My dd has just started yr 12 and wants to study law, Cambridge being the dream. She has a fantastic work ethic and has always seemed bright, but did not get any A* at gcse and has never been in the top set, so I am a bit worried for her. Her secondary school education so far has been very mixed: 2 1/2 years at performing arts school, 1 term at local comp, 1 year electively home educated, 1 year at inner city FE College doing a 1 year resit gcse course. (Although she wasn't resisting any, she was the only under 16 ) She took a few IGCSE as a private candidate. She is now at a grammar school, so the teaching and preparation should be good enough. However I am wondering if how much academic ability can develop at this late (ish) stage.