A Level timetable clash - help please!

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My DD picked up her exam results yesterday and has the grades to do the subjects she wanted, but sixth form have said there’s a timetable clash so she can’t do all 4 of her choices. She had asked to do Chemistry, Physics, Maths and Further Maths, but Chemistry and Further Maths clash so it’s either or. She loves Chemistry so that’s not optional, but we’re worried it may go against her if she’s only doing 3 A Levels when a lot of her peers are choosing 4 and also if she applies for Engineering degrees or sciences, whether uni’s will look unfavourably on her not doing FM (despite the school blocking this, not her).

We’ve called the local college to see if she could do FM at night school but they won’t allow her to do one A Level there - it’s all or nothing.

Can anyone with any experience in Engineering/Science degrees give any advice on what you would recommend? She is pretty academic and will be looking to study at a good uni, so we’d hate it to against her for only doing 3 subjects. Science and Maths are what she loves but would you recommend picking a random 4th subject? She has the grades to choose anything she studied at GCSE, but we’d need to be quick before all places are filled (if not already).

Any help would be hugely appreciated!

No help, but that's madness... There must be more than one person wanting to do chemistry and further maths?

Surely, she will only need 3 A levels?

That seems like a bizarre timetable clash from the school. Completely different but I couldn't take Russian because it clashed with German (I don't think it's uncommon for languages students studying German to want to do another challenging language). I don't know much about engineering but is there a complimentary subject she could do to balance as her 4th, a language or an essay based subject? Or go elsewhere and do the 4 she wants?

Can she not do all 4 at the college instead?

If she's interested in engineering (unless chemical) then I'd be going with theatre physics and further Maths. Do school do computer science because if she really wants to do 4 then that could be an option, there is no need to have done it at GCSE (you only require maths) and it would go well with engineering. DH is a process engineer and half his job is programing.

Is Biology available- that would be a natural fit. If not I’d suggest something that makes her standout as a bit of an allrounder - and not just sciences. Perhaps a MFL, Latin, History or English Lit.

DB did those A levels 30+ years ago. Was a pretty common combination then so don't understand why they don't offer it. I would go with Chemistry. Not having further maths will rule out a few places like Cambridge. There are options to self-study and maybe try and do AS?

Oh and do be aware that a lot of universities don't count the 4 A-level anyway. DD did 4 as she was unsure of what she wanted to do, but all her offers even the two RG universities she applied to only wanted the first 3 grades. I think it maybe be different for medicine but most other subjects not actually relevant.

Very few 6th forms round me allow 4, due to burn out. 3 is definitely the norm, which surprised me as 4 was normal when I did mine and I was heavily pushing for my dd to do 4

That is a crazy timetable crash! Of 11
of us who did Further Maths when I was at 6th form, 5 were doing the M, FM, P & Chem combination. It is a really
common one!

Even for medicine most only expect and recommend three. The A levels are more substantial than they were pre 2015.

They are more intense now and DD found it was definitely a full time job doing 4, especially as she did 3 STEM subjects and art. She has also done quite a few extra circular activities on top. I'm worried she be board at University.

AMSP is a good starting point if self-study appeals. 4 A levels are a lot of work unless the fourth is further maths and normal maths is relatively easy so wouldn't add a subject just for the sake of doing 4.

amsp.org.uk/students/studying-an-advanced-maths-qualification-independently/

3 is more than enough. No need for the extra pressure.

It seems very late and unfair to tell her at this stage. Our subjects were put into 4 timetable blocks way back in March and options chosen from those blocks. The blocks conformed to 4 A levels or 3 plus epq. The choices you mention would have been possible.

3 is fine - unless you are also offering FM. The vast majority of kids who start FM start 4 A levels. That’s madness from them - it’s a pretty common combination. She can’t be the only one wanting C and FM? Is it a very small sixth form?

are there any other colleges/schools?

This was us back in Feb. DS had to have an "Interview" for 6th form where he was told the same thing - not possible on the timetable.
I knew of at least 2 others in the same boat, and we complained. They have actually changed the timetable - physics was hand written on in another box on the grid when we registered yesterday, but id been nervous until I saw that that they would reverse the decision. That said, i dont think they will change the timetable now, so that route probably wont work.

Is there anywhere else that she can do her prefered combination? DS is wavering between elec eng and Chem eng so not starting all 4 was problematic for him.

If the OPs child is very able and applying to top unis they will be competing with people with 4.

also most top engineering programs request further maths and taking 3 a-levels two being maths and further maths is very limiting

It’s not that simple. Many top engineering degrees at top unis ask for further maths. But the vast majority will be taking this as a 4th a level as taking only 3 where two of them are maths and further maths is very limiting and not ideal

That is a ridiculous clash.
Move to the college?

There may be more than one person but this obstacle could be due to staffing issues. If those are the 4 she wants to do she needs to go elsewhere.

That is crazy, it is a classic combination.probablu the most common for STEM students. Three out of 4 of my kids fid the selfsame.

Yes it’s a ridiculous clash and there were several others wanting to do the same mix who are now also only doing 3. We all complained but it didn’t seem to matter. We did consider the college option but it isn’t as good as her school sixth form, so that concerned us. It’s also in another town and would require 2 buses, which isn’t terribly convenient. She can walk to sixth form and this will hopefully give her more time to study and go to the gym which is also near school.

I know it’s a long shot but does anyone know how hard A Level Maths and FM is, compared to GCSE? She got 9’s in both at GCSE but is doubting her ability to do both at A Level and self-teach FM. She taught herself a different GCSE (with a small amount of help from a tutor friend) but is concerned that this will be far harder and doesn’t want to impact her grades for the other 3. She would also like to get a part-time job to add something extra to her CV, ready for uni.

Thank you for the link @ConBatulations I will share this with her.

If there are several affected could you share a private tutor?

Maths teacher.

many schools do not offer FM so there are quite a few online/self study type options.

did she do additional maths gcse?

self study on it’s own isn’t really great, ideally you’d want a tutor but an online tutor is very do able.

@Octavia64 I will have to see if we can get a tutor. She did maths and FM at GCSE, with 9’s in both. She also did statistics which I believe features in FM A Level and again got a 9. She self-taught for this. She’s just concerned about the step up for A Level and whether she could teach herself without messing it up or affecting her other 3 grades.

I don’t want her to take on too much and risk affecting her grades or mental health, but also don’t want her to be at a disadvantage when applying to uni as she’s a really bright girl and I didn’t go to uni, so have no experience of any of this.