Changing from biology to Eng Lit A level at this point in first year

[reallyalurker]

Hi, hoping for some advice for my niece. She is in the first year of sixth form college, doing biology, chemistry and history. Really enjoying chemistry and history, thinking of history at university but undecided. She is not enjoying biology at all. She has talked to friends doing Eng Lit and looked at the sort of work they are doing, and wants to switch subjects. Her tutor and student support have responded that this isn't possible at this point in the year. We haven't heard yet from the head of English but wanted to get some views from here.

Niece has eights and nines at GCSE. She is a reader. Is it realistic to think she can make up the work? If it is realistic, what sort of points should we put to the college? Thanks.

Adding that she is thinking possibly journalism as career, but still unsure.

Would timetabling let her just add Eng Lit for now, and then if she shows she can catch up on it then drop Biology? Could be a compromise, but more work.

At 5hrs taught plus 5hrs self study per week she has around 70 hours to catch up. I wonder how much she could do by the end of half term? (Given she will have work for other subjects too.)

As a teacher of English Lit A Level, I'd be generally reluctant to let anyone start the course at this stage because they'd have missed a whole set text. However if she has 8s and 9s and is motivated enough to read what she's missed and catch up, I'd probably be largely in favour of giving her a chance rather than forcing her to carry on with a subject she doesn't like. Maybe it's worth a push.

Hi OP that's a good shout from @TeenDivided - could she (as it were) pick up Eng lit as a fourth - and see if it feels possible? As if it's a disaster she could then continue with bio?

It is late to switch tho. Could she spend half term working on the Eng lit work she has missed to show willing? Agree we are talking about 70 hours of catch up - but with dedication she could at least do 20+ hours? (this assumes she is about to go on half term! I do know some have just finished.

Side note: Eng lit not needed for journalism career btw - tho a lot of commitment is - I would expect a would-be journo by now to be getting their writing published all over the place (it's very possible now) - blog, local paper, news websites, websites for local organisations, school newsletter. Science might be more useful than Eng lit actually as it would give her a specialism.

Obviously it's down to the school.

However a friend of DD's swapped to English lit towards the end of the first term. So basically missed the study of the first 2 texts. As far as I can gather she spent most of December and the Christmas holidays studying (she borrowed DD's extremely comprehensive notes and also had notes/study materials from school). I think the school caveated the change that it was up to the student to make up what she'd missed and they wouldn't put on anything additional.

Very few schools would allow this... most have a window of a few weeks.

In its favour is that Lit is more skills based than swapping into a content heavy subject - but mitigating against that is the thought that content can be crammed in whereas specific skills may be more woolly. Just sitting reading a book at speed to catch up is not all that is required.

Sorry, but the school has to be able to set a deadline. When you say 'still' not enjoying biology, did she raise it already with school or did she assume things would get better?

I feel sorry for her but swapping subjects isn't the magic bullet.

I wouldn’t accept anyone moving into my a-level class now. Too much missed. Skills as well as content.

i went in a sixth form tour recently where the y13 had just started eng lit having dropped chemistry and was basically do double lessons in english

Very few school would be able to accommodate that! That suggests two groups and that it fits the student's timetable. Not givens in most cases.

This story is sadly symptomatic of bright girls being channelled towards STEM as more 'worthy' and of higher value when she would have been clearly better off doing Eng Lit with the history to begin with.

Having worked in a sixth form college and seen students change courses, I can't see there being a huge problem as most colleges will be looking to retain their students up to a certain date in the term to ensure their funding for the following academic year.
The problem will be in timetabling, whether are both subjects taught at near enough the same times? Otherwise any free periods that may now be in the students timetable can be used in the Library to catch up on English Literature.
I know from experience that students forced to study subjects they have no inclination for - do not do well or drop out altogether!!

I'd chase the head of English up if I were you. The form tutor is clearly one of those kneejerk negative "No, that's not allowed" types, but there's probably no reasonable reason why she can't change. Studying takes a lot of motivation, and it's not fair to force someone to continue with something they have no interest in or not enough aptitude for at A level. I agree with a pp that too many bright students are corralled into STEM when everyone is different, and the fact that you could study a science doesn't automatically mean that you should.

College is still saying absolutely not so I think we are stuck. It isn't a timetable issue as far as I know as there are several sets for both subjects, just they are adamant that no-one can change this late in the term. I guess we now need to explore with niece how she can be motivated to study despite not enjoying the subject. She has been doing well at it, so it's not lack of achievement. I think we may ask whether there is another set she can move into (current teacher is also her tutor which probably hasn't helped here).

Thanks for people's advice.

I'm a Head of English and it would also be a "no" from me. Even bright A level students cannot simply teach themselves the content and she has missed a lot. I might consider it if her parents were prepared to pay for 1:1 tuition until all the work had been caught up. When I've done this in the past, I have preferred to choose the tutor myself and have the sessions timetabled after school on school site so that the pupil's work and progress can be monitored. However, I don't know how other schools might want to go about this. Is it a sixth form? They tend to be a bit more accommodating as used to having after school support etc for younger pupils as opposed to separate colleges which generally have a more "adult" approach. However, this may be something you can offer to the school in order to facilitate the subject change provided her parents can afford it. I'd approach the Head of English with a proper plan of how your niece intends to catch up and with the understanding that simply reading the books is not going to be sufficient. One of the main difficulties is the unfair workload it will put upon the class teacher support and catch up a pupil joining so late so you would need to mitigate that and that is likely to cost. Like a lot of things in life though, if you happen to have some money to throw at the situation it will potentially give you some more choices.