Doing A Levels independently

[felissamy]

DD really wants to do an A Level not offered at her school. It is Film Studies. Is there any way to take an A Level independently while in sixth form. She knows it will increase the burden, but she already for fun absorbed a lot of the curriculum. Can one sign onto a 6th form college while still at school, or do adult education? Or by correspondence?

I've been looking into this for my own DC - different subject but similarly can't get the right combination of subjects. There are lots of online courses available with a quick google for studying a single A level remotely
Eg https://online.pembrokeshire.ac.uk/learnonline-courses/film-studies-a-level-learnonline-self-study/

Your DD will need to be really disciplined about actually doing the work though.

My son started A level Computer science with Pembrokeshire. He dropped it after a year because he really didn’t get on with the distance learning and it was becoming too much (he had to do 3 A levels in 6th form as well) You will need to lease with her current 6th form/college to see if they will help to facilitate her taking the exam.

@TwoBlueFish thanks that's useful info - if we do it, DC won't be doing a full schedule of other A-levels, just 2 subjects in-person and one online. I'm sure it would be really hard to do 3 A-Levels in person so having a full school timetable and also an extra.

You may quite possibly find no school/college will take a 16-19 student only wanting to do 2 A levels with them as that won't count as 'full time' so they won't get funding. So do check.

Sorry late to come back to you. My son’s 6th form would only take him if he did 3 A levels there, something to do with their funding.

You will struggle to find anywhere to take her as a private candidate as film studies has a coursework element. School/exam centre has to mark it and say if it’s her work. Very few will be able to do that. She will have to do 3 a levels at her school-she can’t just do 2. If she wanted to do maths-you could pay her school the entry fees-slant subject with coursework is a challenge.

I wouldn't recommend film studies!

Why not?

Purely personal. They added it at dds school and noone got As in it, despite some very clever kids doing it. Lots and lots of moaning about the mark scheme.