WWYD - Defer A Levels to 2024, based on poor mock results

[Hardchoice]

Hi
Need advice. I have changed my username for this post.

DD did average in her mocks getting a BDDC in her 4 mock a level subjects.
I am now pondering that she does not sit the A Levels in 2023, as I expect the results to be no better. She attends a state school.

1. Therefore, if we defer would the universities for 2024 entry still consider a deferred 2024 exam sitting as the first exam sitting
2. Should I pull my DD out of school now before exam fees are paid by the school
3. Or continue studying as normal for now, but decide closer to exam time that DD should not do the exams, if she does not improve, and I pay any exam fees incurred back to the school.
4. Are there any legal penalties if we defer the sitting of exams to 2024

Yes. Dd retook yr 13 due to illness. Shd had to drop out of yr 13 but remained on roll

Cannot be bothered is not a reason
She should take exams and resit or go a differdnt direction

DDD will still get her into some unis if that is what she wants

This is not your decision, its entirely your DD’s decision.

Does your DD actually want to go to uni?

I am assuming she is 18, or very nearly. She doesn't seem to be getting much say in her future.

What is she apply to do after A levels?

Tbh, we don’t care what she wants to do, as long as she has the high scoring A Levels to support her applications for uni courses or apprenticeships. We’re being practical.

highly likely another school would turn her down, and her current school might not take her back

she needs to commit to this year and getting the best she can

If you withdraw her she could end up with no A levels and nowhere to take her A levels

Unless you have got a private sixth form lined up who have already agreed to take her, then no, don't withdraw - that is crazy

And if she is entered, but doesn't take them, she will have to enter Us on her Ucase application, for this year, as well as whatever she gets next years

No - the question was what does your DD want to do?

You seem to have a strange approach. All parents want their children to do well, but the most important thing is that they are happy.
You haven't once mentioned what your DDs views are, what she has said in discussions, what she wants.

She wants to get the grades, but is unable to change her learning habits, and snaps at us if we offer help such as videos, books, tuition. We can’t help with the subject content as we are out of our depth. She maybe unhappy due to her run of results, but we do speak as a family and are close.. I try to communicate what a competitive world it is out there for jobs.

All, thanks for the help. I will speak with the school, shortly. Bye.

With such a big discrepancy between predicted and mock grades surely the school are concerned? Could she have additional needs?

Honestly, I would think that only Oxbridge and the very top tier or extremely competitive courses would be that interested. What universities want is to see that all the A levels were sat at once and not piecemeal.

I know several students past and present who have resat year 12 or 13 to pass their A levels, and they all went to good universities and did well in their degrees.

@RSintes gives the best advice.

No, my reading of the OP was not that this is a punishment, but that the OP is trying to "game" the university entrance system by making this year not count so that DD doesn't get poor grades on her uni application. But as other posters have pointed out it's not a realistic solution (due to schools not accepting into Y13, universities looking for a 2yr A level window etc).

Much better to focus on the exams this summer OP. If DD is prepared to work really hard then it's definitely possible to turn these grades around.

Surely this is your daughters decision, not yours? I understand you're concerned and obviously want to guide and advice, but I don't think you get to make the call to 'pull out' a 17/18 year old from college.

What does she want to do?

Would the syllabus be identical? EG if doing English some of the texts may change.

Topics/texts may also be taught in a different order so there is a risk or redoing or missing some.

I’m not sure it would be allowed. My Dd was ill for most of year 13, spent quite a few weeks in hospital and had something like 55% attendance. Nobody mentioned about her not sitting exams and resitting the year. 🤷‍♀️. She bombed her A levels, did not meet her predictions.

This is up to your daughter completely, but I think she would be better to go ahead and sit the A-Levels and then repeat if need be, rather than defer.
Going back a LONG way, I got an E and maybe even an F for mock exams (in Ireland, so different state exams) and I got Cs in those subjects in the actual exams!

Stunned at this you sound so controlling. This is your daughters choice. Stop pressurising and controlling her.

My dc had bad mocks all the way through and somehow got ABB some kids just seem to cram at the last minute and get the grades (dc predicted was cdd)

There is time to improve. Dropping one subject is a viable option but retaking the year is not.

I would focus on supporting your dd to get as much work in as possible between now and the exams. I have seen many students pull their grades up by 2 or 3 grades in the time scale. Unusual but we have a few each year when they suddenly decide to knuckle down.

Changing schools is not an option really plus in my 25 years of experience teaching A levels in 6 different schools it is generally the student who is responsible and not the school! Especially where underperforming is across all subjects.

Stop going on about the future and focus on the here and now. Talking about the future can cause unneeded anxiety. Look at your friends and families and see whether they A level results were a major factor in their happiness and success in life and you will probably find it was not. Exam results are important but not the be all and end all.

Support her, don't panic her.

Find quiet spaces for her work, bring up snacks etc when revising, encourage her to put her phone elsewhere during studying. Small bribes might work too - my dd loves a treat of a takeaway if she works hard etc. Some kids just need extra motivation.

You need to take a step back and let her make her own choices and face the consequences of her actions ie don't work = fail/poor grades.

Dropping her weakest subject and working bloody hard between now & the real thing and she could come out with very decent results. Maybe not AAA but unless she's got her heart set on a particular uni /course, it really doesn't matter and you should applaud her efforts not dwell on what she could have achieved.

Stop all this nonsense talk of repeating a year and pulling her out of school - support her, talk to her but for the love of god let her get on with the work herself.

I agree with others that this is up to your daughter, but I think you are unduly catastrophising. BDDC (and dropping one to allow more time to be spent on the others) are really not awful results and there's no reason why they wouldn't improve enough for her to get into university or on apprenticeships (if that's her choice). I wonder if the predicted grades were actually realistic?

I would think deferring for a year is the worst choice - it will be very hard for her to maintain focus if she's already struggling now. Better to see if she can improve over the next few months - may be worth getting a tutor if you can afford one - see what her actual results are and work from there.

I put this a lot on these type of threads, but even if she fails to get the grades she'd hoped for, it doesn't mean she can't get to where she wants to go through a different route.

IMO she should sit her exams, then deal with the results afterwards. Maybe take a year out and/or look at universities that will accept the grades she achieves. Maybe a foundation year could be considered.

I assumes she doesn't want to take the exams in 2024?

Is this a case where the school has inflated the predicted grades ?

I appreciate kids can underperform in mocks but to drop 4/5 grades is extreme.

Like PPs I think you have to let her sit the exams and then deal with the situation after that

ETA agree re inflated predicated grades. 30 years ago I was predicated AAB - not a cat in hells chance I'd get this based on the effort I was putting in and ended up with D,E,U. Huge disappointment all round and had to cancel my gap year to retake but that was my own fault and made me focus and get decent results (although still not the predicated AAB!)

She wants to get good grades but doesn't really want to actually put any effort in, either that or she knows (almost certainly) its too late to catch up and its overwhelming.

Either way you should drop the rope.

Have the school explained why they think she did so badly against predicted ? As others have pointed out she completed all of year 12 so why was there no intervention if she wasn't coping or doing enough work?

Unless she is in a private 6th form there will be no 2024 attempt she will be too old and they wont get the funding and tbh they will have a new year 13 to concentrate on so they wont want her back - no state school will.

You may find a 6th form /adult college that might allow her to study as an adult learner.

My advice is to tell her she should try to knuckle down and put in as much work as she can over the next 3 months you will support her where you can but if she doesn't thats on her.

Then depending on how she gets on
if much better than anticipated apply next year with actual grades
if a bit better than expected take whats on offer or go through adjustment
if a bit worse go through clearing
or apply for a foundation 1 year degree and try again