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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

Starting Year 12 again - terrible idea or good solution?

33 replies

rumbleinthejungle · 04/05/2015 09:59

DS1 has totally lost his way in Year 12. He made poor A level choices and has particularly struggled in his essay heavy subjects. He just got a U in his mock in one of these subjects.

He desperately wants to start his A levels again and change 2 of the subjects. We were very against this at first as we couldn't imagine him being motivated enough and he'd be out of step with his friends. However a turning point seems to be that he has decided he wants to be a Primary Teacher so now has a goal.

He"'ll probably come out with B, C/D, E, E/U in his AS levels so I don't know if it's even worth sitting 2 of the subjects. We've looked on the ucas site and there's very little that would be available to him.

Do you think starting again would be the best plan or can he salvage something from this year?

Thanks

OP posts:

PurpleDaisies · 04/05/2015 10:12

This is more common than you might think and spending an extra year at sixth form is by no means a disaster. It sounds like your son needs to have a chat with the head of sixth form and see what his options are. He'll have some good AS grades in the bank if he does go on to get his B and C/D this year but if he's got his heart set on primary teaching and there aren't many courses that will take him he's probably better repeating. Primary teaching courses are often really competitive to get on to so it would give him chance to get lots of work experience sorted.

Good luck with whatever he decides to do.

Millymollymama · 04/05/2015 10:15

I do think this would be a good idea as long as he is ok about being away from his friends in classes. Also do not assume primary teachers are lacking in educational skills. The new maths curriculum is challenging! What A levels are best for being a primary teacher? I would do some research to see what is required and be realistic about what he can actually achieve with so called easier subjects. What grades did he get at GCSE? If he is achieving such low grades, how academic is he? Have you looked at other routes to qualifications?

Original poster

rumbleinthejungle · 04/05/2015 11:07

Thank you for your input. DS is bright and got a mixture of A*, A, B at gcse. His predicted B is Spanish which seems an ideal subject for Primary teaching now KS2 are taught languages. Although he's predicted to get a C/D in maths everyone seems confident that he could get that to B/C by the end of A levels.

Ds3 is doing level 6 maths so I've seen how challenging the curriculum is! DS1 volunteered for a few days and helped with SATS boosters for both high and lower ability pupils - he loved it.

OP posts:

noblegiraffe · 04/05/2015 11:13

Every year we have a few students resitting all or part of Y12, he would need to discuss this with the head of sixth form as A levels are changing next year so some of the courses may be different to what he knows. He will also need to consider how he will feel when all his peers head off to uni and he's left behind.

I'm a maths teacher and I would say that it's extremely unlikely that someone who is predicted a C/D in maths would get this up to a B/C in Y13. The second year of maths is much harder than the first.

Original poster

rumbleinthejungle · 04/05/2015 11:17

Thanks noblegiraffe. I think one of the problems with his maths is that he didn't ask for help when he was unsure. Now he's getting support he's getting nearly full marks in the questions he's covered. He's just left it a bit too late for this year!

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cricketballs · 04/05/2015 12:07

I would echo noble's post - we also have a number of students who repeat year 12, some re-taking same subjects, others who do something completely different but your DS needs to be happy that his friends will be off to uni etc a year ahead of him.

My own DS repeated the year - his AS year was a disaster as he didn't work hard enough, wasn't enjoying it so he started a BTEC and went to uni a year later than his peers. In the long run it has been better for him as I don't think he would have coped living away from home if he had gone at the 'normal' age as well as he has done

Original poster

rumbleinthejungle · 04/05/2015 12:16

Thanks very much. I think DS has matured this year and now has more of an idea where he wants to go in life. Last year he had no idea. I'm glad it worked out for your son.

My DS would probably go to a different college so hopefully the feeling of being left behind might not be as great as he'd be moving in different circles.

OP posts:

SecretSquirrels · 04/05/2015 16:44

He wouldn't need A level maths to be a Primary school teacher though would he? It does sound as though he has picked the wrong subjects and actually I think it's quite mature of him to recognise this and be prepared to start again.

I have two DC and both have seen friends repeating year 12, as others say it's quite common.
If he does though, he should research the new A levels in his subjects. Some sixth forms won't offer AS and it will all be exams in Y13.

noblegiraffe · 04/05/2015 16:45

He won't need A-level maths to be a primary school teacher but he will find it far easier to get a primary job if he has it. Primary schools are desperately short of teachers with maths qualifications beyond GCSE.

hellsbells99 · 04/05/2015 16:56

In DD's year (year 12) there are quite a few who have moved from other schools to redo AS levels. It is very common either because of poor grades the first time round or because of a change in subjects.

Charis1 · 04/05/2015 17:12

Both, go all out for the highest marks he possibly can for this year, then restart year 12 next year. Any AS grades he gets this year, but doesn't carry on with will still count towards his UCAS application.

He should be able to repeat year 12, you get three years post 16 education funded, however, depending on exact government funding criteria ( with changes with the weather), may not be able to do it at he same school. sometimes schools are only allowed to take new pupils, or puplis who are progressing.

This isn't a real problem, as he can go and become a new pupil elsewhere.

Apply now, both to his current school, and to others, and convince him to absolutly work his socks of for these AS grades. Even a couple of Es at AS are worth something.

circular · 04/05/2015 17:14

Will the school allow a yr12 repeat?
DD wanted to last year, and was told only generally allowed in exceptional circumstances. And less likely to be allowed unless changing most subjects (she also wanted to keep 2 the same).
Also, her school also required a D at AS (with pass in all modules) to allow subjects to be continued into yr13. They would have allowed 2 A2 and a new AS, which may suit some applying to Unis on points.

She has pressed on, but is retaking one module in 2 of her subjects. To meet her firm offer, she needs to improve by 1 grade in one and 2 grades in another on her AS grades. Not impossible, but she's struggling.

Charis1 · 04/05/2015 17:21

As I said, the school may not be permitted to offer AS repeat, because school are ONLY allowed to take new pupils, or pupils making progress to the next level, so if you are retaking AS year, it is normal to be a new pupil somewhere else, rather than a retaking pupil in the same school.

DontBeAMeanie · 04/05/2015 17:43

Some of my DCs friends have done this and it's worked out well for them. I suspect there might be more students wanting to repeat since the removal of the January Exams. The January exams used provided the shock 'bad, results that some students seem to need to spark them into starting to work really hard.

I've also know some DC who have got dissapointing AS's but who have really improved their results in year 13.

My DCs school gets plenty of students retaking year 12 who have been asked to 'leave' by their grammar and independent schools. I don't know if this is due to funding or due to the grammar and independent schools wanting to keep their grade averages up.

There doesn't seem to be any stigma attached to having to retake year 12 - some kids just haven't quite got their act together quick enough.

There are a few courses (eg medicine) and, I guess, there are some uni's that don't like students to take three years to complete A'levels but it's not going to be a problem for the vast majority of courses.

SueDunome · 04/05/2015 19:19

The A level system changes from September. An AS will no longer be half an A2, it will be an AS. An A2 (or A level) will be a full two year course with no external exams until the end of the second year. Students will have to decide at the beginning of the course whether they want to do an AS (one year) or A2 (two year) course. An AS will no longer be able to be topped up to an A2.

hellsbells99 · 04/05/2015 20:00

Sue - not all subjects will switch to the new A level straight away.

noblegiraffe · 04/05/2015 20:27

And they might not switch at all if Labour win the election.

circular · 04/05/2015 20:44

Does this mean that for subjects that are changing to the new courses after this year, it won't be possible to retake any 2015 AS modules in 2016?

noblegiraffe · 04/05/2015 21:05

If the new course is starting in Sept 2015 then students will be sitting the old course in June 2015. In June 2015 they would offer all the modules that would normally be offered in that sitting for the old course, including AS modules for resits. However, I'm not sure whether students would be able to sit the old AS modules and get an old AS as a first time sitting, rather than the new AS.

DontBeAMeanie · 04/05/2015 21:07

All the changes are infuriating. I have three DC at Uni and one going in September and there have been so many instances where the goal posts get moved. January modules, grade inflation, increases in uni fees, AAB student caps then ABB then no student caps, it's all too confusing for me. I'm glad I'll be out of it soon.

Original poster

rumbleinthejungle · 04/05/2015 22:26

Thank you all so much for your opinions. Ds would go to a different college and make a fresh start.

If he decides to start year 12 again should be sit his AS now? Is it really worth getting an E or is it better not to enter? If he hopes to start his maths again should be sit his AS now?

I've emailed the college he hopes to go to with a massive list of questions! Ds is half heartedly revising but doesn't know that I'm actively looking into him moving. I think if he did he'd stop all work immediately.

Thanks for all your help and best wishes to your dc's negotiating this tricky part of life.

OP posts:

DontBeAMeanie · 04/05/2015 23:19

I hope it all works out for your DS.

It really isn't the end of the world. My friend was in your shoes last year and is now a proud Mum of a lovely DS who has worked his socks off and is now on course to do very well in his upcoming exams. It's just a blip and your son wasn't the first student to misjudge how hard you have to work for AS's

Horsemad · 05/05/2015 07:41

At this stage, I'd encourage him to sit the exams still whilst you quietly look into him starting Yr 12 again next year.

My DS's AS results were distinctly average last year but school said they weren't bad enough to start Yr 12 again, so we've ploughed on. His mocks terrible, I have no idea how he'll do, although he has revised more since then.

I hope you get him sorted, it is such a tricky time.

Itscoldouthere · 05/05/2015 12:35

This is all very interesting, as my DS is about to drop out of lower sixth, he is only taking one of his AS levels, so will be finished school in 3 weeks time.

Maybe we will look at him starting again somewhere else, interesting though.

Nice to hear he is not alone in loosing his way.

elkiedee · 05/05/2015 16:44

My first thought from your heading before I even read your posts, apart from yes, worth starting again, was about trying somewhere else, sixth form or FE college.

I think you might have to discus the subject with him though, as he will need to convince a college that he is motivated, presumably.

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