Changing schools at the end of year 12?

[Littlemissprosecco]

My DS has slowly over year 12 become more and more fed up with school!
He has a great set of GCSES, started off with 4 A levels ( FMaths), now down to 3. Absolutely hating school, says it’s no fun, too serious etc….. so not doing as well as he could be. I know it’s late in the year, but would a move potentially improve things? ( they can’t get much worse!)
I’m planning on contacting out local sixth form tomorrow to ask if it’s a possibility, any advice will be much appreciated. I’m desperate, he’s in tears he hates it so much

What would he study at the new school? Does he need a complete change and to do something more vocational or an apprenticeship?

What sort of school is he at now? Eg a grammar or selective private schools where they’re all aiming for A* ? Cos if the issue is the subjects, changing school won’t help, but if it’s the expectations on students and the atmosphere then I guess that’s something that could change.

He’s happy enough to continue with his current subjects but only because he doesn’t know what else he’d do, and he doesn’t want to lose a year.
And yes it’s a grammar school!!
He’s happy with his friendships and sports, but because he’s no longer on track for the four As, they seem to be piling on the pressure. I’m actually worried about whether he’ll cope staying for year 13.
our alternative school ( his sisters both transferred for sixth form) has a different board for one of his subjects, so I’m not sure if a move is even feasible

A levels are serious. He needs to decide what he wants afterwards. If he needs these courses he needs to get on with it. Moving won't change things. If he wants to change courses that would be different.

Yes, I was about to say that you'll need to make sure the boards are the same and they've covered at least vaguely the same parts of the syllabus. Otherwise there is no chance that moving to do the same subjects is practical. If he's doing subjects with NEAs he might also have missed one.

If he's happy enough at the school, then I really can't see the benefits of moving (with associated time spent settling in) just to study the same subjects. I'd suggest he needs a complete change to something different or just to get his head down and muddle through the next year.

Even taking same subjects may be different boards or topics taught in a different order. He is probably better sticking it out for two more terms.

My head knows he should stick it out.
But my heart hates seeing him so sad and deflated with education. It’s like they’ve beaten all the passion he had for learning out of him!

A levels are supposed to be fairly serious. And I’d hope a decent school would be having high expectations of a student on track for As at this stage. Not that many people are. Giving up could be wasting his potential.
Life isn’t all fun and games. He’s reaching the point in his life when things will be bit more serious and he’s got to grow up a bit.
What do you think will be different in a new place? Especially if he’s going to do the same things.

It sounds as though he might actually be better doing something else that can reignite that interest.

Otherwise - what's the plan after A Levels? Go to university to do a degree in a subjects he's no real interest in?

My DS was in a similar place to yours at the end of Year 12. He had the option to change to something else but he wanted to stay in year with his friends and not to start again. Year 13 was really a wasted year - yes he came out with some A Levels, but he (retrospectively) would have been better off making a fresh start with something he'd enjoyed more.

I suppose I'm saying don't be scared (and don't let your DS be scared) of admitting that he made the wrong choices and that he'd rather do something else instead. What does he really want (long term) out of life?

Both my daughters moved out of grammar to our local sixth form, and absolutely loved it. Both got A’s and are doing well at universities.
They say they atmosphere is completely different and that learning there was fun. Obviously I haven’t told my DS that, but I’m seriously wondering if he should just move and start again ( he doesn’t want to)

Have you/he actually spoken to the school about the situation? There will be pastoral support of some sort.
He absolutely must learn how to approach teachers / profs / tutors and get himself out of a mess before he goes off to University (assuming that's the destination).

I do agree.
Something needs to be done.
I’ll ring said sixth form tomorrow morning and see what they suggest.
With regard to what after A levels, there’s no way he’ll consider doing anything directly related to his subjects. So he’s looking at more vocational degrees such as finance, banking, economics

Of course he has, and we have. But they’re a grammar school, they know best, they don’t listen or care. It’s purely about their exam result sheet.

It sounds as though this is the grammar that your DS has been at school in since Year 7 though? So the school and its expectations are not new to him? Did he (taking a wild leap here) by any chance do pretty well at GCSE without having to work particularly hard and the increased difficulty of A Levels has come as a shock?

I'm just thinking it's worth trying to unpack (if you can) why a year ago he liked he idea of staying at grammar and doing the 4 A Levels ... and now he doesn't. Yes, it might have been because it felt like an easy option or he wanted to stay with friends and he didn't particularly think about it, in which case, he does now have a second chance to think.

Yes, you’ve hit the nail on the head!
He had a place at the other sixth form, but on decision day the grammar persuaded him to stay. He’s admitted he’s made a mistake and knows that unless he’s willing to start the year again, there’s probably little that can be done. He just shruggs and gets on with it, but he’s unhappy. If the other sixth form will consider taking him on for year 13, I do think he’d do some catch up over the summer if needed. But it’s a risk…
I truly don’t know what to do for the best, or what his options really are

Absolutely hating school, says it’s no fun, too serious etc.

So he’s looking at more vocational degrees such as finance, banking, economics.

Well, those are pretty serious subjects.

And adult life is serious. Not that adults never have any fun, but essential parts of adult life such as getting and holding down a job, making career, financial and relationship decisions, are things which need to be taken seriously.

Of course, I and he know that life can get heavy.
currently he holds down a regular lifeguarding job at our local leisure centre, has passed his driving test, helps me out at work when I’m short staffed in a quite stressful public facing position. He’s lovely and manages absolutely fine. He’s a prefect at his school and gets really stuck in. It’s the teaching and academic motivation at A level that seems to be the problem!! He tried to wriggle out of going this morning…..

What are his current grades like? And what does he need to go on post A level to uni or college or whatever? You certainly don't always need As and Astar to get onto courses.

A levels are a huge step up from GCSEs.

As you know year 13 flies by, break it down into 5 sections that end in May 24 (and then 8 or 9 exams). Ask him to focus as much as possible for the 5 sections and exams and he can then have a year off and apply for uni post grades, if he applies from Sept 24 he will miss out on the dreaded personal statement as it's being replaced with 6 questions, the reference from his school will also be shorter post Sept 24.
He has got the whole of his life ahead of him if he can get through the next 10 months with the best grades he can achieve.

I know, but he’s just given up! It’s how to get the best out of him in the next year that’s the problem. I may have to resort to bribery!!
His current predictions are ABC. He says he’s at the bottom of all his classes and hating it.
I phoned the other school, moving midway isn’t an option. So it’s stay( which he probably will) or move and start again next year and write off this year!

Maybe the summer break will help plus if he sees his cohort stressing over early applications and personal statements he might see that he has more spare time to focus on the A level core content. They are good predications and I'm sure he is being well taught so it's all a help to achieve good grades.

Is revising over the summer, perhaps with a tutor, an option?

Yes it is, and he is begrudgingly willing!!
it’s more that I want to see him happy and enjoying education. It’s like they’ve sucked him dry. He’s now saying he’s not going to uni cos he’s not clever enough and is refusing to do a draft personal statement for school for Friday 😱.
If he doesn’t do it, they’ll give him a lunchtime detention and make him. That’ll help!!!

But a ps is not required yet. Can he not just tell them he is not applying then change his mind next term? Sounds as if his self confidence is low.

Following your updates, this does sounds like the wrong school for him (what exactly will forcing him to write a personal statement achieve ...?)

I suppose it's sort of a question as to whether you think carrying on regardless (so as not to "waste" this year) is better than starting afresh (so as not to "waste" next year as he's not in the right mindset to get the best out of it).