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Higher education

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

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Original poster

Unexpected A level results, not sure about way forward

96 replies

Itisadifficulttime · 19/08/2023 10:36

A bit of advice please. DD has always been exceptionally bright through primary and secondary school. She had As across the board in GCSEs.

DD was predicted A* in all her A level subjects. She got DDCC. She lost her firm and insurance choices for software engineering.

We went to clearing and got computer science with foundation year.

But my family think it's better she resit the exams, that she will have those grades on her CV for life and it will affect her obtaining a job in the future.

My questions...

Would the A level results affect her getting a job on graduation? I thought getting her Computer Science with foundation year (with the opportunity to do software in year 2/3) was a really good option.

If she is too resit, how do we go about it? Her school would not let her resit there. Does she go back to school and attend classes everyday or just register with a college and go there to sit the exams next year?

OP posts:

BugsyDrakeTableScape · 19/08/2023 10:40

She's got the grades to do a course she wants. I wouldn't recommend resitting A levels in unless there is no other option - it's another year, there is no guarantee of outcome either for the exams or the courses on offer next year.

And honestly, how many times have you told someone your A level grades in the last few years? Outside week one of university it never gets spoken of again

maltravers · 19/08/2023 10:41

In your shoes I would probably try to find a local sixth form college who would take her for the year and do resits. My understanding is the state funds a third year at sixth form, but check with your local council. The foundation year will mean extra student debt (plus those A level grades for life).

IVFfirsttimer91 · 19/08/2023 10:43

A levels aren’t really of consequence after university to be honest. If she’s happy with the course she is on then I would leave it :)

starrynight19 · 19/08/2023 10:44

What if she gets the same grades again ? Is she happy with the course she has been offered ?

Sparkl · 19/08/2023 10:44

What happened that she ended up so far from predicted grades?

And what does your daughter want to do?

StroppyTop · 19/08/2023 10:45

That’s a big drop from her predictions - are you and school looking into the reasons for that?

dahliadazed · 19/08/2023 10:45

Is your DD happy with her chosen course and university?
Is your DD surprised by her results, can she see areas for improvement?

NeverAloneNeverAgain · 19/08/2023 10:51

If shes happy on the course she's got on I'd leave it tbh. Whether she resits last year or does a foundation year will make no difference to when she graduates. The foundation Yr might give her opportunity to draw a line under college and feel like she's moving forward and build back some confidence in her ability. Yes it's an extra Yr of debt but uni, imo, is like a mortgage it's a worthwhile debt.

LIZS · 19/08/2023 10:51

How good is the clearing course? Employability and any industry opportunities will be important. An indifferent course with low grade intake may not prove worthwhile and be frustrating , especially if she is actually very capable. Her grades may not count against her long term but a poor or rushed choice now, with extra time and debt, might.

Moredarkchocolateplease · 19/08/2023 10:51

I'm an exams officer.

Hopefully your DD has requested free copies of her papers and her teachers are looking at them to see how far she was from grade boundaries, pending a priority review of results?

Moredarkchocolateplease · 19/08/2023 10:52

FWIW I wouldn't want my DD who is obviously clever, to have to go through a foundation course then another three years of a degree in a subject she doesn't want.

My advice to my DD would be resit. Or look at a business apprenticeship.

NeverAloneNeverAgain · 19/08/2023 10:53

Forgot to add I studied up to MA level. No ones ever asked about my a level results. She can just put on CV where she studied and what subjects

Watto1 · 19/08/2023 10:54

I flunked my A levels too but ended up on a similar course through clearing. When applying for jobs , I just put ‘3 A levels in biology, chemistry and physics’ on my cv and didn’t mention the grades. Nobody ever asked what they were in interviews. The grades were good enough to get me on the course which is all that matters.

Henddraig · 19/08/2023 10:58

I think it would depend slightly on why she dropped grades. If she feels she did as well as she could that’s one thing. If she fell apart/ revised badly/ could have put more effort in, that’s another.

I’d be minded to re-sit, I think, unless she came out of the exams feeling good.

Where is the clearing place? Is it at a decent university for the course she’s doing, and is it the course she wanted?

I had a friend who re-sat as he missed a place at Cambridge, and got ann offer again and got his grade second time round. So I think resitting can be effective if she really commits to it.

geoger · 19/08/2023 10:58

Is your dd happy with the course and uni? If so then she should go but if she thinks she can do better in her resits and reapply to a course/uni she really wants to go to then she should repeat the year
But, I would be checking first which unis and courses accept resits (don’t assume all of them do)

titchy · 19/08/2023 10:59

Take the foundation year. And make sure she learns a lesson here - I'm assuming she either coasted (why on earth did she do 4?) or the GCSEs were somewhat generously assessed by her teachers and she's not as super-bright as you/she thinks. She will need to work at uni. From the start.

shiningstar2 · 19/08/2023 11:02

I would go with the very useful course she has been offered. Grades are unpredictable she could find herself in the same position next year. It's not just intelligence, it's quality of teaching and her own work ethic and even teens who have had a great work ethic can suddenly go off the boil for a variety of reasons. .if the suddenly decide they like the easy 'temporary job', and more money with more hours. If they get a boyfriend.If their social life takes off. If they suddenly get a bit down because their friends ate moving on and having an exciting time with out them they can start feeling they don't want to do it a year late. For all these reasons, I would go with the course she's got now (retired sixth form teacher,)

CurlewKate · 19/08/2023 11:04

Has her school appealed??

Noodledoodledoo · 19/08/2023 11:05

Look at what she wants to do post uni, whilst I agree once you have the next level of education in most cases when I was graduating I looked at a job with the Big 4 accountants and all they looked at A level results alongside the degree.

Agree with others, might be time to reflect on the why as well as the next steps, lots 'coast' up to GCSE's and then A levels are a big step up. You would hope school would have picked it up but maybe she has been masking a lot - depending on the courses etc. A* down to D/C's is not a grade boundaries thing.

WandaWonder · 19/08/2023 11:07

If she is happy don't make this about you, it is what she wants

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 19/08/2023 11:07

If her school won't let her resit, then I think to be honest the foundation year might be the best option.

Obviously there are options to resit but if she can't do them at the same school, then there are issues with all of them:

Local college: May not allow direct entry into Y13, may not have spaces on the courses she wants in Y13, and may not use the same exam boards. Exam boards can differ quite a lot at A-level, so sitting a different exam board having not studied the Y12 content would put her at a significant disadvantage.
Online resit courses: These are £££, but might be the least worst option. Normally you can pick the exam board, and they will organise a centre where you can take the exams. There will be some academic support which might be helpful. Obviously this would need a level of self motivation, and might be quite lonely.
Resit completely independently: The biggest issue with this in some areas is finding somewhere that will allow you to sit the exams as a totally private candidate (most schools won't do this now). You'd have to pay for resits, and possibly some tuition. In my experience, it's rarely likely to improve grades unless you're super well motivated, and there's lots of resources available for the subject. There can also be an issue with references etc for uni, if the old school won't provide one.

If she is happy with the foundation year, I would go with that- it's her life, not your family's and it is probably the easiest option in a lot of ways. Yes, her A-level results may close some doors for her, but a lot will still remain open.

IHateFlies · 19/08/2023 11:07

A levels are much harder than foundation courses. If she's happy with the uni and course, she should just go ahead.

2chocolateoranges · 19/08/2023 11:08

Ds graduated this year and his graduate job wanted to see proof of his university classification aswell as his Higher grade Maths exam(we are in Scotland so don’t sit A levels)

what does your dd want to do? Does she want to resit or does she want to go to uni on the course that she has been offered?

RockGirl · 19/08/2023 11:13

Resitting is pointless, especially the same 4 A-levels. Will she actually learn anything new?

If you look at the big CS recruiters such as IBM etc they go on degree classification (and it doesn't matter what university it is from), skills assessment test and interview.

CS is a growing field and is new and forward thinking, diversity is welcome.

See her grades equivalent to 112 points? If so she doesn't need to do a Foundation year she could hop straight to Year 1.

anonforthis87 · 19/08/2023 11:16

I am in consulting and A-level grades or local equivalent or considered for hiring unfortunately, especially at junior level. Even after a PhD I was asked for my school transcript. I don't agree with this but it is what it is!

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