A-level distance learning - any advice?

[KittiesInsane]

DS left sixth form with medium A-levels, and has gone into full-time work. Recently, though, he's been talking about looking at university later, as a mature student. He thinks his current results will restrict his choice of course, and is thinking about trying to take a new A-level in his spare time.

His thoughts so far are to try either French or Classical Civilization. He cant re-sit his previous subjects, as two of them depended heavily on coursework assessed at school (and he got an A in the other anyway).

Has anyone tried to do something like this via distance learning? He's had a look online but would be happier with a recommendation. Are languages at all possible, anyway, without a stern francophone teacher barking at you about your dodgy accent?

He doesn't have a lot of spare time, to be frank, but I suppose there's an hour on the bus that he could use each day!

I took A Levels as an evening class. Sometimes you do find actually being in a class is very helpful to understand context etc. Because it was at college and aimed at Adult learners they were very flexible in allowing me to attend some classes but not others because I had other commitments (work and childcare).
Alternatively Open University has very good student support. A Levels aren't necessarily the best way forward. Sometimes there are other avenues into University. Access courses for example.

Oh, thanks! He could have a look at evening classes, but his work shifts are unpredictable so they really would have to be flexible. Good to know that it can sometimes work.

Hmm, access courses are a good thought.

A friend of dd's did classical civilisation A level last year via distance learning (as a 4th A level as it wasn't offered at their school) - I'll ask her who it was with.

That would be great, thanks! He didn't do that for GCSE but has always been a Greek/Roman myths buff.

The Cambridge Latin Course has a distance learning option - might have worth looking at that.

Good idea - I'll mention that to him as well, though again he doesn't have any background in Latin.

I do though, now I come to think of it. And I imagine Latin hasn't changed that much in the past 30 years .

I think they do class civ as well :)

Has he checked with the uni with his current results? Older students can often get lower offers

I did A level French at evening classes years ago, it worked really well for me (my previous A levels were maths/science). However about 5 years ago I decided to try for another one and couldn't find a college that was running it for adult learners in my area, so I enrolled with the OU instead and ended up doing all sorts of modules at undergraduate level. I have already got a degree so am used to study at that level, so I'm not going to suggest just plunging in and trying that, but I met a lot of other students who had done access courses with the OU first and that does seem like a really good system. Some of them were also taking just one undergraduate module to fill a gap in previous education to access vocational degree courses too (nursing, midwifery, physio etc). OU is designed to be done alongside full time work (tutorials online in the evenings, face to face at weekends) so it is definitely worth a call, their study advisors are really helpful.

How old is he? I'm sure it's changed since my day but I was a mature student (of 23!). I applied to do something I didn't have an A level in and was offered places at good universities. My 3 A levels were rubbish too. I ended up at UCL. Quite often they just make mature students sit an exam and have an interview (which is what happened to me).

He's only 18 - but planning on working full time for at least a couple of years and making sure he knows what he wants out of university when/if he goes. Hence the planning ahead, so that if his perfect course wants, say, AAB, he might be in with a shot.

He's still tempted by the idea of French as a useful skill in itself, whether or not he does an A-level in it. (Not sure where my scatty, workshy teenager has vanished to, but his current doppelganger is very pleasant company for the brief intervals that I get to see him!)