A level choices

[Freedom2025]

Hoping someone will help with this. My daughter wanted to do maths, physics & psychology for her A levels. She didn’t get the 8 she needed for maths to stay at her current grammar school. She got a 7 but needed an 8 because she didn’t do well at pre GCSE maths assessment test. She got a 7 in maths and 8s in physics and biology. She really wants to stay at her current school because she is worried about change and she really loves her school. She has now put down physics, biology and psychology at her current school (all girls grammar with mixed 6th form) and has been accepted.

She has an option of attending a nearby grammar with her original subject choices. This is a boys grammar school with mixed 6th form. She liked it when she visited but not as much as her current school. Now the dilemma is whether it’s worth sacrificing the maths in order to stay at current school or just start afresh elsewhere. If anyone has any wise words please share!

Thank you. Taking all this in

I went to an all-girls school that had a joint sixth form with a boys school. I did what were typical boy subjects back then and ended up in classes with 30 boys and 3 girls. It was fine. Having read through everyone else's advice and your reply I'm just going to reiterate that she must be prepared to ask lots of questions when she gets stuck.

Thank you.

My son got a 7 in maths this year, daughter finished A level maths last year. There's not a chance in hell he'd manage what she did.

I am wondering if your 6th forms are near me in S. If so, I'd most definitely say move schools as there are a good amount of movement between the two schools/6th forms plus the new starters. I'm sure she'll settle in, especially doing the subjects she really wants to do. Good luck.

My DS got an 8 at GCSE, and started maths A level. He did a year before dropping it, absolutely hated it, and found it pretty tough. It was his 4th A level, and he wasn't planning on doing engineering by that point (had been in the running when he started A levels) so it didn't matter too much. I agree that if your DD does want to do engineering it will be difficult to get a place without it. He did however get an A in physics, and his GCSE maths was sufficient for him to not struggle with that, so I don't think it's essential to have the maths for physics.
Their school is a grammar, and they have loads of new kids starting for 6th form every year, and they do seem to integrate very quickly, so if she decides she wants to move I'm sure she'll be absolutely fine.

A 7 is still an A!!! I wouldn't want my child to study at a school that didn't think an A was good enough!
A possible alternative to consider- could she do AS level maths alongside the other subjects? Not got a clue whether this would help with her career plan, just a thought.
Whatever she decides, she has done brilliantly and should be proud of her achievements!

I think she should figure out how to deal with the move and do maths. I know that isn't easy, but those grades are only obtained by someone who's got a bloody good maths brain and enjoys it!! I think she would possibly find that she is stuck later on because what she really wants to do NEEDS maths A-level.

My son only got a 7 in maths instead of the 8 he was predicted, and like your daughter wasn't allowed to do maths A-level in his current school. He still wanted to do physics so has just completed Physics (A), computer science (A) and geography (B). If your daughter is looking to do engineering I would say to move schools and do maths. My son struggled to find any university or degree apprenticeship in engineering without a maths A level. He's now going on to do a computer science degree, which he's really happy about, but even for that a lot of universities wanted maths.
We have since found some universities where he could do engineering if he did a foundation year first so he could catch up on the maths, but he's happy with his computer science choice now.
If your daughter really wants to do engineering, I would definitely suggest she moves and does maths. Not having it has definitely closed a lot of doors to my son.
Some people mentioned physics being hard if you don't also do maths, but my son has been totally fine and has just got an A, so I think if you're mathematically minded anyway, then physics should be fine on its own.

My son is doing Computer Science at Nottingham University. He doesn't have maths A level. Some ask for it, but lots don't.

We were in similar situation yesterday. My daughter had maths, physics and psychology down as her choices and was predicted 8s in maths and physics but achieved 7s. Her grammar school woul still allow her to do maths A level but she decided it was too big a leap so has now switched to biology (got 8 at gcse). However she is sure she doesn't want to do an engineering degree or anything in that field (more interested in space psychology, marine conservation etc) so we're less concerned her choices will be limited by dropping maths. She originally wanted to swap maths for sociology but the school wouldn't allow it as she didnt get 7s in English and history which was their minimum requirement for sociology. I have no advice, only empathy, as we just want to see them happy.

DC1 decided to move to a super selective girls grammar school for 6th form (wondering actually if it could even be your DD's school).

Howevr DC1 changed their mind and stayed at their comprehensive and did spectacularly well. The two deciding factors were that (1) all the classes in the grammar school had 30 on them and in the comp, their classes ranged in size from 2 to 10. (2) when we thought about, all the A -Level courses should ideally be be finished by about February of y13, so that is really only 4.5 terms to learn more everything, so there is no time to waste with settling in.

Is there any mileage in persuading the existing school to let her try maths?

Is it worth considering a comprehensive with a smaller sixth form to get smaller class sizes?

DC2 got a 6 for GCSE maths and still got a B in A-Level maths although I know this is a stretch.

This!!
I am a maths tutor and a lot of kids drop it because they don’t realise the jump. Would it be possible for her to take 4 a levels with the plan being to drop one after the first year? That’s what we did when I was at school. If she is going to take maths, I would suggest maybe getting a tutor from the get go to keep on top of it. Maths is the better option from a uni/employment stance - but I’m biased I guess.

My son got a 5 in GCSE maths and is on track for an A at A level!

That is highly unusual. Were there extenuating circumstances?

How close is she to the grade boundary for the 8? Would it be worth requesting a remark?

I was in exactly the same position as your daughter (many years ago). I decided I wanted to do maths at an all boys grammar school that had recently opened the 6th form to girls. Coming from an all girls grammar school it was a complete culture shock and I hated every second. If I had my time again I would have dropped maths and stayed at my original school and picked another A level subject.

I hate schools ramping up the pressure on pupils to get top marks in order to do A levels in that subject. Dd3 had to get 9s in the subjects she wanted to take at higher level IB - maths, physics and chemistry!

Have you or she rung the current school to talk to them about it? Might they be more flexible about the entry requirements if she didn’t miss out on the 8 by much, did well in the other subjects, and they learn she is considering leaving the school altogether over it?

@SummerInSun our local secondary school (just out of special measures) gets rid of most of year 11 after gcses as they don't measure up to what they want in the 6th form. They take little consideration of extenuating circumstance etc.

My grandson had straight 9s at GCSE. He struggled with his maths at Alevel and only got a C meaning he missed a place at Exeter. She might struggle with a 7 whichever school she's at but if shes less confident changing wont help

A level maths is extremely difficult, but equally she might struggle in physics without the maths. Depends how much she needs a maths based subject for uni.

I can't believe they won't accept your daughter for an A level with a 7 (or A grade). At many comp school 6th forths you only need a '6' in GCSE.
Ridiculous.
Double down on the school, write to the head of governors if need be.
She missed out by a few marks.

Don’t do maths with a 7: the most common A Level grade in maths following a 7 at GCSE is a D. Different A Level choices may suit your DD better and set her up with better options post A-Level

I would get her to have a rethink tbh. My dd did an engineering degree and said her further maths A level made it so much easier to do. Engineering is very heavily maths oriented. If she's not getting the top grades at GCSE I would worry that it would just be a constant battle to get through A level maths and Physics with good grades only to then find it even harder when doing a degree.

I would get her to think about what other subjects she enjoys and did well in, focus on those for A level and then see what she can do with those A levels at uni. It may open up options she'd never even considered.

There's really no point adding to the stress of A levels by choosing subjects that you are going to find difficult.