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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

October A levels anyone?

356 replies

Skerryberry · 13/08/2020 20:44

With so many getting results they were disappointed with, are any DS/DD's choosing to take the October A levels ?

Are they taking all their A levels or just one or two?

How are they planning to motivate themselves with exams only 50 days away? DC has not opened a book since March... eek!

I may need some hand holding!!

OP posts:
Linus33 · 25/08/2020 02:53

He's doing Computer Science, Maths, Economics. Wants AAB for 1st choice uni. Has the B in hand but aiming for AA. There's a long way to go!

noblecause · 25/08/2020 19:22

Hope you don't mind me going. DD is also looking to do autumn exams. Still building a view of which ones and does she have enough time to revise. Have your schools told you when you need to let them know about intention to sit Exams?

noblecause · 25/08/2020 19:22

*joining (not going)

Original poster
Skerryberry · 25/08/2020 19:46

2nd September to let DS's school know as the last day to register is 4th September. We got in touch with the exams officer but some schools have the forms on their websites.

I would check this ASAP as you have around a week to decide and register.

OP posts:
kitnkaboodle · 25/08/2020 21:04

Hi all - glad this thread is still going and sorry to hear your DS is feeling down, Skerryberry. I hope it's better now.
My DS is soldiering on and has decided that he wants to 're'sit all four subjects: Maths, F. Maths Sad, Physics and Chem. Seems pretty upbeat about it. He had a lot of mitigating circumstances and didn't put much effort into mocks either. The school who gave him the CAGs had only known him since last September-March, so he feels he's 'misunderstood' and just needs a chance to shine. I'm a bit dubious, but he seems quite confident that he knows the syllabus. Impossible for me to know as those are hardly subjects that I'm au fait with ...

kitnkaboodle · 25/08/2020 21:08

Noble cause- our school told DS to email them by Sept 1st with resit requests. They have to register candidates by the 4th. I'd chase up your school if they aren't being proactive about it.
And ... it occurred to me that if DS decided in a few weeks that he actually didn't want to sit them all after all, he could probably withdraw from one of them without dire consequences...?

noblecause · 25/08/2020 21:44

Thank you - nothing proactive from the school so have emailed them to ask. It's all so daunting isn't it

kitnkaboodle · 25/08/2020 22:20

Noble - the school are obliged to offer the resits if they were going to be holding the exams this year so you have every right to push them on it!

Original poster
Skerryberry · 26/08/2020 07:51

And the exams should be free if sat at the student's registered school for Y13.

OP posts:
Ginfizzlife · 27/08/2020 07:36

An Oxford medic student has been collating a list of students willing to provide free help those sitting the autumn a levels. Her name is Tolu Duckworth and her twitter name is @duckwhaaat
There is a searchable google doc with all the subjects, exam boards etc with contact details.

docs.google.com/document/d/1a3wrhz6fv-DVAy8ing9749DV57OeGvhkl1YnwQxgbEo/edit#heading=h.o10chbvcynmb

schmedz · 27/08/2020 09:56

@Ginfizzlife That's brilliant - thanks for sharing.

kitnkaboodle · 27/08/2020 13:24

That's a great resource - thank you. I do wonder what the numbers will be like for those taking the exams in Oct. Even the relative absence of people on this thread makes me think that it might only be a small handful. DS doesn't personally know anyone else doing them. I'm imagining it's going to be him stuck in a broom cupboard at school somewhere with an invigilator, which tbh is much less daunting than being in a hall full of nervous people! Anybody else got a feeling for the likely numbers? I expect it will have dropped out of the media spotlight by October, although I guess there might be some news after the registration on Sept 4th.

Ineffableself · 27/08/2020 19:37

My DD will be doing retakes in October. She has two disabilities which affect her. I emailed Ofqual and asked them:

  1. How will they accommodate the fact that DD's class did not complete the content of any of her courses in the October exams? Their reply was that the schools should be contacted to address any missing content. However, the schools are not obliged to help, so in that instance the students will have to do the study independently.

  2. Disabled students are entitled to help to prepare for exams how is this being addressed? Their reply was that the schools should be approached for help, but they do not have to actually provide any help.

  3. How will a childs disabled requirements be addressed in the October exams, i.e. extra time, coloured exam paper, etc? They did not bother answering this question.

I am so angry and frustrated that no one cares. DD is at the point of giving up. She is trying hard to revise, but does not have any of the support she needs. We do not even have text books as the school took them back in July. The school are offering no help as technically DD is no longer a student there. She already has to work twice as hard at everyday things and this situation is just a further kick in the teeth.

kitnkaboodle · 27/08/2020 21:32

Ineffable- that's terrible. Did the school not offer any help or advice on results day?? I would be knocking on their door as soon as they are open next week.
This might be a long shot, and not the type of advice you're looking for, but do you think the school might let your DD retake the year if all else fails? I asked my DS if he would consider that but he wasn't prepared to do that ....

loveyouradvice · 27/08/2020 21:40

We know quite a number taking the October exams... several who just need to do one exam and bump it up one grade or two to meet their Uni offer with a deferred place for next year ....

And Art in particular is popular for bumping up the grade as its the only time ever one can do the exam by just doing one major piece of work in exam conditions, so less hard to prepare for if one is already champing at the bit.... so many of those with art coursework seem to have lost out

Those who seem to have two to do seem to be delaying until the Summer, realising that after six months of not studying this is more realistic to get the results they want....

loveyouradvice · 27/08/2020 21:42

Good advice we have received is to sign up for any that you might want to retake as you can always withdraw at any stage without any impact... given the exams are free, there is no cost and no uni will ever know you signed up and withdrew.

It seems like sage advice for those preparing for the exams and not yet sure if they will be ready.....

loveyouradvice · 27/08/2020 21:45

Where I am struggling is with how the universities are seeing the different exams.... There seem to be three schools of thought. Almost all unis agreed October exam is 2020 grade and can only bump it up, so not a resit - which is how it is designed but then it gets confusing...

  1. Summer exam is a resit - even if you haven't sat any exams
  1. Summer exam is not seen as a resit by some unis, given this exceptional year
  1. Summer exam is not seen as a resit by some unis IF YOU HAVENT TAKEN THE OCTOBER EXAMS..... this is the cat among the pigeons! Tough to get clarity on ... and I hope there will be more before the October exams, so that students can factor this into their decision whether to retake or not
kitnkaboodle · 27/08/2020 22:15

I would hope that for 2021 uni applications, the admissions people would be flexible regarding what's a resit and what isn't... and maybe not even care. The kids who are sitting exams in October in order to improve their grades, or even waiting until next summer if their schools allow, will surely not be penalised for putting in that extra effort??

Ineffableself · 28/08/2020 09:25

@kitnkaboodle

Ineffable- that's terrible. Did the school not offer any help or advice on results day?? I would be knocking on their door as soon as they are open next week. This might be a long shot, and not the type of advice you're looking for, but do you think the school might let your DD retake the year if all else fails? I asked my DS if he would consider that but he wasn't prepared to do that ....
The school did not open on results day because of Covid. They emailed all the results out. They refused to respond to any phone calls and would only respond to emails on the Friday, Oddly they fully opened for GCSE results.

I did manage to get through to the SENDCo when they opened for GCSE's. As DD is no longer at the school they say they cannot offer any help. She was not sure how making adjustments, such as extra time, would work but said she would get back to me as soon as she found out. I am still waiting.

If DD resits the full year then they can offer help. However, DD had a fairly horrible time at the school and refuses to go back. Equally the school is saying the students can only return if they retake all three courses. They do not get any funding for less. As DD 'got a C (needed a two B's and a C for uni) in one of her exams she does not want to resit it and risk failing it entirely.

She is happy to do the October resits, but we would just like some clarity and support on the SEN side of things. She is becoming more and more demotivated and depressed because she does not believe she can do it. We are the only family I know putting in for resits.

I will be going in next week to fight DD's side but I suspect it is going to be an uphill battle.

babster · 28/08/2020 09:49

Ineffableself - any access arrangements that had been put in place for summer exams can be rolled forward until 27 November 2020. Please refer the SENCo to the JCQ Supplementary AA Guidance for 2021-21 exams (assuming that your daughter is taking exams governed by the JCQ - Cambridge exam board has its own regulations). I hope your dd will get what she needs.

kitnkaboodle · 28/08/2020 13:22

Ineffable - oh gosh how awful to have an unhelpful school like that ... DS's school allowed you to book appointments to see the head of 6th on the day. We had almost an hour with her (no social distancing or masks! Quite a shock but we didn't care at the time) She offered help with UCAS and also said that the teachers might do some revision sessions in September for any 'year 14s' out of goodwill. I'm a bit sceptical about the last bit. It does sound to me as if your DD might benefit from more time and help as it all sounds hugely stressful. If she now has a 'spare year' to fill, is there any chance you can do something privately for next summer instead? Online tuition? Hugely expensive, I know, though. Or try in October anyway and consider resits in June if that fails?? As I say up thread, I really can't believe that unis will care much who has sat what and how many times in 2020/21...

Ineffableself · 28/08/2020 15:05

Thank you for all the support. Until I found this thread I was feeling very lonely and overwhelmed. It is awful watching your child give up.

Had a potentially good piece of news today. DD's first choice of uni emailed to say they are interested in offering her place next year. DD has been in contact with them regarding the issues she had a school with her disability and lack of support. She has to contact them to discuss it further. It is not clear whether it is an open offer, or dependent on her resit grades. At least it is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Thank you for the JCQ reference babster. I shall read through that today. School are suppose to be contacting us to arrange a meeting, but so far we have heard nothing.

If DD gets her offer place I know she will not want to do the resits. I am not sure whether to try and talk her into it as it is a chance to up her grades with no damage to the C pass. I'm not sure whether low A-level grades will impact her in the future.

She is at work now, so we will have to have a chat when she gets home.

kitnkaboodle · 28/08/2020 16:08

That is good news. tbh if it's an unconditional offer then I wouldn't personally bother with the resits unless it is a matter of pride (and even then I wouldn't necessarily rush to do them in October ..) I like to think that a lot of unis will operate with flexibility and compassion to the class of 2020 (fingers crossed ...)

noblecause · 28/08/2020 23:19

It's a good thing we followed up with the school - they had needed to know by the end of this week. She also has access arrangement and assumed that she would automatically get these. Will clarify. Am assuming school will confirm entry for autumn exams - as they normally do. DD has started some revision but is having good and bad days. Feeling overwhelmed. Just trying to focus on got nothing to lose.

Original poster
Skerryberry · 29/08/2020 08:09

What exam(s) did your DD decide to sit in the end. DS had a good week of maths revision. He is starting physics in earnest today. We now have tutors for both.

OP posts:
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