AS and A levels from Sept 2015

[wincy]

My DD is currently making her A level and sixth form choices for next year.
The sixth form at her current school are asking them to choose 4 AS levels (and do the exams) in Y12 and then drop one and continue with 3 A levels in Y13. These will nearly all be the new linear exams and the AS levels won't count towards the A level.
I can see this will allow some flexibility but also a lot of extra work? I suppose one of the good things about a 2 year linear exam would be that Y12 wouldn't be so focused on exams and allow for extra teaching time. I assumed with the new exams they would just be doing the A levels and not bothering with AS.
Would this be the worst of both worlds? The school says this format will be for those starting in 2015 only, during the transition period for the new exams. We haven't visited any other sixth forms yet so don't know if this is what other schools are planning to do.

The sixth forms were only talking about doing 2 year AS levels not 1 year. That would be more feasible and would allow some flexibility.

Hi Summerends, I know our 6th form have talked about the opposite! DD2 in year 12 was told by chemistry teacher, they would take AS as usual but it wouldn't count towards the A level and would be used to see where they were up to and for predicted grades ......but of course she was telling this to the wrong year and is obviously totally confused!!!! It was the day after an inset day where I assume they must have been discussing how to implement the new A levels.

Ok, what about this for a model? You start off in Y12 with 4 or 5 subjects (depending on ability, further maths in the mix or whatever).
There are internal exams in January. After those, with the results and the experience of term's teaching, pupils decide for each subject either to continue to the full A level or convert to a 2 year AS level or stop, (need to choose least 3 full A levels).

Roisin: "ds2 will have had 4 terms' teaching, but will be in competition for uni places with candidates who've had 5 terms teaching"

This is why I'm worried about this model of AS in Y12/ A levels in Y13 that the school are proposing. Also the final approved syllabuses weren't available yet at the open evening we went to last week, so how can they know that the AS/A will be co-teachable? Does anyone know if the exam boards have issued any information about whether the courses are being designed to allow this?

It's like we are all scrabbling around in the dark. How can I advise my not hugely academic year 11 who is trying decide between A levels or BTEC when I don't know what the score is ?

And on top of that, some colleges are switching to Cambridge Technicals instead of BTEC , which complicates it further.

This from the OCR website:
"The new AS Levels, for first teaching from September 2015, will be stand-alone qualifications in their own right. They will remain broadly at their current standard. There’ll be one examination series each year, with the first assessment planned for June 2016.

They will not count towards the final grade of an A Level, where assessment of the whole course will take place at the end of two years’ study. However, in some subjects, it may be appropriate for the AS to be designed to be co-taught with the first year of the A Level. We’ll continue to work with teachers and other stakeholders to learn how best we can support you on this reform."

Doesn't specify which subjects "may be appropriate " for co-teaching.

Wincy it sounds from that as though your DD's school also has insufficient information to plan. It is still fairly early in the process but may be by the end of Y11 there will be greater clarity from your DD's choices what is possible. You could then decide whether to push the school for just one AS exam rather than the proposed 4 AS levels.

I've just read through this really useful thread, the booklet from my ds' school, and some more stuff online......poor teachers having to try to make sense of this mess.

My son's school is deferring the choice deadline until next year ie when, they hope, the position has become clearer.

One Sixth form I talked to said they will be setting exams at the end of year 12 whatever they decide. These may be AS (depending on subject etc.) or may be internal, but it will be a very similar pattern to what has happened so far. I do tend to assume if someone does exceptionally well they will be allowed to continue to A2 (but have to retake the papers).

Labour is of course promising to undo the changes.

Loads of useful You Tube channels to help with AS Maths revision. Take a look.

1. corbettmaths.com/?s=Core+1

1. www.youtube.com/playlist list=PLqBCRq8k105rxnx47gQ7EW4FDTkv7aGYX

1. www.mrbartonmaths.com/alevel.htm

1. www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqBCRq8k105rxnx47gQ7EW4FDTkv7aGYX

Cambridge Uni has now written to schools and sixth forms "urging them to continue to enter students for AS-level exams at the end of year 12" according to the BBC website.

Link to news story is:-

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-29914310

I posted it on the general board not realising there was already a thread here.

I was concerned about this.

Applicants who have only predicted. A level grades will be at a disadvantage to those with AS results.

Not fair if the schools refuse.

Cambridge have managed to avoid expanding their pre interview aptitude tests but would probably have to do that if they were no longer able to rely on AS results as a primary filter. I can see why they want to avoid more work for their admissions system.

I have enormous sympathy for the current year 11 students and their parents. All the staff involved in A levels that I know are completely unsure what system we will be using next year when the 1st wave of the new linear A levels come in. I know its been discussed but I haven't heard of anybody who has a definite idea. For my subject we could co-teach the AS and A2 so those planning just to do the AS could learn alongside those planning to do the A2. Decisions could be made in January/February during the AS, but I have no idea if this is the case for other subjects (especially as most subjects won't start the new exams until 2016 so they haven't even seen the new specs yet).

I have a daughter in Year 11. Just spoke to the sixth form and they are planning to continue AS exams in all subjects for year 11 until they see how the wind blows (whether or not they count). So for some subjects, a student might take the AS, get a really good mark (but it doesn't count), but still have to take it again in second year of sixthform (potentially getting a lower mark).

The stance that Cambridge University has taken was mentioned.

At least one of the universities have spoken. It would be good to hear from UCAS on behalf of universities in general.

I think doing AS is a good thing. Having a proper, external exam drives the children to work harder, even if it won't count in the end. Knowing it will be on their UCAS and drive their predicted grades will motivate them. An internal exam doesn't have the same effect and parents often then feel they can push the school to raise predictions, because pupils do t try so hard for internal exams, they wouldn't be required on UCAS for a etc. so having something g external gives the universities something concrete to look at and pupils something concrete to aim for.
Having done 4 AS levels, there would also be flexibility at the end of Year 12 about which to drop, which wouldn't be there is it had to be decided at the start of Year 12 which was to be just the one year course and exam.

I am glad Cambridge have spoken, although I think it would be better if the AS exams actually counted. To me, the current system with just 2 sittings of exams has been good. The continuous re-sits have been removed, teaching has had longer bursts of time, rather than being interrupted for re-sits of old modules, but pupils have still been able to 'bank' some credit and feel motivated in the L6th by exams being close.

This from a comment piece in the Guardian - anyone know if it is true?

"At first, this doesn’t sound too much of a debacle. Won’t sixth forms just offer the standalone AS levels first and then have students sit the full A-level in their second year? Well, no. Because, in its wisdom, the government asked exam boards to make sure the materials don’t easily overlap. Ministers want students to either do the AS or the A-level, but not both."

www.theguardian.com/education/2014/nov/18/half-baked-a-level-reform-rushed-election

Hmmm I was at BabyBearleigh's parents evening last night and they were planning to do AS then A2 as normal and as they have been recommended to do by the universities and exam boards.

I don't understand the reasoning behind this change.

It's a very poor piece. All the exam boards have structured the de-coupled AS and A Levels subjects so that the first year can be dual taught.

E.g. see page 2 Edexcel statement on co-teaching

Mmm I was at an open evening last week and a science teacher said you would have to choose early on whether you wanted to do AS or A-level since the syllabus was different for each. She seemed pretty confused and unenthusiastic generally though...

The two open evenings I have gone two have both said that they intend to co-teach, and indeed enter, all students to the AS exam at the end of year 1!