Year 12 - Wants to drop 2 A levels & study only one A Level at college

[Deyjxh]

I need help and advice to a situation with my child - Who is 17.
Currently taking A levels. Currently predicted AAB (Math, Computer studies and Physics). In an excellent college, but it is not working for her.
Struggling to think of another 6th Form or college locally that would be better.

My child wants to change to self study at home for two A Levels and attend college for only 1 of them.
Finding the travel too much, hates the noise of college/school. Has SEN but no EHCP. My child is very good at own study and is highly motivated to do this.

The college have said that the only choice available is drop all three A levels or continue with all three. This is due to ‘how the college is funded’. They seem to not be flexible with helping anything work.

What do I do? how are the college funded? Where can I find out this information.

Having had a child with an EHCP, I know how flexible school can be, if they want to be.

"My child wants to change to self study at home for two A Levels and attend college for only 1 of them."
What do you mean by this? For the A-levels she doesn't study at college for, do you mean she will study completely independently of college, finding all her own materials etc, registering as a private candidate and paying the £300 per exam entry plus more for certificates etc, going to an independent test centre for each exam etc. Or do you actually mean she would continue to be doing the college course and using their exam provision (and have them pay), but studying herself rather than attending classes?

Funding is only available for full time students. A full time programme of study is 3 A levels. If she only does 1 they won't get any funding for her.

@stichguru Still study the same A levels they have started at college (one complete term) but do the work completely by them self, using college and other online resources and the teacher ideally marking the work.
They feel how the subject is taught does not help with their learning and understanding; my child gains better understanding with self study. As proved by her GCSE approach.

I would like to avoid the expense of exams if possible.
Child says that they get nothing out of college socially, feels lonely most days, sees travel wasted time and would rather self study.

I believe that they have the skills and motivation to make this way of study work, but college have an all or nothing approach.

The college's position is understandable. You're asking them to educate your daughter with no funding!

Can you show her what it would cost to enter her for 3 subjects as a private candidate plus some tuition UpLearn, tutor)?

To be classed as in full time education at the college she needs to be doing 3 A'levels there. I can't remember the exact hours but I think it's something like 12 hours minimum.

I think you've got a few choices:

• carry on full time college.

• leave college and do self study at home. You'd be doing this independently though so will need to arrange exam entries etc - like a homeschooling child.

• Find a college evening course for 1 subject (if they'll take a 16/17 year old) and do 2 independently at home.

Unfortunately, education is not as flexible as a lot of people would like it to be.

It's a condition of funding that students undertake a minimum number of classroom hours - they have to be supervised/attend.

The provider has to complete termly censuses where you specify if they have a primary learning aim (for vocational) and every course they are on, their attendance and number of hours spent in lesson + number of non qualification hours is extracted from the MIS - plus hundreds of other categories of data.

To claim ESFA funding for somebody in her proposed situation would be deemed fraudulent (and likely cause a financial audit, an urgent safeguarding one and all matter of other issues).

Yes the college is funded for full time students, ie three A levels. So if she dropped to one they would get no funding.

How do you see it working with her studying from home? If it would be possible, ie wrt fees, coursework etc, why not all three at home?

Cross posted with you @Deyjxh

Self study is impotent for A levels anyway so it’s good that enjoys that.

Am I reading it right that you expect the college staff to mark her work and enter her for exams, while getting no funding for her? Not likely to happen sorry.

You need to contact the college and talk to them about reasonable adjustments, not ‘dropping’ subjects. She doesn’t want to drop them, she just wants to stop attending lessons in person, is that right? So you need to work with the college to find alternative study locations, adjustments to the classroom, that sort of thing. They may be able to help especially if there are Sen needs. Maths normally has workshop sessions where students can drop in for help which might be more to her style. There might be a library she can work in, provided she goes to the lesson to mark in for attendance first. I don’t think they would be very happy with just not turning up though, unfortunately travel time is something that we just have to suck up and that doesn’t change (see also, every wfh-to-office thread ever…)

I don’t really understand how the funding works. Which is my question really.

I want to go to the college with a possible solution that fits with them both. From experience with my first child DC1 - they attended secondary school very flexi and at one point attended only maths and science lessons. I know things can be done under an EHCP, and I want DC2 to have some flexibility without this document.

I also want to work with the college on this one. I had no understanding that funding would stop rather than just decrease.

Ok well lots of ppl have explained that she needs to be there full time to be a funded student. Which means not all day every day, but studying a full timetable is three A levels.

I agree tho with a pp - she doesn’t want to drop two A levels does she; she wants to continue to access the expertise of the staff and the college as an exam centre. So are there adjustments that can be made - she still studies her three A levels but yes, is allowed to be elsewhere for some lessons? She would still need to be in the building tho I think.

You nailed the point exactly. Thank you.
Oddly maths is the very subject that they love and the teaching methods work for them. This is the subject they want to stay attending.
But yes I need reasonable adjustments, this is absolutely NOT about dropping out of college, but changing college experience.
The main independent learning room, has over 200 computer desks. It is just the size of everything at college.
At home we have a dedicated room for study, complete peace. This is their preference. Yesterday my child sat and did six hours of study at home (with breaks), I have no doubt they can do A levels on their own. But I would prefer that they tried to stay in college in some way.

It's the EHCP document that gives the flexibility though, they need that evidence go back up the adjustments when it goes so far against what is set out in policy, without it they have to stick to the government policy.

So either start the EHCP application asap, or take her out and educate her at home and pay independently

The college is unlikely to allow what you/DC2 want without an EHCP.

Have you spoken to the SEN department at the college? There may well be a quieter area DC who struggle with the main independent learning area can use.

£660 at UpLearn x 2 courses for the Maths and Physics = £1320.

£2,560 at Wolsey College (online) for Computer Science (which is what I assume you mean) (other colleges are available).

Say £300 x 3 for independent exam entries = £900. Probably take a fair bit of shopping around.

= £4,780.

National funding per 6th form student £4,843 (per year).

Not exactly comparable (UpLearn isn't like going to school) but gives an idea of what private cost would be.

Realistically, although not impossible, unlikely an EHCP could be secured in time because of tribunal delays.

The other issue is how one would sort a UCAS reference privately. Tutor?

I think I'd go for what adjustments the school could make, but if DC is doing well but just doesn't enjoy class, they may not see the need.

I don't think anyone thinks teenagers learning in groups of 20 or 30 is the most optimal way, but it's what you get in state as we need economies of scale.

I teach A-level and do let students like this, study independently in class if they're able to be mature about it.

I've only taught 3 out of maybe 700-800 who were.

Would your child consider a closer college ? Perhaps one which is smaller?

They don’t cover university, but if necessary, EHCPs can last until 25, or 26 in some cases, so even if 3 tribunals were needed to get a good EHCP, it isn’t too late.

I want DC2 to have some flexibility without this document.

This is unreasonable. The college can't operate outside the system.

EHCPs stop at university (just adding that in case OP isn't aware). Not sure re higher level apprenticeships (bearing in mind subjects suggest pathways like Engineering).

EHCPs don’t cover studying at RQF level 4 or above in any form.

This post nails it. What you’re asking isn’t possible.

Can she work more to identify specifically what her issues are, and then you can work with her and college to address them?

Finding travel too much? Why? Is it too busy, too loud, too complicated? If it’s too busy, is there a different route or can she leave earlier to be on a quieter route? Too loud - has she got good noise cancelling headphones? Too complicated - work on her life skills.

hates the noise? Again, noise cancelling headphones or speaking to senco about a private study space.

And so on. I mean this kindly, but the option you’re proposing is really quite nuclear, and doesn’t help her build the life skills she needs for whatever comes next - uni, apprenticeship or work.

@AelinAG

“”And so on. I mean this kindly, but the option you’re proposing is really quite nuclear, and doesn’t help her build the life skills she needs for whatever comes next - uni, apprenticeship or work””

Not me suggesting any of this. My child has come to me on Monday and said that they wants to leave. I attended a review meeting on last few days of college, first I heard of any issues. All college reports good, results good. I knew one area of issue, listened to child, did nothing then got involved. Resolved this after a few emails. Then I hear the next stage of DC’s plan.
At 17, I can’t force child to college. I drop to train station or college and do pick ups. Yes nuclear, but as a parent I feel like I am running behind my child to catch up on their thought process.

I should add I have noise cancelling headphones phones for child.
Any other suggestions welcome. What have I missed?

”work on Life skills”
My child has a silver Duke of Edinburgh now working on Gold.
Belongs to various clubs outside of college.
And has a part time job as a life guard.
Meets friends socially for bowling, films and coffee.

This is about coping in college and how they teach.

Keep coming with suggestions, I am a parent that is as a loss. I thought we had it all covered.

I'd suggest talking to your dc and explaining that what they want will not be possible due to funding and the lack of EHCP, but suggest you both have a meeting with tutor, and SEN coordinator or other appropriate staff to see what alternatives are possible. There may be an alternative study centre for example - ask what provisions are in place for any students that have ASD - would they be willing to let your dc have the same. They may agree to say one lesson a week, with the rest of the timetabled lessons spent self-studying.