Do you need 3 A Levels for university?

[bendmeoverbackwards]

For various reasons my 16 year old dd has been out of school this year, she should be in Year 12. She is keen to return to school.

She is still on roll at a small local private school but she has obviously missed a whole term's work. She feels she SHOULD be doing 3 A levels and is bright enough to do so but she's had a tough few years and I want her to consider something less challenging.

I had looked into various BTEC options which she turned down. One local school offers a triple BTEC in Applied Science which in theory she could start in January and catch up. But she seems to think she can walk back into the school where she is on roll and start 3 A levels after missing a whole term.

If she is set on doing A levels, would it make any sense to start with 2 instead of 3? I've heard you can get into university foundation degrees with a low number of UCAS points.

I've also made some applications to local schools for her to start Year 12 in Sep 2024 but she's not keen on this and wants to stay in her year group.

Surely she has missed around 1/4 of the course, be that a levels or btec? Would she not be better starting afresh in whatever she wants to do in September?

That’s really tricky, OP. Your DD is so able that I am not sure she needs an easy pathway. There are good reasons to do a BTec for certain unis or degree programmes, but if she isn’t motivated I am concerned she might not do it well.

I like a PP’s idea to try two A levels now - DD is do bright that if motivated she can probably catch up by herself - and then do a third in one year if necessary. It preserves the most options.

I would be very wary of trying to catch up the first term. There is a big jump up to A level and the first term is really important in establishing routines and new styles of answering questions - the demands of essays really steps up.

Also, as she isn’t good at studying then why does she think she will put all the work in that is needed? Either BTECs or A levels.

Is taking the rest of the year off and restarting the year fresh next year?

I would treat this as a mini gap year and start three a levels afresh from September. If she wants to be the ‘same’ as her friends then this may be the best option. She could do extra curricular stuff or a job and gain other experiences till September.

She wants to go back to her friends so starting again isn’t what she wants. Although it’s obviously sensible!! Teens aren’t always sensible though. Parents have to be!

I think that she could try 2 A levels and then add an EPQ later. But if she is to achieve the best grade possible it may be better for her to wait until September to start A levels but perhaps find some short courses in something that she enjoys to restart learning.
BTECs have ongoing assessments that have to be completed as you progress through the course so it would be hard to catch up unless the college has a new intake in January where everyone starts at the same point.

Have the school and college definitely said they would take her into year 12 in January to catch up with A-levels/BTEC?

Thank you for your replies, very useful reading.

I also think it would be crazy to try and pick up 3 A levels after missing a whole (long) term's work. She is my youngest and know how tough A levels are. But I was so pleased that she seemed keen to go back, I somehow got into a long WhatsApp discussion with her about subjects etc. I haven't spoken to the school since early December (she doesn't want me to talk about her) and what she wants is pretty much impossible ie to waltz back in to school with no discussion and for her to be treated like everyone else. She doesn't want to be seen as different or a 'freak' (her word). But she IS different because she hasn't been at school.

Without her knowledge, I went to a load of local school Sixth Form open evenings in November and put in applications for Sep 2024, I thought it can't hurt to apply.

I'm just so fed up with her expecting me to fix this in the way she wants.

The school where she is still on roll only offers A levels. Dh and I also looked at another small independent school back in November that offers A levels and vocational IB courses and you can mix and match the two. There was talk of her being able to start in January but not sure if that option is still open now. There is also a local state school that offers the Applied Science BTEC and I think they would accept her this term.

There are some independent schools and colleges that have a January intake because they take overseas students from countries where the academic year starts in January. (I used to work in one - it was a more intense course, but achievable to complete 2 or 3 A levels).
I think that an option where you daughter is in a peer group where all the class would be starting at the same time would be a good option.

Whereabouts are you in the country @catndogslife ?

The one I used to work at was in Bath OP. They also had a partner college in London with a similar programme.

I think your dd needs to go and have a meeting with the Head of Sixth form to talk through her options. They will probably soon tell her that she can't just come back without any plan in place to catch up. If she wants to consider other schools from September she needs to do the research on the institution and subjects. She could then ask you to phone up her shortlist to arrange visits. If she gets into somewhere she has chosen herself and chooses her subjects there is more chance she will put the necessary work in. I would give her as many options as possible as if she feels she is making the choice she will feel in control. She also needs to plan something worthwhile for the next six months to boost her confidence and give her some sense of routine.

I don’t know your financial situation but would a phased return this year with the aim of restarting L6 be an option?

I know it is hard and friendship groups are important, but the 2 sixth form years are more more one group than other years and it could give her the graduated return she needs.

My son has missed 9 months of school due to ill health. He is having to drop from U6 to L6. It is hard for him but needs to be done.

Good luck, I agree that she will have to have a conversation with her school that may put her ideas on a more realistic footing. Mention of EPQ has made me wonder if she would accept "going back" with the intention of working on an EPQ for the rest of this year, and joining lessons for one or more subjects with her friends with the intention of formally starting 6th form next year. That might also help her gain the context she needs to make a sensible decision regarding coping with A levels vs BTEC.