A level results disaster

[LadySadMum]

DS was predicted CDD which was low and based on not doing much work in year 12. However he really started working much better in year 13 and seemed to be getting better marks in his results for mocks and class tests.

So we were hopeful that he would get better than the predicted grades. He seemed happy after each exam, completed all the questions. There were a few questions that he said were hard but this is normal, right?

Anyway he got CEU. Obviously he missed his firm and insurance but it’s not even enough for any foundation courses.

The C is fine and the E was in his worst subject so can understand that. But the U is unexpected and I feel it can’t be right as he wasn’t that bad at it!

We’ve asked for a review to make sure all the questions were marked correctly and if it changes to an E that would get him onto a foundation degree. We made a mistake as we didn’t ask for it at the time (we were shocked and didnt think to ask) and by the time we contacted the school again they had left.

The exam officer is not available until next Wednesday now so it’s an agonising wait.

The worst thing is we’ve had to lie to everyone that everything is OK and he’s been accepted into uni. His grandad is ill and would be devastated if we said he failed. We also don’t want to navigate all their questions and worries until we’ve worked out the next steps ourselves.

So now we’re getting congratulation messages from all the family and his uncle is also visiting later today, probably with a present. It’s all so so awful.

Latest update - I couldn’t speak to the exam officer directly but was told they had our request and were working on it right now.

I did ask for confirmation by phone or email but haven’t received anything yet. I understand they are probably very busy, so I’m going to assume they’ve submitted it.

We were sent a breakdown of the marks and he needs 8 marks to go from a U to an E. It was a subjective subject with essay questions and 3 papers. It would only need a couple of questions to be in the next band to get that. Paper 3 has lower marks than the other 2 and DS says he really felt it had gone well. I had helped him revise for this subject with help on how to structure the answers. He was getting low marks before as he wasn’t doing proper evaluation. After I helped him with better structure he was getting almost full marks in practice questions, marked by his teacher. So I really can’t believe he would have failed it completely.

He is also 2 marks off his other subject to get a D. We are also asking for this one to be reviewed. However, if this is the only one that is changed, it still won’t give enough points for what he needs.

@LadySadMum

Which subjects has he taken in addition to Computer Science, OP?

You mentioned that he has a C for that.

@LadySadMum

There are some very good points in the post by @Jev82, OP.

I don’t really want to say as there’s already quite a lot of details in this thread.

Why can he not do another course pre degree? He’s not ok to be doing a degree. Do something else to prove his suitability first and accept these A levels are not good enough and he probably should have done BTechs.

No one is going to figure you out from a generic bunch of A Levels.

I agree. They can be a brilliant option for many people. I just don’t think that includes an 18 year old, who has only just discovered a work ethic, watching his friends go to university. If, however, his starts a job and a year down the line is really enjoying it and looking for a way to develop his skills to enable him to gain promotion whilst still working then definitely a consideration.

@LadySadMum

What is the situation today, OP?

Still waiting for the remark review, it was only submitted on Wednesday though. It’s agonising waiting.

I didn’t get to speak to the exam officer but they did email to confirm the submission. We are hopeful as they haven’t charged us any fee so they must think there’s some chance.

We’ve been looking at other options as well of course. There just doesn’t seem to be much apart from resitting the A level or working.

HNC courses don’t seem to exist or at least not near us. The UA92 HE certificate sounded wonderful, we even booked the open day. Then when we looked into it further, there are hardly any reviews and many of them are quite bad. It doesn’t seem to have a student union or many societies, it’s basically classroom learning like school. It would also take almost 2 hours to commute to.

There is an Access to HE Diploma near us which again sounds great. However you have to be 19 so it would mean waiting a year. Potentially that could be a good option though as if he did well in it he could go straight into year 1 of a degree.

He definitely does not want to retake the A level. He hasn’t even got his notes anymore as threw them out after the exams.

He’s applied for a few jobs/apprenticeships but not heard anything back yet.

"He’s applied for a few jobs/apprenticeships but not heard anything back yet."

Don't forget that from 1st September (in about two weeks time) he can apply for Universal Credit of £338.58 per month.

This applies even if he is living with you, his parents. This applies as long as he is not in work or full-time education.

There's online providers of the access to he course that accept under 19s. They're increasingly popular in the home ed space.

He’s applied for a few jobs/apprenticeships but not heard anything back yet.

People always suggest these options as though they are easy to get. They are still very hard to land so support you DS not to get too discouraged. It can take scores of applications to land a role.

In the meantime in the absence of anything else, I would look at voluntary work (though it might still take a few applications but nothing like as many as getting a job). It would provide experience but far more important than that, it would provide a routine and socialisation.

@LadySadMum

Did you make enquiries about the University of Gloucestershire option, OP?

It says:

"You can apply for this course with an integrated foundation year – a four year study option with lower entry requirements.

A typical offer for this option is 48 UCAS tariff points, which is EE at A-level or PP at BTEC.

To apply, choose ‘with foundation year’ at the top of the page before clicking ‘Apply’."

https://www.glos.ac.uk/courses/course/cys-bsc-cyber-security/

You would be well advised to enquire about this course because of the very specific options it could lead to for him.

PS, it also says:

Claim your £5k UoG Clearing package today

Join us through Clearing and get real help with the cost of living – £5,000 off halls at Pittville Student Village, guaranteed accommodation, free society membership and more.

Limited places available.

I have seen some of these and we can look into this further if his grade does not increase.

Do you know which are genuine providers? I’m scared of being scammed by a bogus company. My DH tried to do a course once through the Learning People and it was awful.

My idea was to ask admissions if they have a list of acceptable access to HE courses. It would in theory be a much cheaper option than foundation year. But in that case, wouldn’t they be more popular and widely available?

Thank you, I will give my DS this info. Although he didn’t plan to live away from home and I don’t know how we would afford it really.

We're using the Distance Learning Centre, as are a few other home ed parents I know. Access Courses Online are also genuine, they're part of a wider online education provider with an online school and online arts diplomas in their group, all of which I've seen lots of people use with positive reviews.

Both of those offer QAA accredited courses - you need to be looking for ones with 60 credits, 45 of which are at level 3 or above.

They are pretty widely available tbh I think they're just overlooked because to get funding you do need to be 19, whereas if you're paying it yourself it doesn't matter so much. I've also found foundation years are popular because 18yr olds who've spent a year thinking they're going to uni, told their peers etc then don't want to have to take another course at home, they can just go straight to uni with the foundation year and don't really think about the cheaper alternatives.

@LadySadMum

Can he not apply for Student Finance, OP?

www.gov.uk/apply-online-for-student-finance

Yes but it won’t be much, would barely cover half the rent. With savings and the bursery we could cover maybe 2 years, would be fine if found a job though.

At this stage the access course is looking like quite a good option as he could stay home, find part time work and then hopefully join year 1 next year. Looks like we would have to cover the fees ourselves upfront which is the only downside, but it’s doable.

@LadySadMum

Has he already applied for Student Finance, OP?

@LadySadMum did you look at the University of London options I posted about above? He would only need his two A levels for that, and could sign up to one module at a time to see if the style of learning suits him.

And yes, it is a legitimate option, considered prestigious in the global online learning market. It has a long history - Nelson Mandela did his law degree via correspondence through UoL when he was imprisoned.

I did an access to HE Dip, full time in 1 year, part time over 2 was an option. I did it as a mature student, but there were youngsters on it. A real age mix

I appreciate they all vary, but I enjoyed mine, and then I got to Uni and when we were having some of the intro talks on lectures. I realised just how much it had prepared me, compared to others who seemed to be freaking out at what we were facing ahead of us.

Whichever way it goes, I hope it goes well!

As a side note, I noticed a real difference in the maturity and motivation of my peers at Uni who had taken a year out, regardless of the reason, retakes, working, it was a real bonus for some it seems. Some all too easily stay on the education train for the wrong reasons. That year out really helped them to do it for the right reasons

Thank you I will look further at this one too

Yes he did, just for the tuition fees though

OU is a good thought and (I think) a much cheaper option, it used to be anyway. And he could do less modules at a time if necessary to give him more time to study each part if he's not very academic.