Do Sixth Forms get more money if students study 4 Alevels instead of 3?

[knittingwithnettles]

I am just wondering why ds1's school would not let him drop the 4th A level until after January, although he was already under pressure early November and asked to just continue with 3.

He has done alright in two (C's) but bombed the other two in recent assessments. I cannot help but think that if he had just stopped one back in November, he might have not spread himself so thinly given up.

The teacher seemed adamant that he keep attending the lessons of the subject he received a U in, for about a month after he had decided to drop it. Was there a reason, funding wise. that I am not aware of; were the school required to report a certain number of study hours attended?

I sound a bit whiney but we have had a difficult three months and ds is threatening to give up A levels, and I just wonder WHY they strung it out.

bump

I'd imagine to make sure they do want to drop it.
I've had handfuls of students say theyre dropping my subject in autumn of y12, especially if theyre finding the jump to a level tough and arent doing as well as theyd like.80-90% of them carried on with it
And did well.

Sometimes it is an issue of where do they go? When off timetable are they going to be in the common room/study room and causing problems? Many schools have tiny sixth forms and can't have too many students out of lessons- so they go to lessons and then at least they're in a classroom and not overcrowding elsewhere.

As far as I know funding is only about doing three.

DS goes to a super-selective and we pay a voluntary contribution monthly which goes directly to funding additional A Level study in the sixth form (so any over and above the state-funded three). At his school it is very much the view that the boys need challenging and that three for most won't present enough of a challenge.

Funding it to do with hours - students must have a "full" timetable in order to get the full funding. This does not mean 4 A Levels though. At my school, literally anything they do counts - so sport (i.e. using the gym in a designated period, not necessary a PE lesson) , community work such as reading with KS3 students, helping out in Art/Drama lessons and so on.