Is it usual to resit A-levels without returning to lessons?

[RecorderOrder]

Hoping for some advice, my DD didn’t get the grades she needed and wants to resit. School have said they will pay for resits but she can’t attend lessons, just use them as an exam centre.
Is this how it usually works? I’m wondering what other people do in this situation- pay for private tutors? Self teach / independently revise whilst working? I had just assumed she would return into lessons and I’m worried about her becoming isolated.

I think most self teach and this is why resits are hard and are not always the best solution. They often don't result in a grade up lift. You have to be very self motivated.

What does she want to do with the A levels? I think what your next steps are should determine wether resitting is worth it.

Are you near London? There are some well regarded "crammers" there. You'd have to pay though.

Alternatively, it might be better to look seriously at courses that can be accessed with the achieved grades. Clearing?

Thanks, she wants to go to uni and had a place at a Russel group uni. There were a specific and unusual set of circumstances that meant she did not get the grades, she is definitely capable.

My DS did this this year. He had a tutor for 2 subjects and that felt like the right balance. We’d have gone to all 3 if he’d wanted but there are already excellent online resources for that one. He went up either a grade or 2 in everything.
TBF, he didn’t work enough for the first try, despite our efforts. You can lead a horse to water and all that.

Degree study is very independent, this might be a good opportunity to explore ways to pursue education under your own steam. So eg you can look up YouTube videos, identify local people who would be able to help revise etc (depending on subject). I guess I mean if you’re aiming for Russell Group this is a hurdle you’ll hit sooner or later.

It’s possible to use the services of a tutor. I tutor and have not done this but know others who have. But yes it's not usual to attend lessons.

Agree with others, why does she want to resit? What grades did she get, where was she hoping to go? Where could she go with the grades she has? Would she resit all three and what kind of uplift is she looking for? And will the uni accept resits? Sorry for so many questions.

Thank you. I don’t want to be too outing but there really specific and unusual reasons why she didn’t do as well as expected. She had a place to go to a Russel group and was predicted 3 As. She doesn’t have enough to go through clearing to do anything that feels right for her.

Unless the course she's interested in is is particularly rare or specific, it's best to move forward.

Doing well in a school setting and having to go it alone are two very different beasts. Resits can be quite lonely and without a cohort around you, it's difficult to realistically judge where you're at and stay consistently motivated.

There are Russell Group universities like Leeds, Nottingham, Southampton and QMUL still in clearing with hundreds of different courses available. Lancaster too. Even Warwick has some vacancies.

This is why I hate predicted grades. 75% of students don't achieve them, and then feel like they're a failure

I do get that but last minute circumstances that would never be repeated again meant she only sat 2 of the 3 a levels. So she doesn’t have enough points to go through clearing to do what she wants to do - she has an A and B. She needs to resit the third a level which she was on track to do well in.

Yes for sure @RecorderOrder you don’t need to share the answers to my questions, but they are things to think about.

Did she need AAA? My dd got a grade less than PGs and was able to find a course that suited -same subject, lower offer, less pressure.

Retakes are a challenge but ofc if the reasons for her lower grades are fully removed now it may well be more feasible than it often is. I suggest focusing on two subjects if possible and finding a tutor. You may be able to find someone who offers group tutoring which can be really supportive (and cheaper obvs).

ETA x post sorry. So if it’s just one subject and she didn’t sit it at all then that’s much more positive than if she sat it and did badly IYSWIM. A tutor is probably best. Is it a popular subject like maths or English?

AB is 88 UCAS points. You'd be surprised how many options she would still have open to her.

Keele is taking 64. Royal Holloway taking DDD (72)