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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my DS is completely stuffed

472 replies

logincard · 18/08/2021 06:54

my DS has 5 grade 7s and 4 6's at GCSE.

he missed out on acceptance to his grammar school for A level ( by one point) and we now have no place for him to study A levels.

He had a conditional offer from another school. He has the grades, but I found out yesterday that he never actually accepted this offer ….

I have contacted every state and private school in the borough and close by and no one has a space, we have appealed a grade at his grammar school. (But I hold out little hope for that)

What can we do? He has. No space for A levels . And no one has to help us, he’s just on his own ….

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Lumpwoody · 18/08/2021 10:04

I’m now completely confused. Could they be full for those subjects?

SunShinesBrightly · 18/08/2021 10:05

X post with lots of others!

SunShinesBrightly · 18/08/2021 10:06

@Lumpwoody

I’m now completely confused. Could they be full for those subjects?
Possibly but the OP didn’t say that. She said they didn’t do them.
hocusspocuss · 18/08/2021 10:06

Lots of schools here OP. Nearly all of them have 6th forms.

To think my DS is completely stuffed
Seeline · 18/08/2021 10:08

Just googled Tiffin Boys 6th form requirements for 2021 entry - 54 points from 8 GCSEs (only in subjects from a specific list ie traditional subjects).
I assume the points are direct translations of the grades so a grade 9 is 9 points etc.

MojoMoon · 18/08/2021 10:10

Richmond surely do those fairly obvious A levels and other posters have screen shots to suggest they do.

Assuming you are in Kingston, public transport wise Wandsworth and Wimbledon are pretty easy to get to. Have you tried 6th firms there?

If you are Richmond/Kew way, look north over the river? Chiswick school? Isleworth and Syon?

Hekatestorch · 18/08/2021 10:10

I have to sayvi am so confused.

I can't work out wether op genuinely thinks these places don't do a levels/the one he wants or she just doesn't want him going there.

HunkyPunk · 18/08/2021 10:11

A lot of people on this thread don’t seem to understand the process for grammar sixth forms.

Well my 3dc all went through from yr7 to 6th form and their Grammar always seemed to have a lot of wriggle room for existing pupils. (Especially if they were in the 'A' rugby team Grin).

MadameMinimes · 18/08/2021 10:11

www.rutc.ac.uk/courses/sixth-form-centre/563-level-3/1525-biology-alevel.html

If you go to the bottom of the Biology A Level page there is an apply button. They will then ask him to choose his other A level subjects at interview. They are only just starting their open enrolment today so if you’re quick you should be fine.

a8mint · 18/08/2021 10:11

Can you appeal to the grammar school as it sounds like if he had one more point they would have a place for him? I would argue that it's just one point?
This, especially as there were no proper grades again.

hocusspocuss · 18/08/2021 10:11

I am not confused, I am pretty certain OP is avoiding all the local comprehensive school sixth forms and FE colleges as they are, yknow, a bit common.

titchy · 18/08/2021 10:12

@hocusspocuss

I am not confused, I am pretty certain OP is avoiding all the local comprehensive school sixth forms and FE colleges as they are, yknow, a bit common.
Looks like it.... which is a shame for the kid cos he's going to end up with nothing.
hocusspocuss · 18/08/2021 10:14

So insulting to hear somebody describe their child as 'stuffed' when there are many many options available to them. OP needs a bit of a privilege check here.

HeyDemonsItsYaGirl · 18/08/2021 10:14

he needs to have at least the option of a social life. or maybe not. If he travels to the other side of London or an hour away that option is gone.

Don't be ridiculous. I went to sixth form in the next county with an hour-long commute, and I had a great social life. There are these brilliant things called buses, trains, and cars.

You obviously want him to go to one particular place and will make up reasons why he can't possibly go to any others. How rude to the people in this thread who have tried to help.

titchy · 18/08/2021 10:14

I suppose this is a typical AIBU thread though:
OP - AIBU?
Everyone else - Yes because a, b, c
OP - But x, y, z
Everyone else - but x, y, z doesn't apply here.
OP - But I'm right!

Just waiting for the flounce Grin

Marmitemarinaded · 18/08/2021 10:15

@hocusspocuss

I am not confused, I am pretty certain OP is avoiding all the local comprehensive school sixth forms and FE colleges as they are, yknow, a bit common.
Even she was I fail to see the problem

When it comes to my children’s education - my political correctness tendencies go out the window

MadameMinimes · 18/08/2021 10:15

There’s no point appealing the grammar. He’s narrowly missed the overall entry requirement, but they require an average grade of 8.0 to do two or more sciences. If he’s got 53 grade points from his best 8 then his average is somewhere around 6.6, which is miles off.

NerrSnerr · 18/08/2021 10:17

@Marmitemarinaded it'd be easier if the OP was honest about it though. Saying he's stuffed when there are plenty of options is frustrating.

hocusspocuss · 18/08/2021 10:17

[quote NerrSnerr]@Marmitemarinaded it'd be easier if the OP was honest about it though. Saying he's stuffed when there are plenty of options is frustrating. [/quote]
And a bit insulting.

RampantIvy · 18/08/2021 10:17

TBH @Wakemeuuuup students really do need a very high GCSE grade to do A level maths. They will struggle with the course otherwise.

toocold54 · 18/08/2021 10:18

Richmond do the A Levels he wants and, even if they only did 2 of the 3, it's better than him doing none.

It's his fault he's in this situation so he may need to compromise a little...

I agree.

He got himself into this situation so if that means him having to travel further or go somewhere where his friends aren’t going then that’s what he’ll have to do.

Maybe there was a reason he didn’t accept his offer but he doesn’t want to admit it.

I’d apply to Richmond and he’ll be able to make new friends and he can see his old friends on weekends too.

GreenLakes · 18/08/2021 10:18

@Hercisback

It’s not unusual at all for a grammar. All grammar school DC are aware that they may well be out the door at sixth form if they do not work hard at GCSE.

This is because they want a cohort of hardworking, motivated and ambitious students.

Many external applicants put in hours of revision and make huge sacrifices to be able to attend the grammar sixth form.

Bythemillpond · 18/08/2021 10:18

Tbh I have access to ds’s emails and he is 19 and whilst quite sensible even now I monitor what he has to do and would have automatically accepted offer places. I just wouldn’t have left it up to him to do something that was so important.

I know he is making all the right noises about doing A levels and I think in his own mind he thinks that is what he should do as he probably hasn’t thought of any alternatives and you seem to be very inflexible about where he should go and even how far he should travel into and out of school it seems is a problem (Dd was doing an hours commute on train trains tubes and sometimes buses to school since she was 10 years old and still had a social life)
And him not telling you what had happened in time for you to have sorted something out.

I am just wondering whether deep down the reason he didn’t accept the school offer and lied about ringing around alternative schools until it was too late is that he doesn’t actually want to go to a school anymore.

Have either of you sat down and discussed what he wants to do (not what he expects that you want him to do)
Something is obviously going on. Forgetting to click an acceptance button is one thing but then put off telling you when it was time sensitive to make up for this mistake and lying about it makes me wonder that he wants to do something that isn’t the usual route of GCSEs, A levels and university

Could you have a sit down talk with him about his future and what he wants to do and maybe not what he thinks you want to hear

SunShinesBrightly · 18/08/2021 10:18

@hocusspocuss

I am not confused, I am pretty certain OP is avoiding all the local comprehensive school sixth forms and FE colleges as they are, yknow, a bit common.
I think this is the case.
habituallydistracted · 18/08/2021 10:19

@logincard I know some schools in Richmond Borough that have sixth form places. I will PM you.