Redo year 12

[Stopyourhavering]

Ds got AS results yesterday.....
Geography c
Biology d
Physics d
He's also doing Welsh Bac which is a total waste of time compulsory at his comp
He's disappointed with results after doing so well in GCSEs and we did keep telling him he wasn't working hard enough!.... Anyway he's now considering starting again in yr 12 at a small local independent school where his older sister went and got v good results ( in spite of her dyslexia).... We hadn't considered sending him here originally as felt he was capable enough of doing well on his own terms at the comp....however he's young for his year....only just turned 17 and think he's just maturing and beginning to realise he didn't put in the necessary work....he's considering ocean science or forensic anthropology as degree options so obviously needs good A level results.....what would be best for him?

If he wants to start again and can, I would let him. He has an extra year to mature and consolidate what he has already learned.

Don't forget that for many subjects the AS marks do not count towards the full A level, although he would have to declare them on a UCAS application. Certainly the case for the 2 science subjects, but I'm not sure about geography. He could consider working very hard this year to pull up for A level. Unlike the previous specifications he won't really be at a disadvantage as all students will have to sit all exams at the end of year 13.

DD17 got three C's in her AS's, she knows these results don't count and she needs to work hard next year, but she doesn't want to repeat (there isn't funding for it any more, it costs the parents money now, her school charges nearly £2000 a subject!!!), I'd advise your DS to just work hard at his A2's, and he should do well!

I also agree that he can pull it back for next year, but if he wants to start again then consider it. Loads of people at DD's 6th form started year 12 again and she said they're much happier the second time round, because they're ready for it.

The flip side is that if he repeats he might find he turns off further as covering stuff he's already been taught won't be interesting and he'll lose focus. I'd be tempted, having repeated the lower sixth myself and fucking up a second time, to suggest he goes on to year 13 and if he doesn't get where he needs to next summer to do a crammer and resit his a levels in a year out.

You could be right about repeating being boring

Ds1 did year 12 again, as he realised that he had taken the wrong subjects. He went to college and did something completely different and subsequently did very well. I too did lower sixth again. The second time I did the same subjects but with a new teacher and did far, far better.

As other people have pointed out it can be boring learning the same things again but its still totally worth it.
When I had a little look into to it and asked other people the amount that don't get good grades in their first year is far higher than those who do. Also the kids who mainly fail or get lower grades are the ones who did well in their GCSE's, probably because their not mature enough yet to understand just how big the jump is from being in school to sixth form and how much work they really need to do. Their just used to being pretty intelligent.

As far as the school he goes I don't think it maters too much, if he's disappointed with the current grades and prepared to commit to trying again then he should do really well after a repeat year.
I wouldn't personally just hope for the best in A2, as their harder for a start and also if he get like an A I second year and a D from first, overall that's still a B at best, could even be a C which probably wont do for his uni course.

Thanks for the responses....lots to consider - he's currently away for weekend with friends at Centerparc de-stressing so we're going to discuss it with him when he gets back and see what he wants to do!!.....thought we'd have less problems with him compared to his 2 older sisters but I do think teenage boys are a lot less mature than girls when it comes exams/school and he's needed a bit of a reality check!! ( his dad bombed his A levels first time round but managed to pull it around and get to medical school , so there is hope!!)