Advice please following GCSE's. What next?

[GianinaC]

My DD didn't get what she hoped in her GCSE's, she passed them all with 4's and 5's and a 6s. The 4's were in maths and sciences.

She really is adamant she wants to do A-Levels in the subjects she got 5's and 6s in but most 6th forms and colleges have slammed the door shut due to the 4's.

The other option is an extended BTec but the only option is a college that really isn't great IMO and out of the area.

I am struggling to know what is for the best. The cynical part of me feels the schools and colleges set the bar high so they can have a bigger certainty of success. She was literally marks away from 6's in the subjects she got 5's in.

I guess I have two questions.

Are A-Levels so hard that a 5 and 6 means she will likely fail?

Are Alevels going to help her more than a Btec extended?

Back when I did A-Levels (and passed), they just let me do them regardless of my poor GCSE results. A different time and perhaps they were easier then.

Everyone goes back next week, and it's been hectic. I wish they had the results earlier.

I'm not sleeping worrying about it.

Have you had any conversations with the school? With that profile we might take but have conversations that she needs to know that statistically it will be hard for her.

She would need to start strong, get good study habits in place from the start. Free periods are so tempting to socialise but for a weaker (for want of a better word and just in this context) student if they fall behind it can be a lot harder to catch up. If there is no work set then review the last few lessons, read the textbook and answer and questions there, read ahead to be prepared.

If the college you looked around the only alternative as that doesn’t sound like a good fit.

Sorry to hear OP. My DC slipped down too but scraped in to his chosen A levels. He was predicted higher and feels he didn’t work hard enough and was a bit complacent. I think pp is right about if expectations/ mocks etc were better it might give your DC a stronger chance with A levels

At one of DCs’ sixth form options I read about the destinations and there were a lot of DCs going to Unis and degree apprenticeships with BTECs - I was quite struck by it! Sixth form can also be 3 years so that could open options for retakes?

Best of luck

I thought you could do core subjects if you needed higher grades, but obviously you can't.

I agree with @JamesWebbSpaceTelescope - did she or you speak to the school on results day? I’m a bit surprised they wouldn’t take her with 6 in one chosen and two relevant subjects (English and RS) and a high 5 in history. Was the 5 the issue? Yes she would need to work hard and use her time well. She is unlikely to be looking at AAA but BCC atA level are still grades worth having that can take you to uni if you want that.

Are you very rural? Are there no other options? Does she have a space sorted somewhere for next week?

Does she have an offer from a 6th form to take her for the subjects she wants?

With 6s in English, Drama and RS and very close to a 6 in History then I think it sounds as though she would be capable of A-levels in the subjects she wants as long as she puts the effort in that she didn't for GCSE.

She may not be destined for A's but there are students that don't show fully what they are capable of until beyond GCSE's.

If she has an offer then I would suggest starting, given you both didn't feel that the college or the course was right.

If she is struggling then it would be possible to switch to college and start a 2 year course afresh next year.

Gently then, your options are:
-go back to the sixth forms you want and ask again at the start of term - but I think it's unlikely you'll get a yes at this point
-look at a wider geographic area and suck up a long journey if you can find one that will take her for a levels
-Accept the btec at the one you don't like and support her through that
-look at a non college route - work or apprenticeship (could be tricky at this point though and only really works if she knows what she wants to do)

You can feel hard done by but ultimately if the colleges won't take her, that's that.

My DD with 12 GCSES Bs and Cs did a BTEC went to uni and now is a very successful OT. My other DD also did a BTEC with 11 high GCSEs and has a private practice as a CBT now. I know where I would go

Getting low grade A levels and struggling is not an attractive proposition. Low A level grades are not a passport to much. She’s simply not academic. Therefore BTec is the way to go.

Does her school not offer any btecs at all, the ones that are one A level equivalent. DC's school does.

What about another school that offers BTecs? One college is very limiting - I agree. Of course they educate adults too. However they won’t necessarily be a majority on her course.