Starting Y13 (y12 support thread contd)

[AtiaoftheJulii]

Well, I filled up the other one, so here's a nice new one to get us through dropping subjects, Uni open days, personal statement writing, and UCAS applications

Plenty of and and (nicely-intentioned) s available!

Asked a teacher friend & this is how she understands it...

OPTION A - teenager can choose four A2's and carry all on for the two years.

OPTION B - can choose four A2's, but drop one after a year (sacrificing any qualification in the dropped subject)

OPTION C - can choose three A2's and one AS (the AS would be dropped after a year, with no option to continue it if enjoying subject)

Roisin - my main worry with the Maths / Further Maths is at the moment my kids can take FM, but if they find it too hard drop down and get a maths A level. This will be removed, so they will play it safe and go for maths. Seems retrograde step, as it will wipe FM from some comprehensives.

Teachers - please feel free to jump in & correct if my re-telling is flawed in any way!

I don't see the logic as to why that option will be removes under the new regime Littleham.

As now, students are only entered for the qualification when they are entered for the exam (the deadline is usually about 6 weeks before). Any switching that goes on before then is just up to the school as to what they allow.

Maths A level currently consists of 6 modules (for ease let's say a-f); Further Maths consist of 6 other modules (u-z). In some schools they do a-f in yr1 and get a Maths A Level; then u-z in yr2. In other schools they do a-c and u-w in yr1 and get an AS in each. Whichever system is followed it's relatively easy in most schools to ditch the FM elements, if not coping with it, and transfer to a Maths only class. How would this be different with linear A levels?

I really hope you are right.

alevelcontent.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/alcab-mathematics-report-executive-summary.pdf

The A level Content Advisory Board's perspective included.

The guidelines are clear and already published; what remains to be seen is how it plays out. At the moment the key players are all waiting on each other and not declaring their hand. A few top HMC schools have declared they will ditch AS Levels completely as soon as it is possible to do so. But apart from that everyone is keeping schtum. The schools don't want to disadvantage their pupils, if the universities want to continue to rely heavily on AS levels; but the universities are reluctant to declare a policy until they have some idea of what the schools plan to do.

I spoke to a Cambridge admissions tutor 10 days ago and she said it is all still currently under discussion. the next few years will be complex, as schools will have to teach a mixture of coupled and de-coupled courses, depending on whether the subjects are in the first wave, delayed first wave (Maths), or second wave of new A levels.

ofqual.gov.uk/documents/update-on-the-reforms-being-made-to-as-qualifications-a-levels/

Just noticed there's already a thread for the new A level and AS here

Thanks circular - very useful. I have moved over to that thread to try to understand the new A Levels.

Some good news here. After a horrendous weekend of sitting with DD for hours and talking her through her history essay while she sobbed into her keyboard, she has had two offers today - AAB from Warwick and ABB from Kent which has really cheered her up. At least she knows that (fingers crossed) she will have somewhere to go next September! How is everyone else coping with the pressure?

Yay! Well done Little Miss Millament!

Hurrah to MissMillament jnr!

Well done your DD MissMillament - good to have a couple of offers so early.

Great news MissMillament!

Brilliant news MissMillament! That will make her feel better

I'm getting impatient for DS to get his application in - if he gets no offers I'll be wishing I hadn't said that!

Well done missmilliment great news came at the right time to uplift her spirit. Mine is still on zero offers its Zzzzz over here

Excellent news MissMillament!

Mumslife - DD's has got as far as school now.

Thank you, everyone. She is a different person this evening, really happy and chatty. She wants to do joint honours English and German, mumslife. We haven't seen Kent yet, but I went to Warwick with her last month and she really liked it.
I feel for those of you who are still labouring over UCAS forms, I was so relieved to see the back of the bloody thing.

mumslifewe have an array of colourful mind maps all over the place