Too many D grades to start college

[Eastyone]

So my daughter did 10 GCSEs (too many) and only passed 4 - needed a B in Maths and Physics which she got and wants to study at A level. Got a D3 in English which was predicted C but she has hearing difficulties and has recently been diagnosed with Dyslexia and Dyspraxia - school sent in a medical form for extra time (due to poor hearing / working memory) but wouldn't let her use a processor (her writing speed in very poor and only scored 0.2 percentile in DASH test)
She wants to do A levels and not be pushed into a BTEC will it be easy for her to do resits with a processor which we think this is the best option. Would only need to do 3 (including English)

What are the school saying?

You need to push for the right things to be in place for the exams. Was she given a scribe for the exam as opposed to a processor so the school reckoned they had done their bit? More show if she was left to write on her own

Retaking English can be done alongside whatever she chooses to do.

Maths at A level with only a B grade is a very big ask.
As far as I can tell, the majority of 6th forms require an A grade.

I think she needs some solid advice on her chances of success at A level.

You have my sympathies. My DD was diagnosed with dyspraxia y11.

I wouldn't recommend maths A level with a B at GCSE. Some people manage it, but lots find that it's too difficult and they fail, therefore wasting a year. I don't think our school would recommend English with a C grade either, let alone a D. There's just too much of a jump to make into A level.

What does she want to do eventually? I'd there another route to get there, like an access course or something? It's very disappointing not to be able to do the A levels she's set her heart on but sometimes it's best to look realistically at what will play to her strengths more.

My local sixth form college do a re sit programme. I imagine a lot will do now as pupils have to stay on. I have copied and pasted what it says. Subject may vary from college to college

'This is a one-year programme and will be of interest if you would like to progress to A levels or Level 3 BTEC but have so far been unable to complete at least 5 GCSEs to grade C or above. We will offer:
•English Language
•Mathematics
•Science
•Humanities
•Italian
•Sociology'

Is this an option?

What's her reasoning for not wanting to go down the BTEC route? Although they normally ask for 5 A-Cs but there may be some flexibility.

Why is she so negative about BTechs? She does know you can get into perfectly good Unis with them if you are prepared to work hard? Alternatively she could do a mix and an A'level and a BTechs.

I'd be wary about doing Maths or Physics at A'level with B grades. Has she looked at 'Use of Maths' A level. It's more statistics based (I think)

Girl I know failed all but two of her GCSEs and went to do A Levels, she had to retake her first year and then after that she didn't do the second. Her retaken A level results weren't much better than the first year.
A levels are harder than GCSEs, even if it seems better because you're taking less subjects.
BTECs are amazing, or apprenticeships. You can get into uni with either option if that's what you're thinking. A levels do not make you smarter or appear better, especially if you can't hack it and end up doing really bad

To be honest, colleges are much better generally for supporting disabilities and students needing exam concessions than schools. Colleges have had to follow the equality act for over 15 years where schools have been about 4. Btecs and other Level 3 courses are much more flexible in assessments than A levels and get you into university the same.

When I sat my GCSEs in 94 I was in top sets and predicted to pass all of them. My grandmother died 2 months before the exams and I lost it. I also had a boyfriend and In all honesty I didn't put the work in: my results on the day were the biggest slap in the face ever. I had a B in art and C in design and all the rest were E's I was devastated and so was my mum. She was livid. The only one I could not understand was history as I had actually revised for that so I was upset over that one.
After a week of replanning I was accepted to 6th form to re sit my GCSEs and I was allowed to do my a level art as long as I passed the rest of my GCSEs to go onto the second year.
It was embarrassing not being the same level as my friends but needed to be done. I got my head down and ploughed on.
Thankfully after a year I passed them all with Bs and went on to do sociology and human biology a level. I then went on to do A Bachelor of Arts in Graphic design at uni. I passed.
there is light at the end of the tunnel provided you are willing to knuckle down and learn.
as an adult I have worked in education and it has been brought up to me that I may be dyspraxic.
Hope you manage to fight for her to have fair testing and hope they are able to let her start some a levels.

Thanks for all the comments and helpful advice. The secondary school ignored the DASH result. We asked formally by letter for reasonable adjustments of a laptop / processor but she was only allowed the 25%. We've been into college today and decided on a 'bridging year' - they did question the maths and she will be doing further / additional maths in a small group as well as applied science and an english resit.
She will also be offered a laptop and additional help. We're happy with this and depending on how things go she can do A levels or BTEC after that. I think the worry with the BTEC was that she didn't know what to study whereas with A levels her choices were physics, maths and computer science. Happy with the 6th form college they were really helpful and will put help in place quickly for her.

I'm glad the college are being so helpful. Some schools are not good at putting the right support in place for pupils with specific difficulties, and it sounds like your dd was unfortunately let down by them. I hope she enjoys her next steps.

OP. Take the next year to look into BTECs more.
There are both IT and computing BTECs (links to various specs on the BTEC Support thread). Then next year you and she will understand what you are choosing between.
Good luck.

With an interest in maths and physics, look at Engineering BTECs. The modules cover quite a lot of A level maths and physics so might suit her very well.