How likely to get in to do A'Levels without required grades?

[CaptainLacyPants]

Hello,

DS 17 has had an awful time - depression and anxiety - and was supposed to take his GCSE's last year. He didn't but the school sent off his coursework and he got back some ok grades considering. They couldn't send off the English and Maths (Exam based). This year, he mostly has been non-attending and then went to a local special college where he has been doing Functional level English and Maths. Since May, he has been getting better and stronger and now has decided he wants to do A levels with a view to a degree etc. (Its amazing to see him keen to do something at last) Do you think he has a chance of getting to do his A levels this year? Any advice? Much appreciated.

I see that no-one has responded yet.

A levels are a massive step up from GCSEs and quite frankly I think your DS will struggle.

DD took A levels in subjects she got A* in at GCSE and still found it difficult. Does he feel well enough to take maths and English GCSE now?

When I did mine at school, you had to have achieved a C at GCSE to be able to carry on to A levels.

What does he want to do subject wise? Is a degree the best way into his chosen area?

I feel for you, my dd has just done her GCSE's, and started A levels last week, the pressure on results day almost broke us all.

Has he considered btecs? Much more coursework based. I'd highly recommend them.

And BTECS require as much work and areas highly regarded as A levels. They aren't second best to A levels. Just a different way of studying.

The minimum entry requirements near me for A levels are a 4 in maths and english, and 3 others at grade 5 or above. For some of the A levels subjects, they also ask a min grade of a 6. That's the lowest results round here, some of the other colleges are asking for higher grades.

I agree with Lonicera , my daughter got all A/A* at gcse but the subjects she took at A level were a whole new ball game, the mental load is a lot greater. Even her teachers said at the start, A levels are tough. And her school won't let anyone start them without the required gcse grades.

Her younger brother is ASD and struggles with anxiety. I will be steering him towards BTEC's at college which I think he'll cope a lot better with. Then we'll take it from there but I don't see btecs as failures, I see them as a different way to continue in further education.

I think you will have the most luck at a college, I understand he might have to do gcse maths and English first.
My ds has also suffered from depression and anxiety, through gcses and A levels, he is now doing a bit better and studying at university.
I believe the combination of exams and hormones make this the worst time for teenagers and their mental health.
It's great that your ds is ready to go back to study, he may have a longer road ahead of him, but I'm sure he will be able to do it.

If he doesn't have a C / Grade 4 in Maths and English then Further Education colleges may not let him enrol on Level 3 (A-level) courses. But he should be able to enrol on Level 2 (GCSE) courses, and continue to study Maths and English alongside those. Then hopefully start Level 3 courses next year.

Btecs aren't a doss. But they do have more emphasis on coursework, plus you can be more confident about what grade you are going to end up with. Less stressful for anxious kids.

Thank you everyone for your kind words, advice and encouragement.

We've visited colleges several times and its been very confusing. Sigh.

He couldn't get onto A'Levels anywhere, but it was suggested he could do an Access course. (They were wrong) There was a lot of confusion over the functional skills - were they GCSE equivalent like some said, or not. I now appreciate for him they were largely a meaningless waste of time, but hey.

He has now signed up to a Level 2 Btec course - with a GCSE maths and English element with a view to doing an Access course next year.

I think this is fair and it works in that it'll be a gradual re-introduction into full-time education, its modular, and he can get his GCSE's etc. The downside is that he genuinely didn't fancy any of the Btecs on offer. He hopes to do a degree in Psychology - this might change - but the best they could do was a Btec in sciences (which he has GCSe's) or animal science or social or health care.

He eventually decided on [bites nails] public service, not because he wants to be a copper, but because it seems an interesting all-round course with fitness, law, crime, workplace stuff.

If anyone knows about the Btec in Public Service, do let me know!

Thank you again. It's been very frustrating and exasperating. I know I am over-involved - a product of the 'depression years' - and would really like to take a step-back but feel I can't yet.
Sigh. Hopefully this will work out!

I know what you mean about being over involved; I sometimes avoid telling people about the things I do for ds, even to his siblings and certainly his grandparents.
He needs me though, I certainly wish he didn't.
Your plan sounds good, he is staying in education, but not too much pressure.
I don't know much about btec though.

Thank you so much, hugo, your posts have been very reassuring, and I am so pleased your DS is doing well at University. I expect the worry is still there...
I sometimes avoid telling people about the things I do for ds, even to his siblings and certainly his grandparents.
Completely relate. I don't tell my partner things either which isn't great, but it just isn't worth the hassle you know...
I have to say DS's experience of depression has changed me in so many ways (I hate to be me-me-me about it, but it has!) and I'm so relieved he's over the worse, but still a knot of anxiety that it'll come back. There has been many positives too, I think, for both of us, more empathy, less competitiveness, and gratitude to the many kind people along the way but yeah, it's still tough seeing all his friends visit universities/hold down jobs/pass driving tests etc, when he seems to be so stuck. Lots of lessons to be learnt I think, in patience and resilience though.
On Social media, there is a massive amount of stuff about depression and anxiety which is brilliant, but my first response is always 'His/her poor mother!'

Has he got an idea of why he wants to do in psychology? Psychology is extremely competitive, i have given back to uni to do a second degree in psychology and I am doubting myself, despite the fact I should if grades continue get a first.

I don't think that is where I would push him into. Basically any job in psychology required post grad experience and no one will accept anyone into that unless they get a first or a high 2.1. So unless he's just doing it because he wants to study psychology then I really wouldn't encourage him down that routine.

If he's thinking counselling, as many people think a psychology degree means you can just be a counsellor, then there are courses that he can do for that route. Psychology degrees don't get you in that route even if you do it with counselling, obviously this puts you in a good position to have the knowledge but it's still a whole difference course and pathway to do that.

Health and social care may be a good option as a course.

Has he got an idea of why he wants to do in psychology?

Actually, you're right. I should investigate further...I know he has some ideas of going into that field...He is reading Freud, in between playing computer games and he seems to enjoy discussions about 'the mind'. (I personally feel he is more philosophy/history type, but there don't seem any Btecs that steer that way.) He is naturally academically able and ambitious but still hasn't seemed to joined the dots about the importance of working hard.. It's been hard to untangle the depression from his sloth-like personality.

Health and social care

Is he sporty (I'm thinking not) as the sport btec covers some anatomy and psychology

I know there is an applied psychology btec but it may be a level 3

I would also encourage a Health and Social Care BTEC. Very good advice up thread regarding psychology, the route to Clinical Psychology is long and hard, Post Grad very difficult to get into if he is interested in mental health generally then there are many other professions that might interest him, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Mental Health Nursing, all of which value lived experience and are a very client focussed rigjt from the sysrt of the degree .

Regarding Functional Skills - it depends on whether he was doing Level 1 or Level 2. If Level 2, that's the same level as GCSE, but of course different colleges may have their own entry requirements and specify that they won't accept FS.

Level 2 Btecs are different from the GSCE equivalent, they go over some of the same stuff but in much more practical depth, and prepare you for the Level 3 equivalent. Level 3 in Applied Sciences is a quite a good route into a sciency option.
I was told when enquiring that the Level 2 qualifications are a very good way to get ready for the Level 3. Ds2 was at the time looking at a Drama Btec level 2 to get ready to do the Level 3 Btec which he was told was equivalent of doing History, Politics, Art and Design AND performing arts...! all rolled into one qualification. In the event he has stayed at his Sixth Form school based, as he received the grades he needed to do the A levels, but I would have been very happy for him to do the Level 3 Btec, or failing that, start with the Level 2 Btec. I think it depends on the teaching staff and reputation of the college.

To be blunt avoid the public services Btec. If he wants to do Psych he needs to do a science btec.

Can he not retake GCSEs then start A levels next year?

Thank you everyone for your advice, plenty to think about here.
I certainly have nothing against btecs but there wasn’t any level twos that appealed: media? No, animals? No, IT? No...
He already has his science GCSEs so he was advised not to do that, so this way he hopefully does his maths/english GCSEs and learns about um...public services?!?!

The plan is that if he does ok, he can do a social sciences access course next September.

Thinking a bit more about psychology degree - I suppose you see that a lot; when people have been helped by counselling they want to do it themselves. Hmm, I don’t feel a career in it is him, particularly, but it’s a good academic degree to aim for I would have thought..(I’m going to continue to propose history/philosophy/politics because I feel they’d suit him better, but hey what do I know...?)

Again Thank you!