A level choices after gcse results

[gluenotsoup]

Hi all
Dd had gcse results today, mostly good. She’s done really well mostly!
Drama - distinction
History - 8
Eng lit - 7
Eng lang - 7
Religion studies - 7
Science - 7/6
German- 4
Maths -4
So, she’s enrolled at college to do English language and History but needs to sort her third one as they won’t let her do biology or psychology with less than a 5 in maths so she’s gutted when she should be thrilled.
Has anyone got any advice on possible 3rd choice with this in mind? She was only 3 marks off a 5 so we areasking for a remark too.
Thanks in advance 🙂

I agree with those saying research requirements of a degree you might want to take before committing to A level choices. Just checked Newcastle somewhat at random and it expects either biol, chem or physics - or something like psychology with a 7 at GCSE science. (sorry, just seen she got 7/6 for science GCSE - was thinking of another thread!)

There will be other unis with different offers tho for sure. But if a science is expected, then I would imagine the course will involve a good deal of science - so is it the best fit?

I would think Eng lang - which at A level is nothing like the GCSE, a lot more to do with language acquisition - would fit well with a SALT ambition tbh.

Unis wont accept it for Eng lit courses tho, obviously. But then doesn't sound like Eng lit at uni is of interest to the OP's DC.

Thanks all.
To be honest I’m banging my head against a teenage brick wall now.
She is understandably disappointed but being mulish about picking something else.
I can’t say right for saying wrong, she’s just wanting to do what she originally chose and rejecting everything else. I keep saying “ how about…” and nothing fits.
So… the college got her to agree to history, English language and an extended diploma in forensic science. The other option is applied science a level equivalent, has anyone got any information about the value or direction of these? She’s now saying she might want to do something medical ish, and I think she’s just trying to keep the possibilities as wide as possible with the combination she has.
She always wants to do an extra a level. So - History, English Language, plus maybe philosophy, ethics and religion, or sociology or something else because she’s yo yo ing. Plus the extended science based diploma.
Still thinks a remark or resit is the way forward too.
Who knew it would be this hard with these results all because of the 4 ?? 🤦🏻‍♀️

My DD dithered over where she was going to go for 'A' levels/subjects for weeks. Not because her GCSE results had thrown any wild cards, but just because.

I think I got too involved in trying to help her make up her mind because I wanted to know what her plan was.

I'd back off bit a bit and let the dust settle. There's always a bit of hopping around first few weeks of term as well. She will won't be the only one not dead set on what she's going to do

Forensic science? @gluenotsoup I really don’t see that at all. It’s very narrow surely?

Her sciences - were they combined? What does the 7 refer to? Why medical when sciences weren’t great? I’ve no idea what you need for all medical courses as there’s loads of them, but I would start looking. Forensic science is very odd though. Most science needs maths. Just walk away from sciences. You need better communication with this college regarding how to choose subjects. This looks like a fudge to me.

@TizerorFizz I agree that the college aren’t being very helpful. Btw the 7/6 will be combined science (double award). The result is overall and the 6 or 7 isn’t awarded to one particular science but to all 3. So she’ll have studied all three sciences but only two thirds of each one. Many 6th forms allow A level sciences to follow combined science gcse but there’s an expectation that because a third is missing from the individual science there’s a fair amount of catch up to do.

@gluenotsoup how keen is your DD to keep the psychology option? Also how likely is that maths to move up from a 4 after review? Do you know how close it was to a 5? Was she getting much higher in mocks etc? If yes to the above, I’d go back to college and get her to plead her case. Her overall results aren’t bad at all. If college dig their heels in maybe ask if she can start with psychology and resit maths in November? She’d need to be confident that she’d get minimum of a 5 though.

I can see why she's upset. If she'd been thinking biology /psychology and been thinking of a future that had some science in it or even going to study psychology at uni.

I wonder if there's any chance they'd let he run with psychology given shes got good science results.

To change from doing what you thought was biology and psychology to 3 essay subjects is quite a hard adjustment for her.

The school suggestions might not be a bad idea as it sonly is parents that think in terms of A levels and other options ar valid for uni entrance. (but do check unis you might be interested in)

It might mean she could still do psychology at uni for example.

Ha snap Not Donna. Id be happy with a student getting high scores in science and essays subjects as in a way that's ideal for psychology.

If she really wants to do Biology and she was a few marks off the 5 in Maths, have you genuinely exhausted that? I mean she got great grades in Science.......

I agree that she really needs to push her favoured options with college IF she’s really keen & determined to work hard. She may have more chance with psychol than biology. But defo push. College won’t know her attitude or determination so it’s worth her trying to convince them.
Have you requested a review of the maths @gluenotsoup and determined how close she was to a 5. That info may help her cause.

@NotDonna One of my DDs did combined science and one overall grade was awarded. So not 6/7 because 3 sciences were studied. Has it changed? DD1, who didn’t see herself as a scientist, studied three separately. I thought most DC who favoured science did this? Not sure if all comps offer that, but they should. I’m not convinced DD is seen as a scientist by the school and advice on GCSEs 2 years ago. She’s ended up being better at other subjects so the sciences at A level look to be a bit of a stretch to get anywhere near a decent grade. Then what?

Yes double science has been two grades for a long time now. You get two number grades - they are either the same (5-5, 8-8) or differ by one grade only (6-7). It's an average of scores across the three sciences so if one is stronger and another weaker, that will affect the score.

Double science is perfectly adequate as a lead-in to A levels - might just need a bit of catch-up on content (depending too on how many of the A level cohort did separate sciences).

3 marks off a grade 5 is extremely unlikely to change on review in maths.

@clary Yes. Adequate. Not the best. Don't most schools use double for middle and lower sets and not top set? I would just feel a dc who wants a science career would be not 6-7 and would be top set and doing the longer syllabus.

No round here triple science if offered is an option block for most schools so at 13 you might well not opt for it.

I old money it's an A and a B in science which is fine for psychology and probably biology its only the maths that's stopped her.

Thank you for the opinions and advice everyone.
In short, the 7/6 is combined science, 2 grades over three subjects. She opted for combined over triple because she also wanted to do drama and not be too science heavy. She’s had a dreadful time with teachers leaving, having supply teachers and worked hard so it’s a fair set of results. The pressure the students feel- in my experience- is that the results should be an 8 or 9 to be seen as good but it’s still the equivalent of an A and B and not to be shot down.
She doesn’t want to do science to go to study medicine, but is aware that science based subjects will keep her options wide for other areas - eg, speech and language, radiology, nursing, dental therapy etc, and because she doesn’t know what she wants she doesn’t know how to best direct her studies.
Forensic science- I think it’s too much of an outlier to be useful and if she can’t do biology with the 4 in maths then maybe applied science a level equivalent would be more useful? She’s thinking 3 solid A levels with Eng lang (won’t consider lit), history and maybe sociology with the applied science as a 4th. She’s requesting a review for the maths at 3 marks off, but I know it’s a long shot. The college are not being flexible with it.
Psychology - she’s disappointed but accepts English in its place as she knows she could probably still study it at degree without it, and sociology has some overlap. It’s more the biology, with the psychology or sociology to be a second science based.

Is sociology a science? I just think she’s not a STEM DD. There are careers that aren’t stem.

Psychology is and a good mix of essays and science. I'd really push the psychology if possible as it's quite a popular degree option and it's good to have a science if she choose salt too.

I wouldn't do more than 3.

No, I agree she’s probably not STEM, but there are options in that field of work that link. It’s her choice.
Psychology is off the table as she’s not got the 5 in maths. Sociology was put forward as an alternative, some options just aren’t open with the 4. She’s got to choose something and we’re trying to find the best mix to keep as much open as possible while playing to her strengths and options universities might like.

It's perfectly fine to take science A levels with double science.

Many science teachers on MN have said so and I know students who have done it.

Schools vary in how they allocate double or triple. Sone schools have more able students taking triple, but plenty offer it as an option for anyone. Taking double doesn't mean you are academically weak. Some schools don't even offer triple.

Moving away from the sciences then, what could she do with History/ English language, sociology? Other combinations are available 😊

I think Google the universities near you/that you're interested in and the courses.

Near me it seems you can do SaLT or Occupational therapy with any 3 a levels as long as they're B+ HOWEVER both courses I looked at needed a 5 in maths..

Thanks x

I still would not choose 2 English degrees. Both are respected but it’s unusual to do both. Lit is more commonly offered.

It's really not that unusual to do both! The subject content is very different, and Lang in particular is nothing like GCSE.

City, Leeds Beckett and BCU only require a 4.