Son to repeat Year 12 - i.e. First year of A levels at Sixth Form

[JandLandG]

Any thoughts or experience of this, anyone, please?

Our boy did well at his GCSEs but his A level choices surprised us.

Truth be told he never really got into it and even last Autumn he was struggling a bit.

He always talked a good game and was positive, but in hindsight, he was not committed and a few weeks ago, he flunked some mocks despite good grade predictions.

He's had outside family disruption, tbh, but he's our 4th and the first to have experienced problems of this nature at school.

Changing subjects and starting again seems the sensible option, but I wanted to see what people's views and knowledge of this might be, please.

The school seem on board and it should be a smooth process, but I'm sad about it; it seems a shame.

Of course we're positive and supportive, but just hoping he can get back on track and be happy, relaxed and on course for a good uni again.

That's what he wants and he's very capable, so fingers crossed.

No first hand experience .. but this seems like a very big, but ultimately very important, lesson for your DS to learn around addressing situations before there are consequences.

Great the school are on board. Now is maybe the time to ask your DS if he didn’t like the subjects, or if there was something about the different way that a-levels is taught/assessed that he couldn’t get along with?

You said it’s a shame. This may be a simple phrase but it may hold weight with your DS. Kids defer a year (or more) for many reasons; with more or less control than your situation. A number will still take gap years or two pre-uni, if DS does end up on that path.

I teach sixth form and it happens every year. Results are variable - where there’s a change of attitude (which might just be maturing a bit) it’s often very successful. Where it’s same old, they drop out during the resit year. Is he doing the same subjects? I’ve known students who struggled with a levels really thrive on vocational courses but they have yo want to do them. Where students get “put”
on a course the success rate is low IMO.

All the young people I know who did this did extremely well.

There is nothing sad or shameful about taking an extra year to do A levels.

I think it is better to change at this point. My DH flunked lower sixth maths, he needed something different, and moved to do a BTEC course at the local college, gained a distinction and went onto to get a 1st at University and has a great career.

My son did this, he didn’t do GCSE’s due to Covid and just didn’t step up in terms of the work needed for A levels, then something happened that put him further back so the school recommended retaking year 12. He wasn’t the only one and it was really hard for him but he got on with it and is now doing really, really well at uni living his best life.

a family member of mine did this and it was the making of them - good luck!

Is it the particular subjects he didn't get on with or A levels in general? He needs to be clear on that, before deciding what to do. If he can, I appreciate its difficult when you have no experience of the alternatives.

It can work out if they accept what went wrong and are ready to do the work but in my experience in can be hard in a younger cohort and if the aptitude and attitude isn’t fixed it could end in the same failure

I’d consider T level and vocational courses or apprenticeships if A levels and uni generally are not going to work out for him

I would encourage my child to do this if it looked like they weren’t going to reach their potential. Remember it’s much harder for him socially to do this so the fact her is on board speaks volumes and is very mature.

Thanks so, so much, all.

Really appreciate your comments.

He'll be changing subjects to the ones I thought he might do...but keeping one the same.

A good mix.

TBH he was unsettled last summer even - didn't do much with his long, post `GCSE hols; I'm going to get him more active in general.

His friends and his hobbies are a bit low-key sometimes...and he's the last one at home - he livens up soooo much around his siblings when they see each other.

He did well last year and he can do so again.

We've spoken about how it'll be different/difficult but I think he'll get back on the horse.

I've said that in 3/4/5 years time, most people won't even remember he'd done this...just a blip, no underlying issues, I don't think.

I hope we haven't let him down. He knows he has our undying love and support and he's such a nice lad.

Just a blip, hopefully. Most people seem to be able to handle the transition to 6th form, but...

He misses his old friends who left, I think.

Anyway...we are where we are...onwards and upwards...

If he’s changing some subjects and is genuinely more motivated and thoughtful. He’ll be fine.

the leap from GCSE to ALevel can be really hard in lots of ways including organisation, motivation, usually a lot more freedom and independence If youve been quite managed as a gcse student , it can be a hard jump to take

My son did the same but moved to college and It was the best thing for him.

It’s better that you son does this now rather than after a year at uni or similar. Hopefully his year of maturing will help keep him focused for the next 2 years.

Would he be better off by having a clean start and doing A levels at a 6th form college rather than at the same school?

I think it’s very brave and takes a lot of strength to recognise he got it wrong but he has the chance to restart and it’ll be a positive choice.

dd is in year 12 and has a friend a year older re doing year 12. He’s just part of the group and no one thinks anything negative at that age. He’s been really supported.

My eldest son had to do this, it was really tough at the time as his friends were a year ahead of him and he was very upset and I think he felt like it was the end of the world.

But, he changed subjects, knuckled down and did a much better job.
I think the shock of it gave him a proper kick up the butt.

When he finished, he worked for a few years and then went off to university and at the lovely age of 25 is graduating in July. He also has a job lined up.
If you’d said back then where he’d be now, I would have struggled to believe it, but they all get there, just at a different pace

In hindsight, it was the best thing for my DS, but hard to see it when you are in the thick of it.

Good luck to your boy, just keep doing what you are doing and supporting him as much as you can.

My dc2 did this. They just chose completely the wrong subjects and didn't feel able to say anything earlier. The sixth form college was very understanding and allowed a fresh start the following year. Everything went much better after the change. DC 2 did not want to go to university at that time so after a levels found a job where they stayed until the opportunity arose to do the job they had always wanted to do since childhood. Not only are they now fulfilling their childhood ambition, but their employer has funded their degree, so all in all, choosing the wrong subjects and having to restart, has actually turned out very well for them.
Good luck to your son.

Thanks again for these further responses and good wishes.

Just seen him out and relaxed and enjoying time with friends on a warm summer's evening.

Lovely to see - he's always been a lovely lad, but perhaps he seemed extra relaxed tonight.

A nice Friday evening, tonight.

my son is in the same position. He got good GCSEs (mostly 8s) but decided to takd maths A’level and despite enormous work thriughout the year cannot get it sbove an E. His college will support him into Y13 but frankly we and he consuder it too great a risk. So - looking at retaking Y12 with a different third A’level. It’s a huge decision - bug hugs to you & DC. This is when the IB starts to look so much more sensible!!

My DS will be 17 when he starts his A levels and 19 finishing. He needed an extra year to take his GCSEs because of mental health but is now ready to return to school/college. He could have gone back to his old school but is choosing to go to a new college further away. Not the same situation but wanted you to know that many kids take a slightly windy path!

My dd who did wellish at GCSEs (5/6/7) decided to do maths, biology, physics and psychology at A level. I tried to say it might be a bit much, which she took huge offence at. But yes it became obvious she wasn’t going to pass so she did extra year and started again, worked out better as Covid happened in year 13 rather than first year of uni. She got a 2:2 at uni.

You will need to remember to extend his child benefit an extra year, otherwise he will lose a year of his stamp.

Tons and tons of kids do this. A lot of 6th forms make them do this if they fail end of y12 exams. I also did this, was fine.

Ds did this. 13 GCSEs at A* then went to local college and it all unravelled in one subject. He decided to resit year 12. I would say it was ok until all the year 13 went off to uni and that final year for him was not easy although he did really pick up the pace and did really well in the end. They have to understand what went wrong and make changes.

I wish I would have re-done my first year of A Levels. I remember my SIL gave me brilliant advice at the time and I didn’t listen to it. She told me to have a good think of what field I wanted to go into and pick those subjects. I just carried on plodding through with average grades and no real enthusiasm. Could he look into something more vocational with a skill that he can apply at the end of his course?

Thanks so much for these recent posts...all v much appreciated.

It's a shame things haven't run super smooth for him this year, but he'll be fine.

Lots of good advice and thoughts on here...really good - thanks