My DD has been kicked off art A-level but is super talented … what can we do?!

[Multitaskingmadly]

My 18 YO DD suffer from really severe anxiety, and has done all her life. We have been in and out of CAMHS since she was 10 and she has had heaps of assessments etc but hasn’t really got an official diagnosis. She is on medication for it. She can’t manage full time school, and tbf her attendance is terrible. She is the most INCREDIBLE artists as she sits and paints all day long and if its not painting that she is doing, she is making stuff and teaching herself how to sew or crochet etc. She got a 9 for her GCSE.
She had an art A-level mock exam 2 weeks ago during which she had a panic attack and had to leave. She has also has fallen quite far behind with her course work (she is a complete perfectionist so the work she has done is immaculate- but there’s just not much of it) Her school has just called me to say that they are unable to submit her for art A-level as they says she hasn’t done enough of her work in school for the teachers to authenticate it, plus she is too far behind on the coursework. She is doing the AQA board.
We are all so disappointed and frustrated, as she is just so talented. I am wondering if anyone has had any similar experience to this? As we still have a few months left until it all has to be submitted, might it be possible, for us to try and find an art tutor and register for A-level art and home school her for the rest of the year?
Or should we just try and retake it next year in one year? She is only studying one other subject for A-level, and she wants to go to do an art foundation course and then take a degree in some sort of design subject, possibly fashion and textiles.
I would love to hear from anyone who is an art teacher and understands how it all works, OR anyone who has had a similar situation.

@maybejustonemoretime is right I think- art is one of the hardest subjects in terms of the volume of work you need to produce, and of course it is all time-consuming work too. I put more time into my art a-level than I put into the other 3 A-levels put together, and even then didn't really.come out with a big enough portfolio to be applying for a foundation year- I was under pressure to do even more work if I wanted to pursue that route. Friends I've known who done art degrees certainly felt the pressure too throughout their degree courses.

I think it would be worth considering whether it's really the right route for her while she suffers so badly from anxiety or whether it's something best enjoyed as a hobby to keep it pleasurable.

Try college - being a year behind isn’t an issue lots of people take a year out and go back to eduction.

She could do a foundation year as you don’t need the A level to do the degree.

Don’t panic! Her education isn’t over.

No, she couldn't just join one of those courses in the second year and achieve a qualification. The whole point of these courses is that students build their qualification as they go, so there would be the issue of not having done certain units.

In some colleges she may be able to join the first year of a btec course and achieve a qualification worth 1- 1.5 a levels.

To be honest though, if she's struggling with attendance to college and completing coursework, a btec would be a really bad fit.

She's not a year behind though, she's two years behind? Which does make it harder to start a new course at college. If she can find a college who takes adult learners then they will likely have options for her, but for a sixth form college she'd likely be too old to get funding in two years time, so they're unlikely to accept her.

Im sure the art teacher will help as much as they can but “the least they can do?” Which implies the teacher has done this on purpose. If it’s like our school they will have all the gcse and a level classes preparing for imminent mocks and external exams, not to mention lower school clubs etc.
Theres some good advice on here op, talking to school is the first step.

She could retake it at a college, but as far as I’m aware it’s not something a home educated student can do as such.

I do think it’s crucial to get the anxiety under control and seek that diagnosis for whatever the issue is (whether it’s anxiety itself or something causing it). If she’s not able to manage A levels, it risks university being very difficult too. She’d need to be able to organise herself, come up with ideas, keep up with the volume of work and attend regularly. It’s a big change with new people and that can be a positive, but might also be overwhelming for a child with unresolved anxiety. I do think pp are right that a physical health check alongside CAHMS could help. What have CAHMS suggested if they haven’t officially diagnosed? (I know they can be a bit rubbish.) What could be done to tackle it a bit more before retaking an A level to make it a bit more manageable?

Why on earth can she not send her portfolio in if she's as talented as you say, and be assessed on her merit?

And does she not have medical evidence of what must be a disability, so should get reasonable adjustments?

Can she study an online course where she doesn't have to go in?

By all of this you can see I have zero educational background! It seems the whole system fails young people who aren't fitting in.

I think you might be best to help her to accept that the school can’t put her up for art a-level and concentrate on improving her mental health at the moment.

I say this because, even without exams, art and similar courses in HE can be really tough for people with anxiety. A big part of the teaching can be public critique of your work, and she may need to build up her resilience before even trying that. Otherwise she may struggle even more than she is now. Learning to listen to and respond constructively to critique of your work is really hard for many people (and, tbh, I know professional designers who are unhelpfully defensive about their work).

You’re sure uni is the right thing if she can’t finish the a-level. It’s an awful waste of about £50k if not.

DS is currently applying for Art Foundation courses. They all require an A level in an art-based subject at Grade C or higher (plus maths, English etc gcses). Some colleges might not ask for that, but many do. If your DD hasn't got the volume of work then she won't have a full portfolio. Most specifications ask for 15-25 A3 pages of art, plus sketchbooks, plus essays (art appreciation) to be presented at interview (which I know DS will find scary).

If your DD hasn't got the amount of work I.would honestly consider her re doing the year. At this late stage both the examiners for A level, and the colleges, want to see a lot of art.

We've looked at lots of Foundation years and they all say that there is a LOT of work to do, as they have so much content to cover in.a short space of time and it's very intense. Only you will know if your DD can manage that.

My dd is on an art foundation and there is a lot of people on there who didn't do art a level. But she did need 72 ucas points as a basic equivalent to 3 Ds . This was standard to all offers. I'd talk to the art uni directly as they do their own admissions and if she is talented they may make a different offer.
The course is amazing and they have support there too, my dd has anxiety which is controlled and low at the moment but she has been offered deadline extensions without asking for them if needed. But she hasn't really needed them yet

If she can’t finished the a-level work, whilst only doing one other a-level, then is this really the right route to be planning? She can get apply for foundation courses with a portfolio, but it doesn’t sound like she has enough work to make up a portfolio. Would she be able to produce that?
If she gets on the course, how is she going to keep up?

You’ve said she doesn’t have a diagnoses but has been through years of assessment. What is it that’s actually the issue? What do you think she has? Or is it just “bad mental health” and doesn’t like stress? She needs to take some time to figure out what’s actually wrong and create coping mechanisms, and maybe toughen up a little if this is her dream because it’s hard work and she actually does have to do the work.

My DD did an Art Foundation Diploma the year after her A levels. She did it at one of the few universities which still offer it as a standalone course, but she also had an offer from a local FE college.

The universities offering the course usually need a A levels or a BTech, but I suspect local colleges might consider taking a talented student on the strength of good portfolio and a handful of GCSEs - as an AFD is a Level 3 qualification in its own right (same as A Levels).

Re portfolio - at this stage it needs to show a varied body of work - she's more likely to get a place if she has more than just painting / drawing to show. Textiles, 3D work, photography etc. They usually ask for 20-30 pages of finished work and development sketches at this level of study, but check with the college - and do it NOW as the good ones will be signing students up in the next month or so.

An AFD course covers a lot of ground in the year and you need to be able to work fast, keep up, experiment, and not be too precious - so consider if this is the right option for your DD. It might teach her not to be such a perfectionist, but it might also be a source of continual stress.

One other thing, as a Level 3 course, an AFD is generally free (funded) if you start it aged 18, straight from sixth form. If you leave it another year, it usually costs about £5k in course fees.

The thing about higher education funding is that you only get a finite amount of it and it leaves you with a pile of debt.

This matters because it is clear that your DD will struggle with a foundation or degree course at the moment. She’s struggling with anxiety and perfectionism that are making it hard for her to complete work. She’s too anxious to attend school and having panic attacks in assessments.

A foundation course isn’t going to be magically easier for her than an A-level. And, while her work may be fantastic, it is not perfect (of course it’s not!). This matters because someone struggling with perfectionism is likely to find it very difficult to finally produce a piece of work only to be told that X, Y and Z could be improved. You might well find this makes things much, much worse.

Just trying to keep her on the education track right not may not be the right thing to do. In the immediate term and in the long term.

Given that she’s unable to consistently attend school because of her anxiety or consistently complete work - maybe step back and focus on getting her into a place where she is likely to succeed if she tries a course.

I’ve sat with many struggling students in tears who cannot cope with a degree course but also feel stuck (especially because of the way student funding works). It’s horrible for them. Yes there’s support - but it doesn’t fix the problems for them. They’d be signed off from a workplace because they can’t attend or complete tasks. But they try to struggle through a degree course and it does great damage to them.

Art courses will always be there when she is ready.

My DD is doing Art Foundation now. She did Art A level, but it's such a box ticking course I'm not sure how much she enjoyed it - it's very prescriptive about what you have to do to get the marks, which can sap creativity!
If your DDs goal is to go to art school for a degree, then her portfolio outweighs everything. An FAD is not essential, especially if she knows what area she wants to study. FAD lets you try doing different media that may not have been available at school (my daughter has just been doing plaster casts, has done lithography and photography during her course). But lacking a second A level might be an issue, even if the grade gained in itself not so important.
Have a look at the requirements of both FAD courses she may like to apply for and degree requirements. I just looked at UAL's textile degree and it wants a combination of several things.
I know we are hard against the deadline - does that mean she's already applied for courses? Is the fact she is doing two A levels the reason for the Foundation route? Having an FAD diploma and one A level may not be enough, so redo Art if her school will allow her to be a year 14 student (not sure how this would work). Or do a BTEC at a further education college? If she can get on an FAD course she could do it alongside. You only need one A level for FAD at UAL and I believe they will offer a place on a degree course if passed successfully (check this).

A level art is as much about the intellectual level as the quality of the art itself. What does she want to do? Could she work towards that without an a level . Could she start making or drawing to sell now?

Can I ask gently, if she doesn’t attend school very much and she sits and paints all day, why has she not submitted enough? I ask the reason for this, as there should be plenty to submit, as art a level doesn’t require full time work, and I think that’s the thing you need to tackle, as how will a tutor solve this fundamental issue?

I think really since your daughter seems in her final year of A level that if this is the first time the school has told you/her that she has not been in school enough to have her work authenticated I would be having a word to see if she can change this given she is only doing 2 A levels should would have more time than the other kids.
But if they won't budge - focus on the A level she is doing and get really clear guidance from the school what is the tipping point for her being in school for her Art A level for her work to be authenticated and make sure when she takes Art again she is on track.
I am wondering if you daughter has OCD - extreme perfectionism is a precursor for it. If she does I got extra time in my exams for my OCD because its considered a learning disability.

As others have said, when it comes to art and other creative subjects, a portfolio is more important than grades. As long as she has 5 GCSEs including English and Maths, she can present her portfolio and get accepted onto an art foundation course.

From my own experience, I was accepted into a university with no A-levels.

Perhaps she could use this time working on her portfolio to create something standout?

She does not need art A level to get on an art foundation course. She needs a good to portfolio to show to the college, and a good personal statement.

I haven’t RTFT but I am sure with a bit of googling you can find an exam board who will take a private submission and just do it herself in her own time.

I did art GCSE outside of school in my own time as at my school I could only do one creative subject and didn’t want to drop art. It was great as I could work when I felt inspired, not to someone else’s schedule.

Good luck to her. Not all kids fit into the very small box given to us by mainstream education. That’s the establishment’s fault, not her’s x

Gently, as stated in the OP, the school can’t authenticate work that has been done at home.

I agree with this.

when i did art a level i did 90% of my work at home because i found it impossible to focus in the school studio.

The teachers can clearly see if it’s the student’s work because artistic style is even more obvious than handwriting. If there was a huge disconnect between what she did at school and at home that might ring alarm bells but if it’s consistent within the portfolio i don’t know why they can’t reasonably authenticate and / or ask the exam board for reasonable adjustments for MH

My Dd is ASd and dropped out of school. Before she got her EHCP we were looking at home Ed for art. There are 2 providers. OCAD and one other l can’t remember. However all content is similar in Art A level as long as they are the same area (fine art, photography etc) swapping to another board wouldn’t be a problem.

I was an A level art and Textiles teacher for 25 years. If the school are saying this it will be true. Coursework is a high percentage of the mark. She won’t be able to swap to a Btech or anything like that at this stage.

She could keep going and resubmit it next year. And she should get special consideration for her illnesses. She doesn’t need it for an art foundation. But the work in Art and Drsign becomes less structured the higher up you go. And this is what seems to be the issue. My Dd was the same.

Soeaking as the parent of an ASd 17 year old Dd and teacher your Dd sounds ND.

From experience it’s the strength of your art portfolio that carries the most weight when it comes to accessing art foundation courses….however becoming a semi professional let alone professional artist is pretty hard graft. You face a LOT of rejection and discover there is often a gulf between experimental college work and what real people want to buy. Fashion design is perhaps the most cutthroat ruthless and time demanding of all the art options. Not one to try unless your self confidence and self worth is at a pathological level and might not be wise for anyone prone to anxiety disorders.
Textiles offer a far wider scope and is often a lot more fun as it allows for far greater creativity and scope.

Might be worth looking for local creative textile social groups.A good one mixes workshops with talks and opportunities for experimental work and exhibitions.
(I work in a mix of hand embroidered reclaimed textiles and paintings having found a niche that fits my style that people will pay for)