Hopefully the threat of not getting the qualifications she needs for the next step in life will give the motivation she's been lacking. Can you discourage some of the socialising/make sure she concentrates on homework rather than chilling out/netflix/whatever at home?

Has she found the step up to A level too much in these subjects? Maths is notorious for this. Maybe a new college and restarting different A levels would be best.

I think the children at her new school were much brighter and more work focused. She got a shock and felt she was failing so gave up. She doesn't feel they are too hard but agrees she needs to work very hard to catch up. She doesn't want to go to university but most apprenticeships need a-levels.

OP posts:
user18 · 01/06/2023 07:53

Are you sure they are all AS levels if you’re in England? Not many exam boards work like that now. Some still do but of all the subjects available at my DCs school (21 subjects), only geography world on an AS/A Level split basis.

Original poster
Cakeonthefloor · 01/06/2023 07:54

EnglishRose1320 · 01/06/2023 07:51

If she wants to stay on and complete her A levels she can, she doesn't need to panic about getting high enough grades in her resits. She needs to focus on pulling her overall grades up over the next year.

Schools can not kick children out mid Alevels based on results/academic achievement, they can only ask a pupil to leave for behavioural reasons.

The school is very clear that if she doesn't get a d-grade they will not put her in for the a-level. She will resit the year and leave with AS levels.

OP posts:
LynetteScavo · 01/06/2023 07:55

I'd suggest starting the two years again - possibly at a different school/college. I'd advise her to think very carefully about which subjects to do.

If she hasn't been motivated all year, and doesn't feel able to work now to do well enough in the resits, I wouldn't trust her to teach herself the second year if Alevels- that's just madness.

a

Howmanysleepsnow · 01/06/2023 07:56

She didn’t sit AS levels. If she did, she’d get results on 17th August. It’s possible she did past papers as a mock. With that in mind, resitting the year wouldn’t get her an as level, so it’s either carry on and put extra work in, go the police/ nhs route or start over at college.

fancreek · 01/06/2023 07:56

AS levels don't really exist anymore, haven't for a few years. Sounds like mocks? But also you and your daughter need to find out what she's actually doing and what it means!

Original poster
Cakeonthefloor · 01/06/2023 07:57

user18 · 01/06/2023 07:53

Are you sure they are all AS levels if you’re in England? Not many exam boards work like that now. Some still do but of all the subjects available at my DCs school (21 subjects), only geography world on an AS/A Level split basis.

I thought so but I might be wrong. So she has done mocks not as levels, it seems.

OP posts:
katienana · 01/06/2023 08:00

Sounds like you need to speak directly with the school and have a meeting to discuss options.
I have a really good success story for you.
My brother repeated his first year of A Levels, he left with good enough grades to get into University to do accountancy. He got an entry level job at a big company (in the North East, so not amazing wages) after uni and was able to start taking professional exams. When the company was taken over by a foreign buyer he was spotted and asked to move abroad. He agreed, learnt the language and lived there for a few years with his now wife whom he'd met at college during the extra year! When they returned to the UK he got a highly paid job in London. A few years after that he was able to move back up North for an even better salary, buy a huge house and have 2 kids.
Don't let one setback get in the way of what you want to do. Learn from it.

TeenDivided · 01/06/2023 08:01

If she has only done 1 year so far, then another option would be to restart elsewhere and do a Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma, 3 A level equivalent if she can find one she fancies.

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