DD messed up AS levels. Advice needed.

[Cakeonthefloor]

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.

I would consider switching to BTEC. It’s much more teacher led and you do the coursework in the classroom throughout the year. Which means the exam is worth a lot less, you walk in there with three quarters of the qualification already in the bag from coursework. Consider this year a write-off and start over. Most employers and universities will accept BTEC as an alternative to A-levels.

Maths and Chemistry are two of the hardest A Levels. But she might get Ds or higher in the retakes if she works hard between now and then? I didn't think they even did AS Levels anymore. My son taught himself Further Maths within a year so it's possible but I think going to school/college is better.

At DD's school they used to "manage" out students who didn't achieve at least DDD at the end of year 12. They were just being realistic though. Unless there wlare extenuating circumstances a student achieving Es and US by the end of year 12 is unlikely to do well at A level.

@Cakeonthefloor can your DD start new subjects at another 6th form. They get funding for 3 years in further education.

There are AS level exams but they have no impact on her final grade if she takes the full A Level. Had she been doing okay with her classwork before these exams? If not, had the school informed you? And what support had they put in place for her? Booting out kids who aren't making the grade takes the shine off them being outstanding really, doesn't it? Definitely ask for more info from them.

I would hire tutors for each subject and ask them to help decide - have you considered this school is marking her current exams - she actually might not be failing they might have marked harder and she is making decisions on exam results that are not really accurate.

Did you not have any reports or parents evenings prior to recent results? If that's the case then it doesn't seem like a positive school.

She could try and work hard for next few weeks before resits but in the meantime can you work in the background to find her another college.

I think your job is to offer reassurance (whilst doing the background research) so she can just focus on study.

Has this been a good kick up the arse for her? A moment of realisation that it takes work to do well, even if you're clever, post 16?
If she can scrape a D in the retakes but then really motivate herself to work hard for her second year she should be able to pull it back. If I remember rightly with some of these STEM subjects you can keep retaking module exams until you get the result you need?

I would consider her sitting these exams and then moving to a school who is more supportive of her for her final year

I think this could be the kick up the arse that she needs. I'd suggest working really hard for the next few weeks and seeing how she does in her retakes. Then when you know the retake results, you will have a clearer picture of her options for next year. Postpone the decision until then.

I started fresh after my first year of AS levels, I wouldn't move forward with 3 D's or any E's - I got a DEU in my 3 AS Levels first year. Restarted again with 3 different subjects and got BBCC (they made me take 4 and then drop one in the second year for A Levels proper).

Went to uni and studied Law and have since completed a masters. Tell her it isn't the end of the world and she has options!

How can you not know this OP? It sounds like you and your daughter are both disengaged from her education.

She needs to resit the year and start putting some effort in. She absolutely shouldn’t consider teaching herself as she has already demonstrated her lack of motivation.

I haven't RTT

This happened to one of mine. They repeated a year. Dropped one and took a BTEC instead. Took the one she did best in (a D at AS) at the normal time and with tutoring got a B. Spent the '3rd' year completing one new A level and the Btec and did an EPQ and volunteering to make up the time. Came out with B, B and a D star in the BTEC. Went to a middling uni, got a first and now at a RG doing a masters.

There are plenty of apprenticeships that don't require A levels.
My dd got 7 and up in her GCSE's without studying, but knowing she didn't want to go to uni immediately ruled out A levels, hating school also had a big influence.

She is doing a level 3 apprenticeship and her employer are fully expecting her to take that to a level 6/7.

Maybe don't waste anymore time on A levels if she doesn't want to go to university and have a good look at apprenticeships.

Hi, we've had a similar scenario. The jump from GCSE to A'level was a shock and she quickly reduced from 4 to 3 subjects. I would avoid going solo, students need all possible support and teaching in these subjects, ours would have given up at multiple points. Try not to be overwhelmed but focus on improving grades to a D in the next couple of weeks to secure the school place for next year. Year 13 was tough although teaching staff helped endlessly with revision sessions, no way could she have done this alone. Eventually she scraped through with B's & C's but it was enough to get her on to next stage. Her university course has been coursework structured which suits her better. In her second year she was diagnosed with ADHD and she grads this year with a First and a job in the building industry from her year placement. Little steps, she has the ability, as shown in her GCSE's, you don't need top grades just enough to get you to the next set of choices. Good luck

She must have worked hard to get her GCSEs. Does she not feel she can repeat that?

Those concentrating on the mocks As thing

Dc3 currently doing end of year exams lower 6th. He calls them AS s and talks about AS content even though not actually doing ASs

They aren't his mocks either they are next year, but they are the exams they use to help set predicted grades.

With respect OP, if you’re not even sure what exams she’s taken (and presumably nor is she) then I’d say there’s a fairly fundamental lack of engagement from both of you that needs to be addressed. Some A-Level students are capable of being self-sufficient – others need a lot more support from their parents. It sounds like your daughter is the latter and you need to step up. I’d recommend starting over at a more hands-on school and this time, ensuring you’re fully up to speed with what she’s doing and her progress.

Not sure what areas she is interested but my house mate at uni didn't have great a level results in similar subjects did a foundation degree in engineering, then a master's and now has a fantastic job as a civil engineer (woman) at a well known consultancy x

With the greatest respect, if she’s struggled to motivate herself in year 12, and is stressed and overwhelmed by all the options you’ve suggested, she’s not going to be teaching herself chemistry is she?

She needs to forget what went on at gcse: the step up to A level is huge, a completely different kettle of fish.

I think you need to get involved with the school in deciding the best way forward because she’s a rabbit in the headlights at the moment and you clearly don’t know what her options really are.

first priority now, right now, is work her socks off for the retakes do she has the widest possible options going forward.

Poor thing, I've been there. My life worked out great, I took up a trade after and it was phenomenal and changed my life (didn't expect that!), but looking back it would've been easier than I thought to just repeat the year! She's so young, nothing wrong in repeating that year.

It can be done. I flunked A levels after two years, and obviously didn't do any pre-work in the summer because I didn't know I was going to have to retake. I went to another college the following year, which meant doing a different syllabus in one of the subjects, and got all As. I think the results plus a new teaching approach basically put me on the right track.

This. All the information is clearly provided on the school website and post 16 section, surely?.

Hi OP,

So sorry for your DD. And you. I remember how stressful and upsetting this was when it happened to me. I imagined all my friends going off into the world and flourishing, and me just being stuck in a rut by myself forever.

I actually decided to repeat the year, but I wasn't going into college - I was teaching myself from home. It was just the exams that got repeated a year later (on my college premises). It took a looooooot of dedication and self motivation.

But - my grades totally transformed. I went to one of the top universities and followed up my undergraduate degree with a master's. I now have a great career that I wouldn't have been able to get off the ground if it wasn't for those qualifications.

That year I spent teaching myself from home I barely remember, and I certainly didn't lose any friends because of it. If I tried to go back and correct those grades today (with a job, mortgage, nursery fees to pay and two children!) it would be almost impossible.

Please tell your DD not to lose hope. Of course not everyone has to go to university, and not all good jobs require university qualifications. But if she wants a different outcome, and she's prepared to put in the work, it's totally possible, and now is the perfect time to fight for it.

If she’s currently finishing the first year of her post gcse course she can’t be currently resitting AS levels as this years cohort are literally doing them about now.

If she works hard she may be able to get the as grades she needs to stay on.
If she has the option to resit her AS year and then continue with A level course at the same place that might be best.
If she’s motivated she will definitely be able to complete the A levels herself at home either over one or two years, if you can afford it there is support available with group tuition but it’s pretty expensive.
Most importantly I suggest that she has an options meeting with her school before they leave for the end of term so that when she gets her results in she already knows what her options are (instead of having a panic in the school hols).

These posts are so snarky and unnecessary. Does it really matter if OP got the terminology wrong? It's really quite nasty to say that means she's disengaged. She's clearly worried about it.