Year 12 - 2025/2026: Here we go again!

[QueenMabby]

A new thread for the new school and college year. A friendly thread for parents of those going into year 12 in September 2025.

Our local 6th form college runs them parallel with both sat at end of Y13. They encourage 4 subjects at the start of Y12 with a view to dropping one, so I suspect they’d allow FM to be one of the three. But there were lots of other reasons why DS didn’t want to make that move & he opted to stay at his indie school.

They claim that doing it this way works best. But it wouldn’t surprise me if they actually mean that it works best for them in terms of results & university outcomes - there are some institutions that do not see FM as ‘enough’ as one of three (e.g. certain programmes at LSE). Doing it this way keeps FM as a fourth subject and this means only the most capable do it. They always have a maths group that runs in the same timetable block as the maths/FM group so they can easily drop FM if they find the pace too quick. So they make it very easy to drop FM, but pretty much impossible to have it as anything other than a fourth ‘extra’ A level.

So DS1 doing his Maths FM Physics and Computer Science has just disclosed that school also insists that they all start an EPQ … also email received about compulsory maths tutoring of the younger years . Now if this was me I would be feeling pressured I think . Apparently DS1 is fine and nor feeling pressured … I’ve explicitly told him to tell me if that changes - not sure what more I can do - but I am a bit worried . I thought taking FM was going to be challenge enough

Wow @waitingquietly that is a lot. I think I would be worried too.

Some schools say FM or EPQ. DD doing FM a 4th Alevel, tutoring a Y11 and there is a meeting about EPQs.

Like you, I think that's a lot...I assume we have to look at each uni's entrance requirements to see if their offers say anything about EPQs.

Certainly no uni requires an EPQ. A number of unis (for a number of courses) will give a lower offer for a high grade EPQ (A or Astar). There was an interesting thread on this recently and I do accept the view of (I think) an EPQ supervisor who says they are a great way to learn to research independently – and also if there is a topic a DC is interested in it can make good material for PS/uni interview if applicable.

But the general view is that if doing the EPQ means A level grades will suffer, it is not worth it. Neither of my uni DC did one and both got offers from excellent unis.

DS1 had to do an HPQ in year 9 which he got an 8 in - the whole year did it - I didn’t really even notice him do it !

I specifically told him not to do an EPQ when he put in his sixth form application - he is definitely the sort of kid who would end up with lower a level grades by adding in an EPQ .

He’s 17 now though and suddenly much less interested in any advice from me so I’m sitting nervously on my hands 🤦🏻‍♀️

Our school do four “slots” but do not encourage a fourth a level in that last slot. If you’re taking FM then that has to go in the fourth slot (all a-levels are taken at the end of year 13). EPQ is also for the fourth slot and we have a first aid qualification, a computing qualification and something else (finance related?) that they can also choose. DS did an EPQ and got a couple of standard offers reduced as he got an A in it.

I have no idea if Ratty does actual A'level maths at the end of year 12!

I don't think he does actually, according to the text books we have had to get, because he upgraded, if you want to call it that, from maths to further maths, all I can make out is the text books for the whole of maths a'level are his Y12 books and then he has x3 more for Y13.

I will check it out at parents's chat beginning of October.

I don’t think any unis ask for EPQs but might give them a lower grade offer if they do well.
My friend is an admissions tutor for Oxford. Said it often gave a discussion point at interview which was useful.

Mine is starting an EPQ - because they wouldn't let her do four A-Levels. Planning to do it on the educational/societal change brought about by the Red Cross educational programme in POW camps in WWII - because we have a lot of primary source docs on this. Niche, though.

No idea if they'll approve it as her first EPQ lesson is today. Just hoping it will make her more interesting to unis I think!

My DD was told nothing too narrow for her EPQ. She wanted to do a niche question and her school told her to broaden it significantly.

I guess they'll guide her @Araminta1003 - I wouldn't have a clue. No EPQ's in my day!

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - may depend on the school. But an analogy would be that her topic is “Red cross educational programmes and their impact” and then her niche question is one chapter.

Yes it can depend as it is a 5000 word project so you need to make sure you have enough scope and depth to have a thorough debate, and look at your question with detail. That way you have enough themes and discussion points. Sometimes it just involves making the question look at a few different maim points etc.

@waitingquietly that does sound a lot, from what I have seen already with DS doing 4 the workload seems a lot, and I wouldn’t be keen on him doing an EPQ as well as he has a lot of sporting commitments out of college too. From what I have seen when we looked at unis, at least for what he is interested in (engineering), some drop the offer with a good grade in an EPQ or FM, but nothing extra for doing both.

My eldest did epq alongside 4 a levels, 1 of which was further maths. The school expected the epq and he did something related to football financing. He dropped the further maths at the start of upper 6th but actually it was the workload for history that he found most challenging. The further maths meant a very full timetable and I believe some of his year did further maths as their 3rd a level. He got offers for all 5 choices on ucas, no uni interviewed which surprised me. I’m sure that’s subject specific though. He’s just started at his first choice uni so it did work out. He did a fair bit of extra curricular stuff during 6th form too.

@katgab I think my DS would love an EPQ about football financing!

For those that have helped with our dilemma - just thought I'd update. His top choice uni have come back to us and said that his Y12 maths grade would form part of an offer along with two our of three of his Y13 A levels. So, his fourth A level (final decision was economics, unless he's found out at school today that the class is full...) really is just to prove he can handle the workload of three in Y13, rather than having to worry too much about the grade itself.

At what point do sixth forms tend to cut off the option of switching subjects - can anyone advise? I'm sure they're all different, but just to get a general idea. DS is not sure about carrying on with A level maths. He's finding it quite hard, despite getting an 8 for GCSE. If he does give it up he might switch to core maths instead (he's already doing three other subjects) but I'm wondering how quickly he needs to decide.

Also, his school does core maths over two years - am I right in thinking that as it's an AS level he'd have half the number of lessons per week compared to other subjects?

Pretty sure at DS1s school it’s half term - it’s not advertised as an option really though

At what point do sixth forms tend to cut off the option of switching subjects - can anyone advise?

DD2 been told this week - which is earlier than usual - they started on 1 September so it's third week already.

One of her friends tried to swap campus - the plan to go in with another fell though when other girl didn't get the grades and stuck to the school sixth form - but got told it was too late on Monday.

So best off asking the school and teachers in question - it may be less an issue switching to another maths course.

If he just wanted to drop from 4 to 3 I don’t see any problem with when he does it. It is the fact he wants to pick up core maths that complicates things. Do you know how much core maths and a level maths overlap in the first term?

Start of October for us with a stress that it’s a balance between “sooner rather than later” and “make sure you’ve given it a proper go”!

It was two weeks for DD’s school!

We have been advised this Friday.

I want to share a photo of DD's final piece for GCSE AQA Art with someone. There's a chance it might become public.

Is that allowed now results day has passed?