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

My DD got poor grades in her mocks. I told her that if she wasn’t able to work harder (she was quite non committal) then she wouldn’t improve. She decided to leave, went to a 6th form college and did a BTec, got distinctions, went to Uni, got a degree and now has a great job earning around 100K a year! At 17, she thought she was a failure.

I’d let her take 3…maybe you need to adjust your expectations slightly? Loads of uni courses asking for Bs and Cs and they’ve got a few months of teaching/ revision left yet.

You get 3 years of funding not 4 so she could likely repeat yr13 at her current school if they agree but other schools couldn't fund her to start again unless she is in yr12 now.

Her school will already have entered her for her exams. They would be charged for a withdrawal- they may well pass this expense on to you.

There is nothing to suggest that she will improve her working habits should she resit next year. Additionally, she may feel left behind as her peers go off to uni and she is stuck with the year below.

Dd was ill and able to retake the year 13 We with school decided not to enter her for the exams. She took two a levels in the repeated yr 13. Along with the two AS levels grades ftom year 12 she had enough points to get offers ftom good unis. (Biut then decided to do part time OU)

What job does she want to do?
There are usually other routes
Maybe a levels are not her route

She should complete the year get what she can and move forward
She can get into many unis with ddd or bcd and then get ahead over next thrree years if she into her course

She wont get into medicine for example but she could get into other health care routes if that is her thing

What does she want to do?

This ^^

I don't know why so many posters think this can't be done. I know several young people who took 3 years over their A levels and all went on to be successful and achieve good degrees at good universities.

With her current mocks, if she drops her weakest one and uses the extra time to work hard on the remaining 3 she could get decent grades .BCD at mocks can be pulled up to ABC. If you can afford it , maybe a tutor for her weaker two subjects could help to pull up her grades. If her grades aren't good enough this year she could resit at her school or go to a 6th form college for a resit year.

Absolutely drop the weakest one - but repeating the whole year is crazy!

Of course,she can resit /take again.

But maybe taking now and getting whatever grade will guide her .
(Unless illness or other reason ? )
And she can go a uni with ddd or ccc and go on to good things

Perhaps telling her she needs high A level grades is putting additional pressure on her. You don't always need high A levels. My oldest got CCD and then a 2.2 from what is considered a very lowly uni but went into a high paying job and 6 years on earns enough as an employee to have to complete a tax return. You can look that up if you don't know when that kicks in.