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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

can you take a "gap" year between years 11 and 12?

17 replies

gramercy · 25/05/2012 12:06

Ds is August-born and things seem to be hurtling along at a break-neck pace when he seems so young.

I was idly wondering about giving him a year out (to work in Poundland/go to France etc etc) before embarking on A Levels. There are no sixth forms in schools here so he would have to change schools to go to college in a neighbouring town.

OP posts:

bigTillyMint · 25/05/2012 12:08

I don't see why not - surely you can start A'levels at whatever age?

However, the finding a job might be more of an issue in the current situation.

webwiz · 25/05/2012 12:22

I think he would be funded at college for his A levels until 19 so that isn't a problem. Whether its a good idea or not depends on lots of things;

What subjects does he want to do? If its Maths and/or Science then a gap would make it more difficult to pick them up again if its English/History then some maturity would be a positive thing.

How does he feel about steeping out of his peer group? Will it feel like they are all having fun at college while he is working or won't he care.

How competitive is entry to the college? What do they think about the idea?

What is the work situation like locally? If it is bad then he may end up wasting time if it is good he may not want to go back to education.

GnomeDePlume · 25/05/2012 13:14

Is it something he wants or you think would be good for him?

By now the August baby thing would normally have pretty much unwound in academic terms. The only difference you will see is that he will be one of the last to take his driving test which is probably not a bad thing!

My opinion would be that between year 11 & year 12 is not the best time to take a break. Partly because they get out of the swing of intensive study just when they really need to be still in that groove. Partly because I think a year's break at 16 could be really tedious - if he is too young for 6th form then I would be definitely nervous of him doing anything much in the way of travel.

Original poster

gramercy · 25/05/2012 14:25

Oh no, not travelling by himself! The thought of ds finding his way to the local shops brings me out in a sweat - and that's part of the problem. It's not just that I'm being an over-protective mum - he is utterly hopeless and bumbling around on some other planet most of the time.

He is able and academic, but he's not at all teenagery - very geeky in fact. I just wish he had a couple more years to grow up rather than be swept along according to the "age" rules.

OP posts:

hottiebottie · 25/05/2012 14:32

I think a gap year is a good thing in principle, but he'll probably find there are more options open to him if he takes it between school and university rather than before A-levels. That extra couple of years means a bit more maturity to go travelling and it could mean he would have better employment opportunities (just thinking that employers might prefer an 18-year old to a 16-year old, not least for insurance purposes.) I also have an August baby, currently 18 and on a gap year - having done some travelling and now working full-time as a swimming pool lifeguard. I don't think she would have got as much out of the year if she had done it earlier, had the option been available to her.

Suffolkgirl1 · 25/05/2012 17:30

It depends what year he is in now and if you are in England. If he is year 11 (16 this august) then I can't see a problem. However the school leaving age raises to 17 in England in 2013 so if he is younger then no he can't, unless he is going to take a job with a training element (which seems pointless if you are then looking at him doing A levels later).

GnomeDePlume · 25/05/2012 18:57

gramercy - not all teenage boys are teenagery. Surely if he needs to grow up a bit isnt 6th form the safe place to do it? Basically, who is he going to 'play' with in this year out? I really wouldnt be pushing him out into the big wide world at 16 (even if it is only PCWorld!). My recollection of 6th form college was that it was a halfway house between school and college. Some freedom but also some control.

FallenCaryatid · 25/05/2012 19:00

My 17 year old Aspie is at 6th form, academic and around 14 emotionally.
He's loving it. He may take three or four years to actually achieve A levels but the life skills he's acquiring in an environment with some support and guidance available is huge.

vj32 · 25/05/2012 21:19

Its not a great idea. What if he wants to change course after a year? he can't if he has already used up his extra year - FE is only funded until you are 19.

Serious advice would be - presumably he has already applied for college? Assume he is going to go to college unless he can find a job. He is very unlikely to find a job. He can't work full time until July - he won't legally leave school until the last Friday in June even if his exams finish earlier. But it is really hard for young people to get a job at the moment - it could easily take him 6 months to find a job and that would be hugely demoralising.

BertieBotts · 25/05/2012 21:24

vj32 that's not quite correct - I started A Levels at 18 after not getting the grades I wanted in a BTEC national diploma (2 year) course. Because I would have been 19 when starting my 2nd year, it was still funded despite the fact I would be 20 when I finished it.

doodlecloud · 25/05/2012 21:34

I can't say that it would be fine to take A-Levels a year later but I know it's definitely okay if he wanted to do a vocational course or something....

I started my A-Levels only to realise half way through the first year that it wasn't the right route for me. I quit at the end of the first year and started a two year childcare course at a college instead effectively skipping/wasting a year.

doodlecloud · 25/05/2012 21:38

Just to clarify, 'I can't say it would be okay' for A-Levels not because it wouldn't work but because I don't know enough about the situation. I 'm pretty sure my college offers A Level courses as well as vocational ones but I'm not sure how many you can do at a time (obviously in sixth form you would be doing 3-5 to get into university).

doodlecloud · 25/05/2012 21:44

Oh and this obviously wouldn't apply to everyone but when debating whether or not to take gap year before uni a few people suggested I didn't because they thought I might find it difficult to get back into a writing essays state of mind again. I didn't really agree but I imagine that would be true for some people.

I'd recommend looking into apprenticeships if your son isn't so vocational. Too many people think that it's A-Levels and university or nothing and don't consider college courses and apprenticeships. I'm not trying to accuse YOU of that, I'm only saying so because a few years ago I would never have considered college as an option but I think it's really been a great choice for me. Also my boyfriend's little brother is doing an apprenticeship as an electrician and he loves it.

Obviously that may be completely the opposite of what your son is looking for and if it is then just ignore this, I just thought it might be worth looking at.

And sorry for the multiple messages...

rainbowinthesky · 25/05/2012 21:45

How independent is he? I am a little surprised at some of the things you say and that you are making this decision for him.

Mutteroo · 02/06/2012 19:39

My eldest took time out between yr11 and 12 but by default. Started A levels and realised she was in the wrong environment. Brave of her to admit this and I'm proud of her for being so honest. Worked out in the end though.

thegreylady · 02/06/2012 20:15

I think the best time for a year out would be after A Levels then he has time to mature before university.He will also find the whole work/travel thing easier at 18 than he will at 16.

boomting · 03/06/2012 13:14

I also think that it would be better for him to take a year out after A Levels. It is very unusual to take a year out after GCSEs (I only know one person who did that, and that was because she had a baby who was born premature with various disabilities, at a point in the year when taking any time out was difficult). In addition, there are very few opportunities available to him at that age - employers are invariably reluctant to take on a 16yo, in a recession they can afford not to, and you yourself describe him as being "hopeless". And don't forget that minimum wage for 16 & 17yos is only £3.68ph. Frankly it sounds as though you'd be setting him up for a year of miserable unemployment, bored, bumming around at home and not socialising with other teenagers (or at least, nowhere near as much as he would be if he was at college).

If he chooses to take a gap year after A Levels, then he will be better able to find employment (many of those jobs traditionally taken by young people e.g. bar & waiting work aren't open to under 18s due to laws on who can sell alcohol), better paid when he does, and able to travel independently. I know you say that he's not very independent, but travelling alone (even if it was only interrailing around Europe) would force him to fend for himself and not be so feeble.

Of course, this should all be his own decision - if he decides that he wants to go to college at 16 and uni at 18 then trying to prevent him from doing so is only going to harm your relationship.

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