How does funding for retaking Alevels work? Can year 13s stay on for a third year?

[Littl3lim3]

Just that really. How does it work? I’ve read a few times that there is funding for 3 years. In my day you could retake Alevels if they were disappointing at your school ie stay on another year. I had friends that did that so know it happened.I don’t think you you can at my ds’s school but if there is funding why not? Is the funding for kids who just have no Alevels at all?

Retaking Y13 was solely for last year's Y13.
A third year at A Level will only be part funded, and they have to take entirely different subjects the second time they start Y12. (So 2x Y12 and a Y13, not Y12, Y13, and a resit year for Y13).

So if a kid has a shit year 13 or bombs the exams for whatever reason they’re screwed.

You used to be able to apply from the LEA for discretionary funding.

So I started mine at college when I was already 18 (2 years behind) then the following year as child benefit had stopped we applied to the LEA for discretionary funding for my final year HOWEVER I had not previously had those year funded or A Level equivalent funding.

DDs friend repeated year 12, which again means they don't have an A level equivalent when getting an extra funded.

I know of many that have used an on-line provider and resat the following summer and done loads better. It's also pretty inexpensive.

Normally funding for resits and retakes is only available in exceptional circumstances. You can see the government’s 16-19 funding guidance here.

You can pay for resits yourself, I don't think it's enormously expensive.

While you can pay for resits the school may not allow you to use their resources to facilitate you resitting.

@Littl3lim3

So if a kid has a shit year 13 or bombs the exams for whatever reason they’re screwed.

That depends entirely on the school! We have had situations where pupils have had horrendous Y13s for a variety of reasons (death of parent, rape, ED, house fire, sudden onset severe medical condition, etc) and we will accept the pupil staying on and resitting Y13 again. This is because we're a school 6th form, and have had those pupils (mostly) since they were 11yo, and we feel there is a duty of care. As long as the subjects taken are running again in the year below (e.g. some years some languages won't run due to numbers opting for them) then it's easy for the pupil to drop down a year and redo. It doesn't happen every year, and usually only one pupil at a time. As an institution we can take the hit of reduced funding. If a class was full and we'd need an extra teacher I'm really not sure how that would work, but it's not cropped up.

That said, if they've been a lazy student all the way through, despite constant warnings and sanctions... I don't think they'd have a chance at staying to resit.

I'm Ireland you can repeat the whole final year of you want. I was in my last year and a guy was repeating his exam year...he turned 20 that year. I was 17 going on 18...

Our local Academy allows kids to go back for a third year to take A levels. There aren't that many of them, and I suppose an extra person in a class of 10 doesn't make that much difference.