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Secondary education

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Original poster

A level 'aspiration' grades

31 replies

IrianofWay · 14/10/2015 10:36

DD had just started A levels at college. She is working flat out already, worried about how much she has to do and basically getting herself into a flap. She is doing Maths, Physics, Biology and Geography. She knows what she needs to get to get on to her university course. She also knows that she has to keep up with her weekend voluntary work because she needs this as well.

She decided that she wanted to give up physics. DH and I went to her first parents evening and explained to her tutor who flat out told us she can't do that. Full stop. Not allowed.

Then told us that her expected A level grades were B - calculated from her GCSE grades. Her GCSE grades were 5A* 3A and a B. Seems a bit odd. She needs to get ABB. She doesn't know about this yet but I know it;s going to freak her out - she will instantly think it means she has to work harder.

Her tutor is getting her an appointment with a college counsellor to help her 'manage' her workload.

What can we do to help her? Any advice?

OP posts:
Anotherusername1 · 14/10/2015 11:00

Push back at the tutor. Why is it not allowed? 3 A levels should be adequate.

Original poster
IrianofWay · 14/10/2015 11:40

He reckons she might change her mind about another subject later and then be left with just 2. But she won't. I know her too well to worry about that. Apparently if we are really determined we can speak to the HoD but it's all very irregular apparently Hmm

We will have to see how it goes.

OP posts:
titchy · 14/10/2015 11:45

Blimey - at dd's college students are positively encouraged to only do 3 A levels - they think just doing 3 will be the norm in a year or so, with exceptions for Further Maths and the EPQ for high achievers.

Ricardian · 14/10/2015 12:11

She knows what she needs to get to get on to her university course.

She needs to be slightly careful. At the moment, the published prospectuses are for 2016 entry. The standard offer will not be set until the 2017 prospectus is published. Assuming that you can predict the grades for 2017 entry now, especially for STEM, is somewhat risky. Changing the subjects required is more serious, but the grades can change right up until the publication of the prospectus.

She also knows that she has to keep up with her weekend voluntary work because she needs this as well.

Could I ask what course she is applying for which is (a) ABB entry and (b) requires weekend voluntary work? Something medical, presumably?

IfItoldyouIdHavetoKillYou · 14/10/2015 12:51

Presumably not medicine if she's not doing Chemistry.
Does she really need to do voluntary work? Unless she is applying to an over subscribed course I doubt it is essential.

Brioche201 · 14/10/2015 13:13

Unless she is doing med or vet, then I would kill the voluntary work.I would totally disregard the grade prediction at this stage-they have only been at it a few weeks! It means nothing.

BlueStringPudding · 14/10/2015 13:47

My DD got similar grades to yours at GCSE, and did Maths, Chem,Physics and Geography at 6th Form. Her plan was to drop Physics after AS, but in the end she carried on to A2 and dropped Geography instead. She got 4 As at AS Level.

She was also predicted a B initially in the first term, it seems the colleges don't want them to get over confident! DD ended up with A*AA..

DD struggled a bit with Physics, and we got her a tutor for an hour a week (term time only), which helped. A couple of the Physics teachers at her college were less than inspiring to be honest, so we felt it was necessary. Her tutor was actually a student 2 years above who was taking a gap year himself, so he knew the course and teachers (and wasn't too expensive).

If you can I would encourage her to stick with Physics until the end of the year, and then decide whether to continue with it for a second year. What does she want to study at University?

Original poster
IrianofWay · 14/10/2015 14:05

Thanks

She wants to do Vet Physiotherapy. Course is at Harper Adams. She needs an A in Biology, a B in Maths/another science and any other A level at B/C. She has to to have experience with dogs and horses - she works with horses every saturday. She needs to get work experience at a kennels or a rescue as well.

It seems such a full plate. After working like crazy for her GCSEs it seems hard to be under such pressure right from the start.

OP posts:
Original poster
IrianofWay · 14/10/2015 14:06

It's funny - when I did A levels (1980s) 3 was normal.

OP posts:
MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 14/10/2015 14:08

I've never got to grips with how the DDs school do A level predictions, but it's something to do with taking all the data for several years of what grades the people who did their combination of GCSEs then got a A level. Something automatically generated anyway, which they were all told to ignore, and the class teachers then set the target grades which were unofficial, but what they should actually be aiming at.

Stillunexpected · 14/10/2015 14:57

Is your dd's college still doing AS levels? I know there seems to be complete confusion at the moment between colleges and universities about what future entry levels may be and how units will assess applicants without AS levels. Assuming your daughter has just started at college, what your dd is talking about giving up is an AS subject, not an A2 subject? I think the downside to that is that she will be expected to do 3 A2s so dropping one subject now gives her no wiggle room whatsoever with the other three. So if she gives up Physics and gets a C/D at AS in Maths she is going to find it very difficult to meet the entry requirements for the course, because she can't drop Maths and continue with Physics instead.

There is also the argument to be made that if she is struggling coping with the workload now, how will she fare two years hence at university? Obviously, there is lots of growing up to be done in the meantime but she needs to be sure that she can manage the work, while living away from home and doing her own catering, shopping and laundry.

About her predicted grades, did she get A* at GCSE in the subjects she is taking? It's a big step from GCSE to A level so it could well be that her teachers think Bs are genuinely her likely grade.

Original poster
IrianofWay · 14/10/2015 15:02

She's doing AS atm. She got A* in Geograpy and Maths and As in both science modules.

OP posts:
Original poster
IrianofWay · 14/10/2015 15:03

It just makes me wonder how anyone gets to university if someone with those grades at GCSE can't get any As at A-level!

OP posts:
Stillunexpected · 14/10/2015 15:10

Hmm, then those predicted grades do seem a bit on the low side. I would email her tutor and ask for clarification on how they have reached those predictions.

Original poster
IrianofWay · 14/10/2015 15:21

I think I will have to do that. Apparently it comes from a computer somewhere Hmm

OP posts:
Brioche201 · 14/10/2015 16:14

At my DC school they have a computer programme called ALPS that gives these weird predictions.I think is based on historic data of what results peope with the same set of GCSEs got at A level.

Ricardian · 14/10/2015 17:01

It just makes me wonder how anyone gets to university if someone with those grades at GCSE can't get any As at A-level!

Most universities don't require A at A Level. Only on MN are AAA courses regarded as normal.

noblegiraffe · 14/10/2015 17:08

ALPs predictions are usually on the high rather than low side! The annoying thing about ALPs is that it predicts the same grade for every A-level, so the maths prediction won't be based on her maths GCSE, but all her GCSEs.

It's way too early in the course to be making any actual predictions. Computer predictions for A-level are crap, you need to wait to hear what her teachers actually think, and they probably won't be able to predict until she has sat some exams (e.g. mocks in January).

BobOmb · 14/10/2015 17:59

It just makes me wonder how anyone gets to university if someone with those grades at GCSE can't get any As at A-level

It's far too early to say your DD can't get any As at A-level whatever her GCSEs grades were. They've been in 6th form for less than half a term, so only have limited information to go on.

We've had these predictions DD is also predicted Bs - the school have stressed that these are a general prediction based on previous cohorts results of what of pupils with similar GCSEs got. Teachers at DDs school don't make firm predictions until after the AS results. They then set a teacher prediction based on the students work ethic and performance - which they give to UCAS.

Fairenuff · 14/10/2015 19:14

OP I actually agree that it's too early to drop a subject. Most students take 4 subjects at AS level then drop one and go on to do 3 A2s.

However, this year it changed and not all schools are doing AS levels so the first thing to check is whether your school is doing the A level as a straight two year course for all of her subjects.

If they are then I would let her drop one now as there is no advantage to continuing with it. If not, she should take the AS because it will give her extra UCAS points.

Racundra · 14/10/2015 19:24

They could be ALIS rather than ALPS?
When you say 'predicted' do you mean the teachers think that's what she'll get based on the way shes working so far? Or purely based on GCSE?
It's early days, and many Y12s are still adapting to the change of level required.

Ricardian · 14/10/2015 19:57

If not, she should take the AS because it will give her extra UCAS points.

Which matters for applicants to universities that make offers based on A2 grades because...?

BackforGood · 14/10/2015 20:12

If it's any comfort, I think the vast majority of people who do A level maths and physics, - including those with A and A grades - find the jump incredibly hard at the start of 6th form. I know my dd is - she's been in tears a few times this term and she's the most laid back person I know with regards to work. She has put all* the things she normally does outside of school 'on hold' until half term, and has been going to bed about 8.30 most nights. Would 'suspending' the volunteering until after half term, or after Christmas help her? Even if it wasn't needed for the course, I do think they benefit, in the longer term, from doing stuff ouside of school / work, but maybe she just needs a month or two off now while she gets her head round things?

Fairenuff · 14/10/2015 20:31

Which matters for applicants to universities that make offers based on A2 grades because...?

Because not all universities make offers based on A2, some of them ask for UCAS points and sometimes students don't make the grades they need and need a Plan B.

Brioche201 · 14/10/2015 20:58

ALPs predictions are usually on the high rather than low side!

well that hasn't been the experience with my DC, Noble. I guess if it is based on historical averages some predictions will be higher and some will be lower.

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