First day of sixth form and DD been told she cant do A levels she wants.

[VoldemortsNipple]

She wanted to do Drama, Spanish, Applied science and Health and Social care. The school have put subjects into blocks and two are in the same block. (science and Spanish)

She could swap applied science for biology but they are unwilling to take her due to her science GCSE results. She got a D in y10 and C in y11. Although her effort and results were As in the biology module in y11.There is nothing else in the biology block she is interested in. The only other option they have given her is Sociology in another school.

That would leave her with Drama, Health and Social Care, Applied Science and Sociology. Which I know from MN are not very strong subjects for university applications.

She doesn't know what she wants to do after school but is thinking about something connected with health and science. Maybe mental health.

I feel guttered for her and don't know if she would even get a place in the community college at this late stage.

What about Psychology? Is that an option?

Yes psychology was available but only in the block with Spanish and applied science. They actually offered her, drama, psychology, health an social care and sociology. But that took away two of her original options.

Could you argue her case for Biology do you think? It is the norm to want a minimum of a B to do a science A level but if Biology was her strength perhaps you could put it to them that they reconsider. She really doesn't want to end up with no science related A levels if she is thinking of a career in nursing.

I think we will have to. I will phone on her behalf tomorrow and see what we can sort out.

Good luck.

How shitty for her. I would agree and say that arguing the case for Biology is the best thing to do. Surely they can be more accommodating. I hope so anyway. Good luck.

Also, ring the college. They might just have spaces and be able to take her if they're not long into teaching yet.

I would also add though that yes, mn is very good at giving information about A levels/uni requirements etc - the vast majority of opinions are only based on RG/Oxbridge unis and they are not the only universities available!

So whilst, yes a 'core subject' would be advantageous, she really should also be thinking about the subjects she is going to enjoy/have an interest in for the next 2 years

Could she possibly do a level Spanish as an evening course elsewhere?

Personally, I think if she wants to do something in healthcare in the future it would be better to drop the spanish and do the applied science. If she really wants to do spanish, could she do it in her own time as an evening class?

May be on the wrong track here, but what did she get at GCSE in Spanish? My DD is starting A2 spanish and I know that it is incredibly hard to do really well, even if you are bloody bilingual! (She isn't but two of her friends are). A level Spanish requires a level of textual understanding that is similar to A level English, I believe. Drama, Applied Science and Health & Social Care make slightly more 'sense' as a threesome, I would have thought?

She knows she won't be applying for RG universities. But even between our local universities, I know the better university would be looking for stronger subjects.

Spanish is one of her stronger subjects which she really enjoys. She has studied it since she was six. Studying it in night school could be an option but school would probably still want to fill her timetable. I don't want her to be over loaded with work.

She got a B in Spanish which was two marks off an A.

Could you not negotiate with school that free periods re used for private Spanish study? Worth a go at least, I remember my school allowing something similar way back when.

Is home Economics an option? At a level a large part of it is biology. Several girls in my year did this and then went on to be dieticians.

That could be an option cocktails I'll bear that in mind for plan B

I really don't understand why they can't give her a chance with Biology. After all they could say to her if she would have to drop it next year if she doesn't get the grades.

From your D in y10 and C in y11 remarks i am assuming your dd got a d in core and c in additional science. I'm sorry but there is no way we would accept her on a biology a level course. Not because we can't be bothered, or the classes are full, or there are economically straightened times or any other reasons parents think, but quite simply because students with her grades don't succeed. We look at the data from 100s of students, and a student entering with D,C at core and additional would be predicted a U - a total waste of a year - we haven't had a student with such low grades succeed ever.
However if she did health and social she may well succeed and it would not limit her mental health options.
We had 2 students from last year apply to do mental health, and one do learning disabilities nursing without bio A level, 2 were doing H and S, all 3 psychology. All have places for this September.

I'm biased, I teach BTEC Health and Social Care, it (BTEC National) would get her into a nursing or midwifery degree just as well as her A Level choices. Consider it for plan C, she could also do Spanish A Level alongside it.

Also give her a hug, she needs one.

What Loshad said. We have allowed pupils with C/D onto Biology in the past, in very similar circumstances. Unfortunately, in spite of them working hard, they get a U at the end of the year. The GCSE grade B genuinely is the minimum a pupil needs, and it's not a guarantee.

Better to get three good ASs than spread herself too thin and possibly get lower grades in each.

Sorry she's having to deal with this

DD was quite capable of getting higher marks. She had a bad year in y10 and couldn't be bothered with anything. Looking back she may have been depressed. Coming up to the final exam, she was consistantly getting A* in classroom assessments. She is quite happy to do applied science rather than biology, but it seems the best option to swap. There is nothing else in that block she wants to do.

The idea of mental health is not set in stone. It was just an idea. I wouldn't want her to pick options to suit on a whim.

They knew there was a problem with spanish in that block and did nothing about it.

Sorry if I come across as "my child deserves a place, teachers don't know what they are on about." I do understand that they don't want to set children up to fail. But Spanish is her strong Subject, so surely she should be encouraged to keep it. Science is what she has found a love for, Drama she has choose rather than English. I would have thought that was a good balance.

We've sorted it :)Her school is putting Spanish on after school and she can still do applied Science. So she has all the subjects she wanted now.

Thanks for all the advice :)