Do universities care if you sit GCSEs in two “batches”?

[KevinKarrot]

DS looking to go to university and thinking about Durham, Newcastle, York, Lancaster, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, St Andrews, Stirling, Loughborough and a few others for something like Geology, Geography, Earth Sciences, Environmental Science, Chemistry with Earth Science, Chemistry with Geology etc.
Would these universities care the GCSEs are in 2 batches? DS sat his GCSEs in 2 batches and had a very dodgy few years due to illness.
Most of year 10 he was either part time or not there, year 11 part 1 he was part time and year 11 part 2 he was part time and building to 3/4 time. He’s been completely full time in 6th form.
He sat - English Lang, Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics in Y11 part 1.
English Lit, Geography, Computer Science, Food Tech and L2 Further Maths in Y11 part 2.

There is space on the UCAS form for teachers to write in extenuating circumstances so they would be able to write an explanation for why he sat them in two batches and this should be fine.

My daughter only has 2 GCSEs due to extenuating circumstances, she even sat them in 2 batches. She has good A level results though and she’s started at one of the universities you mentioned, this year.

They don't care. It is just about the actual grades. In fact mostly for gcses it is just to make sure they have grade 5 in maths and English and occasionally the subject that the degree is in (for sciences mainly). I work clearing so the situation might be slightly difference for main applications but I suspect not as the a level grades and application statement are far more relevant.

Thanks everyone. This is really reassuring. He was worried it might disadvantage him. Good to know that it won’t and that there is space for the school to explain the situation and that the A Levels are the most important.

He’s been ill.

my DD had similar circumstances and it wasn’t a problem. She explained in the personal statement.

Totally fine, the very top or med/dent/vet can take issue but he’ll be fine with his aspirations. Congrats to him on being full time in sixth form, sounds like he’s working very hard.

My DC took their GCSEs in several batches as they were home educated and it was easier to do it like that, logistically with external exam centres. They went to Oxford and Cambridge so in our experience the universities don’t care.

Good luck to him! I’m a Geologist and I just wanted to say what a rewarding career I have found it to be! (Degree was Geology and Physics, followed by MSc in Engineering Geology).

Thanks. That’s fantastic that’s it’s been a rewarding career. I hope DS finds it just as rewarding.