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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 a new A'level in Jan - Bonkers?

17 replies

AngieBolen · 20/12/2015 17:36

I know it sounds crazy, but bear with me.

DS started off taking 4 A'levels. He dropped on straight away (I won't bore you with why) so is doing only three. One of his A'levels is maths, and he's struggling. At parents evening a few weeks ago his teacher suggested he drop it, and concentrate on his other subjects, but as he's only doing three we didn't think that was really sensible. His plan was to continue with maths until the summer, get a not very good AS level, but have learned some maths, then take another AS level next year.

Now, I've just realised he could have taken Business Studies this year ( I feel like such an idiot for only just realising this! ) I let DS choose his own A'levels, and he says he feels he was pushed into doing the ones he's taken by staff. He wishes he had taken Business studies, even though he only got a B in his GCSE (he was predicted an A).

I think he could catch up with the course if he read up, and I would be happy to get him a tutor to help him cover last terms work. DS says hes quite sure he could catch up, and even looked keen at the prospect of doing lots of reading, but doesn't think the school will let him take the course at this late stage.

Am I being bonkers to even think this is possible?

OP posts:

PotteringAlong · 20/12/2015 17:38

I think if he has started and quit 2 AS's already then it would be reasonably bonkers but stranger things have happened. You need to talk to the school.

Frazzled2207 · 20/12/2015 17:43

For a subject such as Business Studies it may be plausible. I did it, years ago mind, and it was easily the least challenging of my three a-levels, the other two being much more academic subjects. I also had a shit teacher and basically worked through textbooks myself. I'm not particularly academic but I worked hard and got an A. Sounds like it might be worth a chat with the b/s teacher. He would need to be prepared to work hard to catch up.

Frazzled2207 · 20/12/2015 17:46

To clarify
I did it means I did B/S a-level (before the split into as and a2s), I didn't start after Christmas!!

OhYouBadBadKitten · 20/12/2015 17:48

could he swap to 'use of maths'?

noblegiraffe · 20/12/2015 17:55

He has missed nearly 50% of the course. There may be mocks in January. There is no way my school would let a student pick up a course this late, but you can always ask.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 20/12/2015 18:00

I just had a look at use of maths, not looked at before, though I know someone who was switched on to it half way through the term. Scrap my idea - it was a rubbish one!

Original poster

AngieBolen · 20/12/2015 18:19

I don't think they even do use of maths and way, OhYouBadBadKitten.

I know he's missed 50% of the AS course, but if he continues next year, he'll end up with an A'level rather than an AS level, which he may or may not be able to do as he would have to go into a class of next year's Y12's, and then it could class with his other subjects.

Or does it not work like that with AS/Alevels?

OP posts:

noblegiraffe · 20/12/2015 18:32

Ah is Business already linear? That might make a difference as Y12 exams won't count towards Y13 giving him more time to catch up. Worth a shot if maths is going so badly he might fail it.

noblegiraffe · 20/12/2015 18:34

The school might look more kindly on this plan if he does a load of business work over the holidays to show he's really keen and willing to work his arse off.

jeanne16 · 20/12/2015 18:40

The course is no longer called Business Studies and has now changed to Business. The maths component has increased significantly and it is a far harder course than in previous years. He will struggle to catch up having missed the first term in which almost half the course will have been covered.

Original poster

AngieBolen · 20/12/2015 18:45

So would it make any sense to try to do it as an AS next year?

OP posts:

noblegiraffe · 20/12/2015 18:49

You'd be gambling on it fitting with his other options next year, you'd also need to check whether the school even offers AS.

GloriaHotcakes · 20/12/2015 18:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

momb · 20/12/2015 19:00

He's missed less than 25% of the A level course. If he's going to change then now is the time.
Over 30 years ago I did a very similar thing: gave up further maths after about half a term, then swapped maths for biology at Christmas. Best decision I could have made.

Rosieposy4 · 30/12/2015 20:23

I would be very unhappy about getting a student onto the course now, and particularly one who has already dropped one and is struggling with another, and i would resist this strongly, even if my school were preqpered to consider it. He will have missed about 25% of the content and ime students rarely manage to catch up even if they start a month late.

catslife · 31/12/2015 16:04

Try looking up part-time level 3 courses at a local FE college if you are looking for more hours to fill his timetable. A college near us if advertising that it has vacancies for a January 2016 intake. These courses include level 3 business which is equivalent to A level.

BeaufortBelle · 04/01/2016 08:05

Why did the school allow things to get this critical? Could you not tutor for the subject he's weak in rather than dropping it? Is it a case of not quite making the leap to A'Levels? I think I'd soldier on supporting as well as possible and get a place lined up fir a BTEC in Business next year, possibly alongside one or two A'Levels he's comfortable with.

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