Can 16 year olds to a year of online GCSE retakes at home and then do Alevels over 3 years if needs be in school?

[M0iraR0se]

Ds has had a shitty time and struggling with mh issues. Currently wants to do retakes himself at home online. 4 that he wants to better grades in, will get Eng and maths but might want to get a better grade in English as one of the 4 so an access course wouldn’t really be suitable.

Thinking a year getting well might be a good thing.
Is that possible? Have been told 16 year olds need to be in full time education.

Also have heard they can retake a year of Alevels if needs be. Would he still be able to take Alevels over 3 years if he had to if he’d started them a year later?

He’s bright so not an ability issue just MH.

The short answer is no.

GCSE and A Level retakes for the Covid-impacted cohorts will be this Autumn. See here - www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-an-additional-gcse-as-and-a-level-exam-series-in-autumn-2020.
So there is no provision for re-sitting them over the course of a year.

However many colleges and some sixth forms have always offered opportunities for GCSEs to be re-taken in Year 12, either on their own or alongside other Key Stage 5 courses. English and Maths are the most common retakes because they're needed as a minimum for many jobs. Apart from those two subjects, your son might be better off concentrating on Key Stage 5 studies than trying to repeat a year.

Look to your local colleges for tailored advice. If money is no object there are private online providers (no doubt of varying quality) advertising online tuition for GCSEs, but their interest is commercial so they may not be best placed to advise you.

I meant online courses to take GCSEs next summer with the next year’s year 11 but at home iykwim.

He’ll get Eng and maths this year. Will probably want a higher Eng and better grades in the 3 sciences. So those 4.

He is convinced he won’t be able to focus on his Alevels so thought a year at home getting the better grades he wants( not my opinion in any way) and working on his mental health would be better than starting Alevel courses he could end up dropping out of or scraping through when he should fly through. The thought of getting poor Alevel grades on top of the lesser GCSEs he is predicting he’ll get is causing quite a lot of distress.

I rejected the idea at first but trying to be lead by him and thinking it might not be such a bad plan although the lack of social contact won’t be great.

Post 16 you can have up to three years free education, I am pretty sure. Not sure about four.

Will he have enough qualifications to get into an A Level class for each subject he wants to take? I would think three years of A Levels would be more valuable than another of GCSEs if so.

But if we paid for the online GCSEs year would he still get the Alevels over 3 years after?

Is he allowed to stay at home for a year going online courses?

Young Minds said he has to be in full time education or we’ll get fined. He doesn’t want to do courses he doesn’t want to do just for the sake of it and waste a year of free education. Would rather have the 3 years for Alevels iykwim.

I think he should get the marks needed for Alevels but who knows.

Crappy GCSE grades are causing extra upset even though we’ve told him they don’t matter. He wants to apply for unis that are hard to get into and is adamant he wants/ needs the grades he is capable of. He is also adamant he won’t be well enough for school in September.

Kind of thinking a year at home rebuilding and just focusing on 4 might not be a bad thing.

You won't get fined, but you won't be entitled to child benefit or child tax credits if he isn't in full time education. Look up level 3 entitlement- I believe this means if you haven't achieved a level 3 qualification by 19 (end of free education) you can do this free until you are 24. I'm not sure if this applies to A levels or just college courses.

I have a son in year 11 who has had his gcses cancelled
The idea that after 6 months of complete radio silence from school other than a letter apologising for calling off prom, and no attempt to continue his education in any way, that he will be able to just retake exams in subjects that he has had no teaching in since mid March is just frankly bloody ridiculous. There is NO WAY he will be in anything like a similar situation preparation wise as he would have been if he had taken his gcses in May/June. In my opinion this year has been thoroughly shafted and the only chance those who, on finding out their grades, want to retake have is to be allowed to repeat year 11. Which is shitty for them in lots of other ways.

We’ve been - and still are- setting bridging work for our Yr 11s (we don’t have a 6th form but students have work in the subjects they have chosen for where they go on to)

You can certainly home educate him without being fined. Didn’t know about the financial penalties - that sounds tough.

You’re right to put his mental health first, but it might be worth suggesting he tries a place of education with the proviso that you will support him leaving for home Ed as soon as he wants to do so.

He can sit GCSE /A level courses whenever he likes (Many home-schoolers do this every year) but you will need to find an exam centre and pay for all exam entries yourself.

It would be unusual for schools/colleges to accommodate the level of flexibility you are taking about.

You still have the right to home educate post 16. Have you looked into some of the online providers- interhigh etc. I would also talk with a 6th form college. They are likely to be far more flexible than a school.

Just adding one thing. There's a key difference between the Autumn 2020 Covid re-takes and "normal" re-takes. The Covid re-takes will result in the August 2020 GCSE certificate being re-issued, so the original grade will be wiped off the record. (And if the re-take grade is lower, then the original grade can still stand). In contrast, for "normal" re-takes a second certificate would be issued and both grades would be on the academic record, remaining visible to universities, employers etc.
Very competitive employers are put off by hiccups and "gaps" in academic and employment records, but other employers can be more understanding, so its a risk vs benefit decision.

Another option to consider is if he can get into A levels and he feels more confident with the subject matter is to forget the GCSEs and concentrate on A levels then plan to take a gap year after A levels and apply to University with actual rather than predicted A levels. University will not be too interested in Covid year GCSEs if he has the right grades at A level. He can then get an unconditional offer and go off travelling for 6 months or work and save money.

He wants to apply for unis that are hard to get into
You may need to manage his expectations. They don't just look at grades - sometimes there is small print about when the grades are achieved. They aim their courses at students who are capable of intensive study.

If I understand correctly he is awaiting his GCSE results, but due to the unconventional way this year has been assessed and his struggles with his mental health he is unlikely to achieve the grades he feels he is capable of?

So the plan under consideration is to resit maths, English and science GCSEs at home whilst working on improving his mental health, hopefully resulting in stronger grades, and then he would start A levels with the current year ten cohort?

I think it is feasible, as home education is a valid form of education. I suspect there may be issues with child benefit stopping etc. I started A levels a year late and there were several others in my cohort who had done the same for various reasons - although this was before the new rules.

Whether it's a good idea or not depends on the individual. Is he self motivated enough to study at home? Often struggles with depression can go hand in hand with a lack of motivation which may then manifest itself in feelings of failure.

What does he want to do, A levels wise?

Oh no really, I didn’t realise that.

He won’t be ready for November. Who would? They don’t know which they’ll need to retake and trying to study several of them just incase alongside Alevel bridging was too much.

Would we still get the 3 years free Alevels after a year of GCSEs paid by us?

I agree. I think they probably missed very little teaching but could have been ill and needed to SI. But would have revised in apr and some of may etc. They knew they had exams and had been doing maths recently etc.
Also obviously resits usually have sat the exam once.
The entitlement is up to an age so they get till i think 19.
Is this that he doesnt want alevel year distrupted by covid?

Loads of people suffer from mental illness. His was not his fault. Surely unis can’t penalise for it. Who glides through life without bumps?

His Alevels would be maths and Computer Science both of which he finds easy and GCSE grades should be high( but who knows) as however ill he could still pull off high grades. Still not sure about the third.

OP I'm confused as to why you keep mentioning 3 years for A Levels - it's only two years in sixth form in England. Apologies if you are elsewhere in UK.

My dd is only year 10 so who knows what will happen but I do believe that realistically unless they fail English/maths it's best to take the grades they get and move on where possible. I do think there will be some future understanding with these cohorts.

A levels are only funded until the academic year they turn 19 so only allows for one additional year. Some unis do not view qualifications taken over a staggered period or resits as positively so if he wants to look at uni he may need to be careful in his choices or be prepared to explain the situation constructively in his personal statement.

The rest of his GCSEs will be a whole other scenario. 😩Could be anything.

So LIZs might the year at home and then hopefully an uneventful 2 years of Alevel be better than dropping out of Alevels after a year?

I also have a year 11 who has very bad mental health and we are looking at all options.

Young minds is incorrect if he is homeschooling but correct if he is just dropping out for a year (which he isn't).

My year 11 is also looking at top universities and mental health illness should be taken into account same as a physical illness. So depending on his grades he might not need to resist.

You say he is worried about starting school in September and wont be well enough. Does he have a diagnosis and receiving treatment? Do you agree with him? A lot can change in 2 months.

Our plan is to start A-levels in September either in school (preferred/ default option) or using inter high. You could look if interhigh allow you to complete gcses at the same time as starting A-levels. I would be wary of him just doing the gcses on his own, hard to keep motivated with the best of health and could end up being a mental drain.

In regards to the funding I'm just not sure. It could well be a problem in a school, if he takes a year out and then takes 3 years he will be 20. School is not the right place for a 20 year old! 6th form colleges might be more suitable.

Happy to chat more as we are in a similar boat.

It depends on his gcse results. Most unis will look at A level first and foremost so ideally he needs to focus on those. He may be able to resit one or two gcse in year 12 alongside A level studies. What do you nean by "hard to get into" unis as some do look at gcse (Oxbridge,UCL etc) - their criteria are online and may recognise this year's disruption for 2022/3 intake. What does he hope to study?

I really think that you should wait and see re. GCSE results this year.
They are based in best performance in all internal exams and assessments and ‘best possible scenario’ predicted grades.

Your DS only needs a 5/6 to get onto A level courses at college.
GCSE retakes may not be needed.

He can do the A levels over two years, sit them and retake if he likes - in the 3rd year.