Dropping an A level

[Pomer0l]

Dd is in year 12 doing 3 a levels at school. She has had problems with her mental health for a few years now which seems to be worsening and changing. She is academically able but struggling with the busyness in her head plus keeping up with her school workload. She is considering dropping one a level. Has anyone had experience of this and did their child do the dropped a level over an extra year? Did it make a significant difference to their wellbeing?

Is her goal uni? It could be damaging to her mental health not to graduate and go to uni when her friends do.

Has she considered a different third subject?

It will have funding implications for the school, have you checked that it’s an option?

I don't have experience of dropping an A level but I do have experience of mental health creating a feeling of being overwhelmed and I doubt dropping an A level will make anything worse and may well make things a little easier to handle.

What's the end plan? If it's Uni will she be able to access her course with her predicted grades from the two remaining A levels or is she ok delaying entry for another two years to gain the remaining A level whilst also maybe working for example?

I would talk to the sixth form as there are several options she would qualify for due to ill health.

My DD took a year off between GCSEs and a levels due to medical reasons. This let her recover enough and was the option with the least complications. This is also not that uncommon.

The sixth form had offered other options like a 3yr schedule instead of 2yr to accomplish the 3 a levels. But most sixth forms would not be able to accomodate this.

Another option is drop to 2 a levels and do a BTEC between Yr13 and Uni. But I would only do this if she can handle the work now while also recovering.

The problem you will have is the school's funding depends on students following 3 level 3 courses.

Otherwise a lot of students would do this, as A-levels are hard.

Thanks for your responses. It is a private school, I spoke to the 6th form head today and there is any option of doing an a level in an extra year. But they would prefer her to
stay as is as on paper looks to be doing well, but are thinking how best to support her. She wouldn’t have enough points with the 2 a levels she would stick with for uni but at the moment uni isn’t even on the cards due to her mental health state. But, I want her to have the option to go to uni in the future if she wants to.

If uni isn’t in the cards due to her mental health at the moment, then I’d ask the sixth form to hold her place and have her focus on recovery with an aim to restart Sep 26. Think, if she were an adult, wouldnt she be signed off work? So is it realistic to expect her to juggle recovery and work?

btw, she would still qualify for child benefit and free prescriptions as a temporary leave of absence (even rest of the school year) from FT education due to ill health doesn’t count as not being in FT education.

My DD was not the only student in her sixth form that was a year older/taken a year off.

@SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice that’s an interesting point to consider deferring for a year. It’s a balance of her being busy enough to keep her occupied which helps but not so busy as to be overwhelmed!