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.

I did Foundation and a degree in Textiles without A level Art. The portfolio is much more important. So I'd ditch trying to do the A level and focus on prepping a great portfolio.

One thing I would caution is that Art College is not really something you can do without good attendance and a high degree of good mental health.

My textile degree was fortnightly briefs - where you were critiqued in front of the entire class (and they weren't gentle) plus a 20% academic part.

If your attendance slipped you'd end up very behind very fast.

To add to my earlier comment, I didn’t mention my own DD (16j has had very similar issues to yours which may reappear in college. She’s decided to not take Art despite most likely going on to be an artist. She’ll randomly paint a beautiful piece out of nowhere but struggles with creating on command under huge pressure. There are countless other ways!

The workload and the way you have to do it has been impossible to keep up with for her. She’ll paint and make a portfolio when she can but is taking different A-levels that she feels she can cope with for two years.

Sorry I don't go on Mumsnet often so I am not sure if my reply here will actually reach anybody!
I am so amazed that anyone replied at all so thank you...
DD was originally doing 3 A levels but dropped Filmstudies as that also had coursework which she fell too behind with.
We had always planned that DD would take a gap year next year to get her portfolio together, and also to try and sort out her mental health. I did foundation course and a degree in textiles myself about 500 years ago, and as has been raised here... I am really concerned that if she can't handle Alevels she will find a degree much too overwhelming. Thank you to those of you who pointed this out as I think you are spot on. I don't think it realistic that unless she can bring her anxiety down to a level she can manage, she will be out of the frying pan and into the fire so to speak.
I'm still not clear if she actually needs A level art specially or more UCAS points than 1 Alevel will give her so I think the only thing for it is to speak to the colleges and find out.... The art teacher at her school I do not rate at all didn't know the answer.

@Multitaskingmadly

Does she have an offer of a place on a Foundation Course already, OP?

If not, is there somewhere which offers a course which really appeals to her?

How does she feel about what is happening at the moment? What would be the best outcome as far as she sees things at the moment?

I'm wondering whether a referral via her GP to the local Autism team for assessment would be helpful in some way. It would be a shame if something were being overlooked which could make a difference.

No she doesn't have an offer of a place... this is why I don't exactly know what the entry criteria is! The plan is for her to work on her portfolio in her gap year and then apply. She actually recently had an ASD assessment and although she has autistic traits, it was deemed that she is not autistic.... We ended up having the assessment with a private company online, paid for by the NHS as they didn't have the resources to do it at CAMHS, and I didn't really think it was very good, but there we go.

Yes I absolutely agree with you... I worry she wouldn't be able to cope with it either. I too did a degree in textiles a LONG time ago, but I know exactly how brutal it can be!

@Multitaskingmadly

Would something like this be a suitable fall back option for her?

https://www.oca.ac.uk/courses/drawing-open-foundation/

https://www.oca.ac.uk/courses/painting-open-foundation/

Does your daughter understand that if she can’t complete a couple of courses in high school, then she simply won’t be able to manage the load of further education? Because it seems like the first step is getting her to see the challenges here and go to therapy to help her manage the issues getting in the way.

@Multitaskingmadly

I could be reading my DC's experience in what's happened to your DD in a similar way.

My DC was 'thrown out' of 6th form college at the start of year 2 because they couldn't keep up with work - both coursework & more academic stuff. They started with Art A-level plus 2 academic A-levels plus a language at the college's insistence despite me saying that this wouldn't work for DC. Then as the months went on the language was dropped, then the art etc until DC reached their 18th birthday when the college bullied them into signing a notice to drop out on request. Like your DD mine is a brilliant artist, works a lot at home and is very talented at the art they do but can not work in the class environment very well. They have a very debilitating life long condition anyway but also has severe anxiety issues, likely autism and ADHD (ADD as inactive variety). Once they were turfed out of 6th form I set about finding a new college for DC and found another local one with an excellent pupil support system and pushed for an ADHD assessment via our GP surgery. The ADHD assessment confirmed that DC has Inattentive ADHD (plus likely autism but still waiting for formal assessment) and I arranged CBT which they had for a year to help with their anxiety issues.

They enrolled at the new college for A-levels which included 2 vocational ones, an academic one and a side subject. I did warn the college that this was too much but it's the DoE who insist on 3 A-levels so hands were tied. DC did struggle through year 1 and it was a rare week when DC didn't have a panic attack and need to leave come home but they did finish the year albeit behind. At the start of year 2 it was agreed that it was too much and DC was allowed to drop the academic subject which has allowed them some breathing space to catch up. I think that choosing two arts A-levels that allow a lot of time working at home or outside of the classroom (Graphic Art + Photography) plus a side subject that is mainly completed outside of lesson time (Creative Writing) has been key to supporting DC in staying with college. Pupil support has been great and they have a mentor etc but we've also found a good combination of ADHD meds that work best.
DC still does their art at home and is still trying to catch up all their coursework and they are getting there. They still have panic attacks at college but are managing them better with support and staying in college rather than coming home. We are hopeful that DC will achieve grades in all their subjects which is unbelievable when compared to being written off by the first college.
There are colleges out there who do care - ours believes in doing whatever it can to help kids get through college rather than putting grades first.
Has your DD tried CBT OP? Also one of the things that flagged up ADHD for us was an inability to cope with a class environment and falling behind on work despite DC's best efforts to work as quick as everyone else. There never has been any issues with the standard of work produced (always excellent) but just the speed and quantity.

I just wanted to send you some virtual hugs and support. My daughter has ADHD and dyslexia ASD traits but scored just under thresh hold, and works completely to her own agenda at all times. She has also gone down to 2 A-levels and core maths which she is definitely not gonna pass by the sound of it, her teacher says her paintings are A* but she just can’t keep up with the homework or her research.
Your daughters teacher does not sound as though she’s been very helpful. Ours has been very supportive and very clear. Once my daughter had got behind the teacher outlined exactly what was missing in the sketch book. It was still sheer hell as I had to sit beside her for all of it, body doubling as they say in the ADHD world, especially the written parts encouraging her and encouraging her and saying write more what about this? What about that? What do you think about this? What do you think about that? How can you make that sentence longer? Et cetera, et cetera. It led to so many arguments and so much tension but I think she’s managed to make the deadline for her sketchbook, for a very low pass by the skin of her teeth, by the deadline, which seems to be this evening!
She just cannot work independently on things that are not her idea. She does a lot of drawings for herself but doesn’t want to show them to anybody. She has tons of anxiety. And has been having CBT which has been helpful. She’s not medicated for her ADHD or anything else either because she has a heart problem so she can’t. Anyway, it has been really really difficult and no doubt she will get much lower grade than she would if it was just based on the quality of her painting.
So just saying I do understand the feelings it has been incredibly stressful but we’ve benefited from a very good art teacherwho found my daughter maddening to be fair and I am really sorry to read that you have not had the support as and when it was needed to at least keep her on track with catching up.

I agree with what people have said about the portfolio though. My daughter has been looking at doing set construction foundation degrees, among other things and none of them seem to really care that much about the A-level it’s all about the portfolio, which in her case is very basic and it seems to be about levels of interest and passion et cetera et cetera.

She’s got lots of interviews for courses. Like your daughter, she’ll probably end up taking a year off to work out what she really wants to do and to recover from the anxiety, overload and also lymes disease, which she got last year and knocked her back hugely. It is so hard to see them not achieving what they could, but you know what I always come back to thinking there is more than one way to skin a cat! a lot of this stuff can be about the timing. Particularly with neuro divergence the brain develops Differently over time and different strengths emerge later on sometimes, making things that are very hard during the teens achievable at a later point. It’s not the end of the road by any means or stretch of the imagination. Speaking as someone who trained for a second career at 40 I couldn’t possibly have done when younger.
I am certain if she’s talented, then she will get on in another way, on a different pathway. She might benefit from more than one year off to just allow her to develop some more confidence and independent skills.
If you’re anything like me, you probably feel really worried, but with love and support she will get through this. Mainstream education often leaves people feeling as though they have failed as it really is not a flexible model of learning.
Bless her heart.

@BubbleGumOnShoe
Gosh, our DC sound like twins separated at birth!
DC did finish year 2 but had to drop creative writing. They did pass both A-levels with lowish grades but they did get passes so it was a win for them.
Sadly, they're now a bit paralysed mentally + emotionally with depression and anxiety so not currently doing anything. They have just had an autism assessment and is on PIP which does indicate how bad they are as PIP is so hard to get for MH/ND issues.
The whole college process was so hard for both of us but passes are passes at the end of the day and that's what counted. I have no idea what the future holds for my DC as further education is out as is full time work but the college bent over backwards to help and I will be eternally grateful.
Best of luck to you and your DC x

@MothralovesGojira
well done to your DC for passing!💕 You know It would not surprise me there were quite a lot of us around parenting young people with these sorts of struggles. it is comforting to share stories though even if the stories are of anxiety and struggle. It is hard to find an educational pathway that fits their strengths and needs. I really hope that your DC starts to feel happier in time.

If you can afford £1K you can get a same week diagnosis. We did it with DD1 as the wheels finally fell off in the 3rd year st Uni. I thought autism but while high functioning it was the ADHD that came back a resounding yes.