Help- how do you retake AQA Computer Science Alevel?

[Gr3yStar]

Hi
My son was predicted A at Alevel with an A at GCSE and further evidence of him being a gifted coder outside of school. Unfortunately he was very unwell during his Alevels following a life changing event . He got a B in the course work but was not in a good place during the exams and got a D. Think he literally just showed up. He is happily in a much better place now and planning his future starting with retaking his Alevels. Computer Science which he wants seems to be the tricky one to sort.He’d like to redo it in a year. How?

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Is he still at school or college in some capacity? How has it taken until now for him to decide he wants to retake if he got his results last August? Has he been out of education since then?

If he also needs to retake other subjects I’d find a local 6th form college that offers them all (and use the same exam board) and approach them to ask what his options are.

He got his results in 2022.He has been v ill, dealing with something that has had a pretty massive impact on his life and been going through a diagnosis. He has done amazingly well to get through it all. Life isn’t linear for everybody and shit happens for a lot of people. Yes been out of education since then but v bright so not really worried about the studying bit. Being well enough to do it is the most important thing and he thinks he is and is ready. 😊

Does he have an EHCP? If not, you should request an EHCNA.

Glad your son is on the mend, ICS do courses you pay for. Good luck to him!

No not got an EHCP. What is an EHCNA?

My son did CS IGCSE with this provider http://learntec.co.uk/faq. She’s really good and offers A level as well although not sure if AQA.

An EHCNA is the needs assessment you first request as part of the EHCP process. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

what does he want to do and how many ucas points does he have? I’m assuming he’s 20? He might be better looking at foundation years at university. Depending where you are he may not need to leave home if that’s not where he’s at.
you may also find that there are university centres in local colleges who may run courses suitable?

ICS don’t do Computer Science. It seems impossible to do an AQA retake.

Not sure he’d get an EHCP now at 20 and I still don’t think it would sort out the Computer Science retake issue if there is no way of retaking it.😣

He’s fixed on retaking his Alevels. Think he feels cheated of so much he wants what he should have had and to go to a decent uni. Did think of foundation degree but think he’s worried he’d have v limited uni choices.

An EHCP may not be worth getting if his plan is to resit a levels and then go to uni.

An EHCP is an education and health care plan. They are for students with disabilities, healthcare needs or special educational needs. You can apply to be assessed for one and then if you need extra support to access education (in theory) that support is provided.

EHCPs apply from 0-25.

If your child wants to resit one or more a levels and then go to uni it is not worth starting the EHCP process as at uni he can apply for DSA (disabled students allowance) and they are very supportive and very generous. Despite the name they are for all kinds of special needs including dyslexia etc.

Op, my DD had a similar issue. At the time computer science a level had a substantial coursework element which is tricky to arrange. She didn't resit it.

You could try this kind of place?

https://oxbridgehomelearning.uk/course/a-level-computer-science/?utmmedium=ppc&utmmsource=adwords&utmcampaign=S+%7C+All+Online+Courses&utmmterm=a%20level%20computer%20science%20distance%20learning&gadsource=1&gbraid=0AAAAADhEh1hS2Hdk5FJJTdtMxkb9lVnIj&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3ZSJoY38hAMVWJJQBh2XTg39EAAYASAAEgJ7OPDD_BwE

DS being 20 doesn’t mean he wouldn’t get an EHCP. New ones can be issued at 20 and EHCPs can continue until 25, or 26 in some situations. It can sort out the retake issue because, if the provision is correct, the LA then becomes responsible for it. I disagree it isn’t worth it. An EHCP can provide the ability to retake A levels and also provide additional support to a young adult who sounds like they need additional support.

So how would he do a computer science retake? I know the 6th form college wouldn’t let him on the course he attended due to safeguarding. It was in the local news re young people with EHCPs not being allowed to stay on courses for an extra year once they’ve had that 3rd year of funding due to “safeguarding”.

Try and get him to have a look at foundation years just so he knows what’s out there. There may also be access courses available which are summer courses. From what I can make out it is not easy to resist a levels once you are passed 19.

To resit in exam he will normally have to do it in an authorised examination centre which will usually be a school with 6th form or FE college that does that qualification or has the capacity to facilitate the exam. Contact them and say he wants to enter the exam as an external candidate. You pay them the exam fee and possibly they may add an administration fee, then they sort out the entry with AQA and your son sits the exam at the same time as everybody else.

He has a B for the AQA course work. He thought he’d be able to transfer it and retake the exam part but it seems impossible to find out if it’s an option. Doesn’t want to do another board as the course would be different. It’s so frustrating.

DC with EHCPs can attend courses at colleges other adults wouldn’t be allowed to. They continue to be classed as 16-19 year olds. The unlawful blanket policy your local news talks of can be challenged. Unless the college is wholly independent they don’t get the final say, anyway. They can be named against their will. However, there are other ways, such as via an EOTAS package.

Ok so we’ll contact the sixth form college he was at. Wondering if he should ring AQA to se if it’s an option- transferring the course work as there is no info anywhere.

It should be easier for young people who have had a shitty time to do retakes.

Does he actually have the coursework and how long ago was it done?

The problem with that will be that the teachers supervising the coursework normally needs to sign something to say it is all the students own work.

Distance learning colleges don't offer coursework based qualifications for exactly this reason - they cannot be sure it is his work.

If he wants to do the AQA a level he may be able to do it at somewhere like MPW but there is zero chance he can transfer the coursework because the new teacher cannot sign that it was all his own work.

www.mpw.ac.uk

Think they have been challenged. It’s a massive college that takes all the sixth formers in the city.Their SEN provision is shocking. I know of a few with EHCPs that were off rolled because they said they couldn’t be accommodated.

DD changed her mind about her degree course half way through A levels so needed a different A Level so a slightly different situation. she did her original 3 Alevels and then enrolled on an AQA course via Oxbridge. The Communications and support hasnt been great but she has been fine and is on track to get a good grade this year. Its a 2 year course but she is doing it in one. It has cost around £3000, which includes the exam and she is sitting it in June at a Private school about an hour away. We couldn't find a better way for her to do it
One of her friends did a retake but again is paying to take the exams. She hasn't paid for any tuition or anything, just the exam but she just missed the grade she needed so has basically spent a year revising on her own.

But the coursework was already marked, graded and submitted. AQA already have it and graded it at a B. So they will know it’s all his own work as it was verified at the time.

If they were challenged legally, via JR if necessary, then they wouldn’t get away with it. Nor with off-rolling.

DC can also attend other colleges. Boarding if necessary. Or, as I posted, via EOTAS.

It is possible for the NEA to be carried forward most of the time. Details here.

Does he actually want lessons and a course structure or is he just going to retake his exams?

If he is just going to retake his exams then ring AQA, explain the circumstances and ask. They are quite helpful in my experience. If his old teacher signed off on the coursework he may be able to transfer it across? But only they can say.

If he wants lessons and a course structure that's more complicated.

I assume he isn't eligible for an access course?

My DD dropped out of a levels due to severe illness but was later able to be funded for an access course as she did not already have level 3 qualifications.

Like this one;

www.ucb.ac.uk/study/courses/college/access-to-higher-education-diploma-computer-science/