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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

Another one bombed A levels

40 replies

rusty100 · 21/08/2013 12:15

I am at a complete loss, have had a cry, and before speaking to my 17 yr old need to have a coherent plan for him, or at least some suggestions.
He failed all his A levels. The College won't let him retake yr 12. He has been a straight A student all his life, was a STEM student, went off to science camps etc, & got OK GCSEs, all A's & B's.

He moved to a 6th form college and immediately started to struggle. I think he has worked really hard, but may be wrong. I will need to see the exam papers I think to reassure myself that he actually did more than simply write his name.

Don't really know which way to turn right now, which is no use to him, so shall research local colleges, hopefully he can take a couple of A levels or some form of vocational training. I don't suppose there's any tangible advice people can give, though suggestions will be gratefully received along with any advice people have about where we stand with funding his education.

OP posts:

englishteacher78 · 21/08/2013 12:20

Have you spoken to his teachers? Were they surprised? It is often useful to ask for papers back so you can avoid making the same technique mistakes in the future.

Original poster

rusty100 · 21/08/2013 12:28

I have had a couple of conversations with the teachers and the problem does seem to be with him. I will definitely be getting the papers back I think.

OP posts:

frogspoon · 21/08/2013 13:46

Many colleges allow students who have failed A levels to retake a year, so it is unusual that his college is not. Are they a particularly high achieving academic college which is worried about league table positions?

I would look into other local colleges. I don't know if this is financially an option for you, but many private sixth form colleges have a high success rate, particularly with students who have failed and are retaking.

I think getting the papers back would definitely be a good move, so he can see exactly where he has gone wrong. It would also be useful to show these to a teacher or private tutor. There may be gaps in his knowledge, or he may be not answering questions fully to the standard expected at A level.

You may also want to look into some private tuition, and to do this through the whole year, not just a couple of months before the exams when it is too late. Most colleges require students to be fairly self sufficient and independent, and if he have not developed skills such as independent study and note taking, a tutor may be able to help him with keeping on top of the course.

Supertrooper88 · 21/08/2013 13:50

Does he have any idea of what he may want to do? Has he expressed any interest in any vocational college courses?

I would be inclined to at least have a look at the college website and see what courses are available. You may be too late as enrolment is this week for people who have already been offered places. Any spare places are left to open enrolment at the very start of September. Do you have any other colleges near by that although not a simple to get to or as close can offer more choice.

I have no experience of this but imagine he will need to do a course that he at least feels something for to reignite some enthusiasm as I expect he has either lost complete interest or/and has a loss of confidence.

I know I have looked at my local college courses (am an oldie mum of teens) because I have not been able to find a job since we moved here for DHs job. I have found full time course at mt local college (10 miles away) but am now also considering supplementing it with a part time evening course at another college 12 miles the other way. My full time course btw is actually only 15 hours - so I know I will have time to cope with an evening class and the extra homework. This may be a way for him to "retake" some A levels along side a full time vocational course should he so choose.

You need to get moving fast where college is concerned and get him on any reserve lists asap.

Good luck.

secretscwirrels · 21/08/2013 16:07

Just to be clear do you mean A levels or AS levels because at 17most students would have just done AS levels?
Do you know why they won't let him redo y12? It!s not that unusual for this to happen although I'd be asking why no one warned him/you he was heading for failure.
If it is AS levels then I would think repeating y12 , even at a different college would be the best option.

yellowballoons · 21/08/2013 16:11

Something is odd here.
A straight A student does not turn into a failing all A levels student in 2 years.

teenagetantrums · 21/08/2013 16:19

my sons college would not let him re do the year he failed but he registered at another college and started again, i think transition to sixth form college is hard for some children, they have so much freedom and have to be self motivated.

MadeOfStarDust · 21/08/2013 16:27

He is 17.... sorry, but if my mum had got so involved she wanted to see my actual papers and "have a coherent plan" , I would have blown my nut and left...

17/18 is about learning to study for what you want.... if what others want is not important to you , you laze about and flunk...

you need to help him work out what is important to him and stand back.....

IsletsOfLangerhans · 21/08/2013 16:33

I am a private science tutor and have helped many students who failed or scored low grades for AS. the jump from GCSE to A-level is massive, especially for sciences. it can be quite a shock, but it doesn't necessarily mean the student isn't cut out for A-levels. I'd definitely ask for papers back to see where they have gone wrong. Just to give a some reassurance, I've helped people move from E grades to A grades on resitting. Quite often it is exam technique that is the problem, rather than ability. Hope this helps!

cricketballs · 21/08/2013 16:55

yellow - it is more common than you think, as islets has said the jump from GCSE to A levels is huge and quite often students struggle with the work they need to put in/exam technique/reading around the subject etc compared to GCSE

yellowballoons · 21/08/2013 17:05

I thought he was 17 about to be 18.
Having had a reread, the op means AS levels not A levels. Different matter entirely.

Mine struggled with Maths for a term at the start of AS levels. Didnt realise that he wasnt going to be spoon fed any more.
He caught up just about, but reckons he dropped a grade at his A Levels at 18, because of it.
And it mattered too. As he needed the higher grade to get to the Uni course he wanted.
Fortuneately, he had done welll at his interview for Uni, and he was 2nd on the waiting list for a place. So we had an anxious day and a half wait for 2 people to drop out of his 50 place course.
He soared on the course, so everything fine now.

morethanpotatoprints · 21/08/2013 17:07

Hello Op.

I am going to go against what most people are advising, but am speaking from experience.

This was my son last year and he is finally getting himself together now.
I talked to him to try and make him see the significance in gaining a good education, but it fell on deaf ears.
Your son needs to do whatever he is going to do, without much input from parents. He is his own person at this age and needs to work it out for himself. The longer you are involved the longer it will take him to decide where he is going, and this might be in completely the opposite direction to what you feel he should be doing.
I know its hard and I have been there, but its up to him now. FWIW when I did give up on pushing ds2 he had found a job in an hour and is doing well in it now, its only a call centre, but he's happy for now.

yellowballoons · 21/08/2013 17:08

op. What does your son want to do?

I have mixed thoughts about what MadeOfStarDust says.

morethanpotatoprints · 21/08/2013 17:10

Oh. I thought you meant A2 and not AS.

In that case, keep on at him, talk, and try and make him see sense

MadeOfStarDust · 21/08/2013 17:16

Sorry yellow..- by way of explanation... I was from Scotland... did my A levels at evening school after leaving home and getting a job at 16 - to get away from my interfering parents who thought they knew what was best for me......

got a first in Maths when they wanted something entirely different involving secretarial college.....

"kids" (sorry, but at 17 I was earning more than my dad, and living in a flatshare) need to decide what they want and be supported... not have it decided for them or delivered on a plate..

lljkk · 21/08/2013 17:36

creamteas · 21/08/2013 17:36

What does he want to do long term? Sometimes students who struggle with AS levels, do really well on BTECs, so this is worth considering.

What about an apprenticeship? Some of them come with really good long term prospects. In our engineering depts, there are lots of students being sponsored to do degrees that have come through the apprenticeship route.

Ultimately he needs to decide on a plan, and you have to support this even if it seems like a bad idea. Get him to look at the options for working, training or education and decide which is for him.

mummytime · 22/08/2013 06:44

Made of Stardust- sorry but you aren;t living in the world most of our children are. There are precious few jobs for 16 year olds anymore, and all have to be in education until 18.

OP my son has dreadful AS results, fortunately he had such a bad year that it was obvious that this was going to be the case. We looked at alternative schools and colleges, and in the end have found one which really enthuses him. His main qualification will be a BTEC which is more continually assessed, and I think will suit him more.
His school sixth form were supportive (and would have allowed him to resit), but strongly recommended him going somewhere else as it is very hard to repeat the year and watch all your friends applying to university. It can also be that repeating the year leads to repeating the mistakes.

englishteacher78 · 22/08/2013 06:54

I have seen mixed results for repeaters. The most successful actually realised before his exams and withdrew from them to resit the year. I think what that shows is it has to be the student's decision not their schools nor their parents.
Good luck and things tend to work out fine (from an A-Level underachiever who went on to achieve highly at university).

outtolunchagain · 22/08/2013 07:05

I know of quite a few who have repeated year 12 , the most successful have moved to a new institution and some have changed subjects .Two I know we'll have gone from Es and Us to As and Bs so it can be done

englishteacher78 · 22/08/2013 07:09

The student I mentioned went to Oxford to study History! With determination to find the right courses for the individual student re-sitting can be a brilliant idea. I wish I'd done it.

headlesslambrini · 22/08/2013 07:24

what grades did he get? what occupational area of work does he want to go into?

Original poster

rusty100 · 22/08/2013 08:08

Thank you all for the input. It's reassuring that he's not the only one. It was results from AS levels. He also did resits from Jan exams This situation has been brewing all year.
he is gutted, he appeared to work his nuts off for all the exams and took them very seriously.
I struggle not to interfere too much, but really think when he simply is at a loss like this then he needs some support.
He has no idea what he wants to do.
2 years ago he was set on becoming a vet, was doing work experience and on course to do well. I spoke to his teachers in yr11 and asked whether they thought it was a realistic expectation and whether he would struggle academically, they all said he would fly through and was easily bright enough.

I think the move to the college was the most massive mistake tbh. Today I'm speaking to the head of 6th at his old school, hopefully he can go back there and retake the year. It will be a bit embarrassing for him, he'll be in the same year now as his younger brother. He seems to be ok with it though and says he will just forego a gap year.
We have to decide what A's he will take, he loves Bio and will probably retake English, he may substitute Music for one of the failed subjects tho as he loves it & I think maybe he needs to enjoy himself.

I am angry at the college, within a couple of weeks of him going there he was struggling and I was calling his tutor to try and address it. Even if they would take him back I don't think he should go back, it will just be a rerun of last year.
So once subjects have been decided I think I will need to find a tutor in Bristol & really help him succeed.

OP posts:

Original poster

rusty100 · 22/08/2013 08:11

sorry didn't mention, he failed all his exams, apart from English where he got an E. That's why we need to see the papers, he doesn't just need to tweak his exam approach he needs to completely reconstruct it.

OP posts:

yellowballoons · 22/08/2013 08:33

I do think I have to say that getting A's and B's in GCSEs does not make him a straight A student.
Having said that, going from that to failing all his As, apart from E in english is quite a leap.
And it doesnt sound like the college suited him.

But is there something going on at home at all, or even was he bullied at college?

Personally I have no qualms at all about you guiding and supporting your son if he is putting the work in too, which he appears to be doing - unless he has been faking it to you and others.

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