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Textiles A level for Politics & IR degree?

30 replies

Stormer · 20/09/2022 18:18

DD, 17, is in Year 13, her last year of sixth form. She has autism, ADHD and anxiety and for those reasons has an EHPC. Her EHCP states as she's academic she needs to be at a mainstream school and she's been at small independents. She had to change sixth forms for the last term of Year 12 as her last sixth form were not meeting her needs by a long stretch and were awful.

She moved to her new sixth form and carried on doing her 3 A levels of English Lit, Economics and Politics. As her current school require all to do 4 A Levels in year 12, and then usually drop one, she also took up Textiles. She was doing really well with that but as she wants to read Politics and International Relations at university she dropped textiles for Year 13.

However... because she changed schools midway through A Levels she also changed exam boards, which meant she was somewhat behind. She's been struggling with focus as we haven't been able to find ADHD meds yet that help without causing awful side effects. I've just had a chat with her personal tutor about predicted grades and apparently DD is struggling with having three essay subjects and so isn't showing her potential.

It's been suggested she drop Economics as that's the one she is struggling with the most. It's the subject she's least enjoying by far. In contrast, she loved Economics GCSE and was a straight 9 student throughout for that. But she's finding the A level classes boring, particularly she's doing stuff she covered, and she's not focusing well enough. The idea by the school is if she drops that and does a subject that's not as essay based, she'll have more bandwidth for the other two.

We've been looking at universities and she's chosen her top two, which I agree with. She'll need to get AAB for those. She can achieve that for politics and English if she works hard but at the moment it's looking like she won't for Economics unless there's a big change. S. She has a good set of GCSESs: 10 GCSEs with 9 of them grade 7 and above, plus one 6.

She loved textiles and was doing really well in it, and it gave her a nice balance of doing something sensory and practical. So I'm thinking of suggesting she change from Economics to Textiles. However I'm worried that Politics, English Lit and Textiles isn't as academic and universities may be less likely to offer her a place. Thoughts?

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Shinyandnew1 · 20/09/2022 18:22

My DC both did graphics at A level with a mix of other subjects. Both got A stars and really loved it-it’s a great subject, lots of skills and a nice creative option which can be a good alternative from the more academic choices. They are now both at RG universities.

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Verbena87 · 20/09/2022 18:27

One of my a level textiles students is currently doing politics at uni. However, it’s a portfolio subject (60% coursework) and if she’s dropped it, it may be a real struggle to generate sufficient depth and quality of work to achieve her full potential grade-wise now. Definitely go and chat to the textiles teacher.

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Stormer · 20/09/2022 18:33

Thanks both, grateful to you.

I think it may be good for DD to switch. She didn't do textiles for most of Year 12 as they didn't offer it at her old school, but her textiles teacher said it was fine because most of the work would be in Year 13. She did a full term of it in Year 12. She's only just dropped it so if she was to quickly take it back up, she may be OK? She's at a small school where she has the option of going in and using the textiles room whenever so if she put the work in, she may be fine. She was very focused at it apparently and naturally creative.

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Verbena87 · 20/09/2022 19:20

That’s grand, yes, she can do it! If it’s art & design rather than design technology, it’s quite free so she’ll be able to explore political issues in her work too which can be a great way of exploring bits of the subject that she’s interested in but may not have scope to dig into in politics.

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Stormer · 20/09/2022 23:47

Ooh @Verbena87 you've got me rather excited now.
Yes it's art & design and the project is self-chosen and very wide. She was going to do something that was feminist and quasi political for her project anyway. Sustainable fashion is something that was covered in one university's talk on International Relations. I have ideas now that it's something she could discuss in her UCAS application to tie in the textiles A Level.

This is all great for me to know because since DD is autistic, her knee-jerk reaction on being advised to change anything can be no. She does miss textiles. Having this info from you - how she can tie it in and that there are people studying politics with this A Level - can be a way I can frame the suggestion to her.

DH however thinks that she should stay with Economics and not change, and just apply herself more. He said she is capable. This is true. But she came back refreshed and has already been told off for getting easily distracted in Economics class and distracting another student.

My thoughts are that she had a very unsettled last 2 years with two school changes (one naturally as her school didn't have a sixth form) and Covid and her MH was damaged by Covid and treatment from the last school. So she needs to make things easier on herself and do the subject she is most likely to apply herself in.

I'm asking her personal tutor to ask the textiles teacher if she thinks DD can reach a B or even an A if she re-takes up textiles and works hard. If the answer is yes then I'm going to suggest it to DD and see what she says.

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Piggywaspushed · 21/09/2022 06:57

It doesn't matter one little bit which A levels you do for a politics degree. Obviously, most do history or politics- or an essay subject anyway- as one of the subjects but , otherwise, there are no requirements.

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Dotcheck · 21/09/2022 07:01

Yes, it’s fine.
You can check entry requirements via www.ucas.com

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Stormer · 21/09/2022 07:40

Thank you! I checked the requirements for her top university and all it says is no General Studies A Levels.

@Piggywaspushed DD’s also doing English Lit and Politics, not giving those up, so she has essay subjects.

I’ll have to see how she feels about going back to it and giving up Economics.

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Dannexe · 21/09/2022 07:54

Which universities?

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Stormer · 21/09/2022 09:00

We still have quite a few university open days to go to but they’re all Russell Group universities in England with one or two that aren’t, mostly in the Midlands or in the North. None of them exclude Textiles A level. DD meets the requirements other than obviously not having her grades yet.

Why @Dannexe ?

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TrufflesForBreakfast · 21/09/2022 09:03

Absolutely fine. Dd got offers for all the courses she applied to in business-related subjects from four Russell Group unis. One of her subjects was textiles.

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TrufflesForBreakfast · 21/09/2022 09:04

(Sorry, one of her A level subjects was textiles!)

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TrufflesForBreakfast · 21/09/2022 09:06

And I should make clear, she applied for five courses at four unis, so no rejections on the strength of her a level subjects. Her other two subjects were 'strong' ones.

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Stormer · 21/09/2022 09:06

Ah great to hear cheers @TrufflesForBreakfast

Did she do 3 A levels as opposed to 4?

And did she enjoy Textiles?

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Stormer · 21/09/2022 09:08

X posts on the number of A levels

Well done your DD getting all those offers.

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ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 21/09/2022 09:08

I taught Textiles A level (DT) for 20 years.

Its just another A level, you can get into any course with it, including RG and law. I’ve had nurses, midwives, scientists, sociologists, solicitors, marketing peeps and teachers take it. Amongst loads of others.

It also often cuts out the need for a foundation course for any design course. It’s a STEM subject, and the exam part is hard. It’s 50% coursework 50% exam.

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ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 21/09/2022 09:09

It also shows breadth of study.

It wasn’t the Art and Design one l taught, it was Textiles product design now known as Fashion/Textiles A level.

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Dannexe · 21/09/2022 09:12

I only asked because she will effectively be trying to do a whole A Level in a year which is not an easy ask. If she is therefore applying to high ranking universities which are likely to ask for higher grades she may find that difficult.

obviously it’s a meeting and a detailed discussion with the school but most schools will be getting to the end of content now and focussing on revision and exam technique and practice won’t they?

Id be concerned that the amount of time she will need to spend could impact on all of her subjects. So I’d want some firm reassurance from the school.

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Dannexe · 21/09/2022 09:20

I’m not a teacher though, just a parent of a Year 13.

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Stormer · 21/09/2022 09:33

I’ve just checked @ArseInTheCoOpWindow and the one at DD’s school is Textile Design, AQA board. Is that the one that is the successor name wise to the one you taught on? It’s 60% coursework and 40% exam.

I didn’t know it was a STEM subject, that’s great.

Yes good points @Dannexe and obviously that’s my concern too. As I said above the grades she needs are AAB (textiles could be her B) and she did a whole term of it in the summer. Her textiles teacher gave her a glowing end of year report and said with work she could get a good grade. She said it wasn’t a problem starting the course when DD did.
The school DD is at has a good reputation for arts and design, the classes are small and DD is a weekly boarder so has more access to the studios. I wouldn’t consider suggesting the change if none of this was the case!

Another big plus is that DD loves the textiles teacher and the textile teacher really gets her; neither of these things are the case with the economics teacher and given DD’s autistic, this is important. The head of 6th form had told me before the summer break that the textiles teacher would be said if DD gave it up when they dropped from 4 to 3, and that whenever the head of 6th form saw DD in the textiles studio DD was head down completely focused. Again, not the case with Economics unfortunately. With textiles though DD and the others put their headphones in while they work. Being able to do that as well as the sensory element of doing something hands-on was a really good contrast for her to her essay subjects.

Sorry, musing aloud, this all helps!

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Stormer · 21/09/2022 09:39

By whole term of it in the summer I mean the whole summer term, ie April to beginning of July. Not a course in the summer.

I’m going to ask the personal tutor to speak to the textiles teacher and get her view before deciding whether to broach it with DD. I wouldn’t be suggesting it if her personal tutor and head of sixth form hadn’t suggested it would be best for DD to change an option, but when it had been gently suggested to DD she change she said no. As expected, she doesn’t like change as a general rule. If I present her with this option of going back to textiles and how it will be good and won’t hinder her chances of getting to the Uni she wants grade permitting, she is likely to find that much more appealing.

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ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 21/09/2022 11:10

If it’s 60% coursework it’s the Art Textiles course.

Still shows breadth of study though.

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Stormer · 21/09/2022 11:22

Yes. Is it still a STEM subject @ArseInTheCoOpWindow ?!

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ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 21/09/2022 11:25

No, it’s the scientific theory that makes Dt a STEM subject.

Sorry

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BirdinaHedge · 21/09/2022 12:52

Hmmm, can't speak for other universities, but I teach in a much more arts/humanities field, and we sometimes have the reverse of your DD's A level range - that is, we have applicants with 2 arts/creative/essay subjects, plus, for example, Physics or Maths.

When I interview them (we still interview) I ask about the mix. I want to hear a coherent narrative about how the mix of stereotypically A&H (eg English and French), and stereotypically STEM (eg Maths) works, and why.

So if your DD can say in her Personal Statement that she's interested in the mix of subjects with a coherent intellectual reason eg Textiles developing her practical problem solving skills, and playing to her kinaesthetic or visual learning abilities, then I think that works.

But it's an excellent example of a really useful question to ask at Open Days of her target universities!

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