‘Star’ GCSE pupil flopping A Levels - Advice?

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DD, Y12, has always loved school and been a high achiever academically and a real ‘joiner’ (sports teams, debate club, all sorts of extra curricular stuff). She aced her GCSEs (Grades 8 & 9 in everything) and decided to stay at her school Sixth Form and do A Levels.

She hates it. Everything about it. Hates her subjects, but hates the idea of all the other subjects too. Hates academic writing at this level. Completely unmotivated to do her homework and and is way behind. Anxious and crying most days. Says she ‘just can’t do any of it’ and doesn’t understand why. Has stopped joining in with any extra curricular stuff at school and is generally extremely negative about all aspects of school.

Her attendance has always been close to 100%, but is now 70%. She just failed her mid year mocks in two of her three subjects and we have been called into school for a meeting. School have been supportive thus far, made adjustments, helped her plan her work, extended deadlines etc. But to no avail.

She is a good girl - mature outlook, thoughtful, kind, responsible (comes home when she says she will etc). Never had any issues with behaviour. She has friends and still has some outside hobbies (dance, music) which she loves. She just seems to have totally lost heart with A Levels and is now questioning whether university is for her.

Im just at a loss as how to support her. Tried listening, advising, practical support, offered a tutor. Tried ‘tough love’ and saying she just had to get through and see it as a means to end.

Now thinking maybe A Levels were the wrong choice for her? But what else does a bright but clearly not-interested-in-the-academic girl do instead?

Your describing my DD. She hated A levels and dropped out by october half term. She secured a level 3 apprenticeship in a solicitor’s and got a level 3 in business admin, they kept her on and she did a level 4 shes now in the NHS at band 4 in their legal/finance team theres scope to be put through an apprenticeship degree next year. Or shes considering applying for law. But at 20 shes now earning just shy of 30k so its worked out ok in the end even though its not the traditional academic route.

Sounds exactly like my own DD, currently in Year 11 and on course to do really well in her GCSEs. Naturally very bright but very hardworking too, takes part in everything in school.
She's got a place at a good 6th form college to do A levels but she also auditioned for a performing arts college as that's her real passion. We never thought she'd get in but she did so I think she's going to go. Follow your dreams and all that. The Level 3 Extended Diploma will still get her into most universities.

Were there any discussions about alternatives to A levels? Could she switch an A level to Drama or Dance?
Is it a friendship thing? Y12 can be hard and a lot of girls get boyfriends or girlfriends then.
Burnout? Sounds like she worked really hard for her GCSEs.

You could have been writing about my daughter, who is now in y13. She aced GCSEs, all 8s and 9s, but really struggled with the new style of learning at A level, anxiety sky rocketed and felt really down, was getting E's in tests. Then came a diagnosis for ADHD and autism, which she had masked for years. GCSEs were easy as they are mostly spoon fed, whereas A levels require more independant thinking and focus which she struggled with. Now however after stabilising on ADHD meds and a move to a different college, she is doing much better and is getting Bs. In hindsight I think she should have dropped one of her subjects and replaced it with something less academic to take some of the pressure off. She is doing Chem, Biology and Maths and has decided to resit this year to give herself the best chance of getting the grades she wants for Uni.

I stayed on at sixth form and hated every second of it - got e’s in all my mocks, despite having always been in the top thee in the year in all subjects (except pe!) before then. Had about a 50% attendance - weirdly ended up with all b’s - I studied, politics, English and history - and went to uni which I also hated. Dropped out and got a job in accountancy even though I hated maths at school (although good at it). Studied via day release and loved it - passed my exams and have had a good career so far. Maybe vocational is the way for her.

So, at least she's doing well in Eng Lit. so celebrate the positive. The combination of the 3 subjects is challenging her so can she change one of the subjects to a less essay based one? If she's a natural at French or music maybe she can make up the lost ground and not need to start again in Sept? I've no idea but it would be a shame if a bright girl was defeated so early in life but there are other routes to success. 6th form college may have a different style and provide a fresh start. She doesn't like maths but could she grin and bare it to get a non essay qualification in the bag? What about a tutor?

Poor thing. Anxiety can cripple your ability to study, learn and do exams. Is counselling an option? Restarting year 12 could be possible

My DD was a straight A student until she got to 6th form. Her attendance was fine as was her classwork but she made an awful mess of AS's and her A levels, just scraping the 3 D's she needed for her course. She got to university however and fell in love with study, ending up with a 1st Class degree. She was always mature, sensible, responsible but picked the wrong subjects for 6th form. However she turned it round and has done brilliantly ever since.

Today’s teenage girls are incredibly hard on themselves and increasingly feel the pressure of expectation. Add in adhd /neurodivergence and they’re like a cauldron of anxiety waiting to boil over

It’s point where lots of girls who managed /masked with adhd fall apart.

I completely failed my Year 12 exams and ended up with 4 As at A Level. I had been bright and had managed GCSEs without stress, but didn't actually know how to study and was not from a fmaily who had any idea of study techniques. I actually met friend whose dad was an academic and she taught me how to study. I could easily of flunked a levels without her. I got the idea and concepts but just didn't get what I was supposed to do. I was a bit like this at Uni too. I felt like I'd just not 'got' a ket bit of info although I've always enjoyed the actual learning part.

As an alternative my nephew has just got a degree apprenticeship with one of the Big 4 companies after completing a T Level. I think A Levels being the prestigious qualification are on the way out. One of my former A Level students is now 24 and earning way more than me. She bought a flat in central Manchester. She was a really bright students (As at A Level) but chose not to go to Uni. Your daughter is obviously bright but maybe the A Levels apthway isn't for her--but that doesn't make her a failure by any means.

This happened to me at Uni, I had picked the wrong subjects for me. Essay writing just became a chore and with ADHD it is so hard to organise yourself or focus when something feelsbso huge and overwhelming. However if she got an A in English all is not lost!

Do you by any chance have an IB School
or College near you? Still challenging but more breadth plus a project element. A Levels are hard and can be boring. My DS was exactly the same and started afresh at college.

I could have written this about my DS in Year 13. He aced his GCSEs too and has always enjoyed school - in fact has been quite the ‘goody goody’ but similarly has really hated 6th form. Just everything about it. Hasn’t enjoyed his subjects and struggled with motivation for them. Quite a lot of his friends moved to other colleges after high school and his timetable doesn’t also fit his remaining friend’s timetables so I think there is some element of the social side not being how it was, but he just says he doesn’t enjoy being sat in a classroom anymore. Unfortunately his 3 subjects are very academic and not at all creative which I think doesn’t help. Together with the fact that for his career path he won’t be going to university so I think he’s not feeling that sense of needing his A levels to get into a much wanted course.
It is disheartening to see him unhappy when he has always loved school but I guess it’s not for everyone. It was kind of refreshing to read such a very similar post. We have done our best to support him and got an online tutor to help with one of his subjects as we thought that may help as I think he’s just feeling overwhelmed with it all.

It sounds like you're doing your best to care and support her. I wonder if some time out to totally relax over Easter might help, so she can recharge. I also wonder if just taking time out, doing some work experience, re evaluating and starting fresh at college in September might be the best option.
If she wants to give it a real shot, have you tried a tutor? You can do it via zoom to ensure its a specialist for each subject, at A level and they're normally amazing. I was a bit similar to your dd -- although when I did A levels it was modular so it was just 1 module of history I got an E for. She got an A in English, so she's obviously all over that one. Which maybe suggests it could be the teaching and her engagement with the other subjects? Is she enjoying the English teaching/subject as well as doing well in it?
I luckily got a change in teacher (I got an A */9 in new money in history gcse) and went from an E in my first a level module to a high A by the end of the courseeven with that blip still on record. I think the teaching makes such a massive difference, because it isn't just learning the information like for GCSE, its learning how to argue, discuss, debate and answer the essay questions the right way - its such a different technique to GCSE and if she's used to just "learning" info, its a real change in style. I think a really good tutor might be able to turn your daughter back onto the subjects and help her perform too. I also have adhd and if the teaching doesn't grab me, I zone out or find it really hard to focus and then it all mounts up and becomes overwhelming. If she wants to see it through I'd give a professional a go, who can work 121 with her, see where it's not working and focus their teaching around her needs and then see how it goes.

I did well at GCSE but found A levels hard and uni even more so. I realise now (after my son’s diagnosis) that it is highly likely I have ADHD and this is why I found it harder to self
motivate to study beyond GCSE.

I’m now a teacher and doing well but it was hard going to get here.

I'd make an agreement that she completes the year and tries her best but explore other options for next year. It may help to take the pressure off a bit.

It is a lot of writing based subjects but perhaps it's better she finds this out now.

She could look at either switching at least one subject or doing a college course instead.

If she completes the year it gives her time to consider whether university is for her. Rather than history she might prefer something that bridges science and humanities like archaeology.

And if that's not the path she wants then a more vocational course is better.

Reassure her that it's not the end of the world to make a mistake and a year is nothing but as most of her options won't start til September, she is as well sticking it out until then.

I'm a secondary school teacher.

I was going to say your daughter sounds like she has Autism/ADHD from your first post, and then read your update about the ADHD pathway - I wouldn't be surprised if she is also autistic, to be honest, as girls in particular are so good at masking.

Year 12 is a slog and a huge shock to the system. A Levels are far more challenging than a degree, I would say - and the leap between GCSE and A Levels is huge on a cognitive level. So it isn't unusual for students who have aced GCSEs to slump and struggle. Your daughter is doing the three most heavily essay-based subjects at A Level, all of which require independent thinking and a huge amount of knowledge acquisition. English Literature (my own subject) is incredibly challenging at this level - the leap from GCSE is enormous - so the fact she's getting an A in that is very promising. Digging into what's working in English may help understand what's not working in History and Politics. Is it a teaching issue, is it a content issue, or is it the memorisation of the facts that she won't be needing to do as much of for English? Does she naturally find it easier to write in the style required for English, and find it more challenging to write in the required style for History/Politics? Understanding why she is able to be successful in one subject and not the others can reveal a lot about how her brain works and what's motivating her right now.

The low grades in History and Politics could be down to the executive functioning skills required and the quite rigid style of essay writing that she may be struggling with processing. There is a nuanced difference between the style of writing required for English compared to History and Politics, and she's clearly struggling to understand what that looks like, as well as probably struggling to retain the amount of factual content she's required to learn.

It is too late to change subjects now and still be able to continue into Year 13, so your options are:

1. Hit the pause button. Drop out of school, have some time to rest and recuperate, and then make a new plan for next year. A more vocational course (BTEC, T Levels, IBCP) might suit her better, or a different combination of A Levels, or an apprenticeship. Going to college rather than school might also be the answer.
2. Stick with the current A Levels, but once she has her official diagnosis, get support in place for school - extra time in her exams - and executive functioning coaching. This often makes a huge difference. She needs help with understanding how to study for her specific subjects. She's getting an A in English Lit - which is harder than History and Politics on a cognitive level - so she is intellectually capable, she's just not working in the right way to be able to cope with it. With support, she should be able to pass and then move on to the next phase, if she can handle studying these subjects that she doesn't actually like for another year.

Whatever course of action you take, it will depend on what she is able to cope with, what she wants to prioritise, and whether she sees any value in continuing with her studies at school. Lots of students and parents hate the idea of retaking the year, but every student I've taught who has done it - for various reasons - has had a really positive outcome.

Good luck with it. I know it's so hard when they're so stressed and it can be difficult to know what's best to do, but be led by her - don't force her to continue if it's really not right. Some kids can power through on the proviso that's it's short term pain for long term gain, but for some that short term pain leads to mental health issues and real distress that really isn't worth it.

My ds got half way through his A levels courses & got to the stage he just couldn't go on. He left & spent 2 years doing other things like his political campaigning, being a trustee for a charity before applying to do a degree with a foundation year, he is now half way through his first year on his degree & loving it. There are different ways other than A levels.

Consider autism in addition to ADHD. Her story sounds a lot like my teenage years, and a lot of other girls who fell under the "gifted and talented" umbrella, while also being described as anxious, daydreamer etc.
My brain is currently fried due to the day from hell so I cannot put enough thoughts together to make any helpful suggestions. Just everything about your post screamed neurodivergent at me. Sending love and I hope the pressure eases soon ❤️

Sounds like she needs a change of scenery. Let her leave and think about what else she wants to do. For the rest of the year she can work, travel, volunteer at home or even abroad - all really beneficial. In sep she can start again with an apprenticeship or btec or even take another year out. She’s young and has lots of time but there’s no point keeping her where she’s not happy and not thriving.

I agree totally with the comments about the jump from GCSE to A level. Also that her well-being should be prioritised above all else.

Personally I feel she could not make up the missed ground, (6 months) in French, but would need to start again in September. This is both due to the higher level language skills and the course content. (Teacher of French here).

My younger daughter (now 30) did Year 12 at school, didn’t like it and to be quite honest, struggled a lot. She failed all of the exams and it was suggested she changed subjects (quite limited as she wanted to do nursing) or did resits (which she didn’t want to do as one teacher asked if she’d even written her name on the paper 🤬)
So she left and did 2yrs of Health & Social care at a local college - once she was 18 she also worked on the agency at the local hospital
She gained 3 distinctions and a place on the Adult Nursing course at Uni
She graduated with a 2:1 and went straight into a job, just as COVID hit she gained promotion to a ward sister and she has since gained further promotions and is now a Clinical Nurse Specialist running her own clinics
A’ Levels are not the be all and end all and your daughter is clearly not happy in the current situation so please assure her there are other ways to gain qualifications
I wish her well (and you too) as I know how hard it is to see your child struggling when they haven’t in the past

14-19 teacher here. Sadly this can be quite common. Often students go from being high flying KS4 students to poor performances in KS5 (and I was one of them!). The jump from
GCSE to A Level is hugely underestimated by students but students are often very underprepared for A Levels by teachers. When students start 6th form in Sept of Yr12, it was only 10 weeks prior that they were Yr11 students but all of a sudden they are expected to have matured, nailed down effective study habits etc and frankly any preparation and habits they were in for GCSE just doesn’t cut it at A Level.

A great book that addresses all of the above and shares lots of helpful and effective strategies is The A Level Mindset that introduces the VESPA mindset.

FWIW, I was very similar to your daughter - got 9 A/A* grades at GCSE and then totally fell apart in Y12, barely went to school, heading for low grades at AS Level. My parents were splitting up and in retrospect it hit me hard.

My mum let me take the rest of Y12 and what should have been Y13 out and I worked full time in a clothes shop. I realised I was bored and needed to do something to move on with my life, went back for 6th form, did A Levels, went to university just a year behind my peers who did a gap year (which I had sort of already done), did a PGCE and now I’m a headteacher!

I asked my mum afterwards why she let me leave school and she just said she knew I was basically a sensible and intelligent girl, so she trusted I would turn out alright, and I did - yes she was quite smug about this.

All of which is to say, don’t feel your daughter has to stay on the same path as everyone else at this stage. Life is long, there is plenty of time for detours and double backs.

Please share this with her...
I was very similar, aced my GCSEs and went onto sixth form. I studied the A levels needed for medicine (although it wasn't that it was my dream to do it or anything, just I didn't have a clue what else to do!) and after about a month, I just couldn't cope with them anymore. I can't even really explain why, even now! It wasn't that they were particularly difficult or that I wasn't with my friends or anything. I suppose not knowing what I wanted to do in the future left me with less motivation than some of my friends and I was at the age where I was starting to feel very grown up, but school sixth form was still very restrictive (got in trouble for missing any lessons, not allowed to leave site during free periods etc). Also, having always easily got top grades, I was worried about not getting As in everything. Anyway, around February time the head of sixth called me to his office and suggested that I took a break and returned the next year and chose slightly different subjects. I did that, but by that point I'd got so used to not being in education and having lots of freedom that I only lasted a few months.
It's been 18 years and I really regret not sticking it out. I was very, very capable but I'm now stuck working a minimum wage job with no qualifications. I would recommend to anyone to just try your best and try and get through it, even if you don't go straight onto uni after, at least you will have the choice later on. And don't worry about what grades you get, just do your best and be proud you did it!
And just to add, the more pressure my parents put on me to stay, the less I wanted to and I wasn't a rebellious teen in any way! I really wish that instead of trying to push me to stay, they helped me look at alternatives instead so I could have at least got the higher education qualifications.