GCSE retakes

[Lyingonthefloor]

When I was at school (my children would say in the dark ages, aka the early 1990s) if someone failed all or most of their GCSEs, it was possible to do retakes. My local sixth form college, as well as offering A Levels, offered a range of GCSE retakes to be done in a year. Not as full a range as on offer at school, but more than just English and maths, and you only did five or so, just enough to get you onto A Levels the following year. My best mate did this, it obviously meant she had an extra year at sixth form but in the end, after an initial wobble during year 11, came out with respectable GCSE and A Levels results and went to uni.

I'm now thinking about plan B for my son, who due to a very unfortunate set of circumstances may not get the GCSE grades he needs to do A Levels. He is very academic and wants to do A Levels/uni and deserves a second chance if things don't go his way next week. He doesn't want to do an alternate route. But nowhere (apart from the odd private college) seems to offer a range of GCSE resits like I remember from my youth. He could resist English and Maths but that's it.

Are full GCSE resits not really a thing any more?

Thanks. They will be a bit flexible at the school he hopes to go for. The FE college would be a huge leap for him as it's so big, coming from a tiny special school, plus they only offer resits in English and Maths. The advantage of the school he hopes for is that it's small and nurturing as well as academic.

I am probably catastrophising, and he will be ok this time next week. I just wish there was a plan B!

Some colleges offer GCSE programmes other than English and Maths, but if there isn’t one within travelling distance of you, that isn’t helpful.

If necessary, the EHCP can continue until 25, or 26 in some circumstances, so you can have a year to resit GCSEs funded via the EHCP. Either at another SS, at a MS, or if necessary via EOTAS/EOTIS (this doesn’t have to be provision at home). It can be possible to get an independent school funded via the EHCP - although some have to appeal.

It is absolutely not the same for secondary school, that's not how it works. I'm not saying it's impossible for kids to stay at their school and retake Y11, but it is absolutely not usual. It's rare.

If it's any consolation, FE colleges tend to have incredible SEN support, usually much better than secondary schools.

I’m assuming given what you have said that he has autism or similar and these are his particular interests.

in the circumstances you may be able to persuade an FE college to let him in to do a levels if he misses his offer from the sixth form he wants to go.

some a levels are heavily dependent on doing the gcse previously (or having a very high level of knowledge) eg French, maths, chemistry.

others are treated as though students have not got any previous knowledge (although they do assume ability to write essays etc).

philosophy and classical civilisation fall into the second category. (Unless he wants to do Greek or Latin a level which really do presume the gcse/a high level of knowledge).

history is somewhere in the middle - it’s not strictly necessary to have done it at gcse but the essay techniques etc are tricky if you’ve not had a solid grounding at gcse.

you therefore (probably) have a few options:
his existing offer probably want high grades at least in part because of the history. So plan B could be change options to Philoosophy, classical civilisations, and something like either politics or sociology which is history adjacent.

plan C could then be to try to get in at an FE college on his original choices (they tend to aim to provide for all so are often happy for students to start on a levels at lower grades knowing they can switch out if necessary)

plan D is go for the FE college but with history dropped.

Our local 6th form colleges (in north Hampshire) do a course for kids who have just missed grades for Alevel entry, the kids retake English and/or maths and also study some other subjects they’re interested in, I don’t think they do additional exams, but do study skills and then go onto level 3 courses the next year.

My son resat one of his GCSEs because he didn't like the grade. We had to pay about £50 to do it through his school as he hadn't failed so it wasn't funded. However, he didn't receive any tuition for it, it was up to him to study for it.

Thanks. History is (and has been since he was tiny) his autism special interest. He needs a 6 in it. I can't imagine he will be happy not doing it, but let's see.

That sounds ideal, to be honest an extra year might be a good thing for him. I haven't seen anything like this locally though.

Yes, my son who is neurospicy and a summer born child is in year 10 and at risk of not quite getting the grades for Alevel and I hope this will be an option for him if he doesn’t quite make it. I do think that 6th form colleges rather than school 6th form is a better system, larger colleges have more flexibility.

I take it back! I have found a college that does this. It would be a long commute but still an option I think. Thanks for the suggestion.

Glad you have found an option also the colleges often don’t need them to be there 5 days a week full hours. There can be late or early starts finishes and study periods so a longer commute isn’t as hard to manage sometimes if there’s public transport options but can be trickier if relying on a parent whose also working. Hope it works out for him my youngest is autistic very academic and taking a different path through education there are many options once you start exploring and asking around locally.

What about a year of EOTAS with tutors to cover his GCSEs and focus on readiness for the FE college?

He is desperate to be in a normal education setting. His GCSEs were all taught 121 with tutors. He wants to be in a class with other kids.

Hi there, Lyingonthefloor we are in a very similar situation to you this year. I would love to hear how your son got on. Our son has missed loads of education and been tutored at home, GCSEs in a few weeks.

Well, this thread is a blast from the past. So it has worked out for us although not in the way we thought.

Son got 5s in all his subjects except, hideously and unexpectedly a 3 in English Lang. So we were proud but he was obviously disappointed. The sixth form turned out to be unfazed by the 5 in history but refused to take him with the 3 (we knew he would have to retake that but thought he could do that alongside A Levels).

So we were left wondering what in earth we would do, and someone mentioned a school sixth form we had not previously considered (not sure why?) They welcomed him with open arms and took him on to do three A Levels plus Eng Lang resit.

Meanwhile his old school had asked for remarks of Eng Lit, history and Eng Lang. Lit went up to a 6 and Lang to a 4. History stayed a 5 but only 1 mark off 6. To say were delighted is an understatement!

Now he's nearly two terms into his A Levels and currently predicted A/A* A/B and C. And no retake of English needed. We are starting to look at universities.

Keep hope Bromley. It will turn out ok in the end.