Might taking a year out before starting sixth form help DS develop some sort of drive?

[Puffykins]

DS, who has just finished his GCSEs, is due to start A Levels at a 6th form college in September. However I'm very worried about his lack of drive. I don't know (obviously) what his GCSE grades are going to be - 7s/ 8s/ 9s were well within his capabilities, but whether he'll have got that remains to be seen. He doesn't do any extra work unless someone is actually standing over him, and didn't appear to have any actual aspiration to get the grades that he could get.

He's chosen to do music, philosophy and politics for A Level. For music, he ideally needs to be Grade 8 in his primary instrument by the time he takes his final exams. He's currently Grade 6 - and does zero practice, and now claims to dislike the instrument (clarinet) - but his teacher has quite firmly said that he's not good enough on bass guitar to make that his primary instrument, besides which he's self-taught on bass guitar and is insistent he doesn't want lessons. For politics, his teacher has said that the only thing he needs to do is actually read a newspaper - this never happens. He doesn't have to do these A Levels - but he's insistent that they're the ones he wants to do/ doesn't appear to have any ideas for any others.

I want him to do well - we all want our children to do well - and I'm wondering if it might be worth his taking a year out before he starts his A Level courses. I'm not sure what he would do (plus we live in a seaside town with high unemployment) - but to me it seems almost futile to send him off to continue his education when he seems so disengaged. He's young for his year (end of July birthday) so I don't think it would disadvantage him.

If it's relevant, he's also been diagnosed as having ADHD and autism (and takes medication for the ADHD on school days). He had cancer as a child, which necessitated nearly 4 years of chemotherapy between the ages of 6 and 10 - and there is medical evidence to suggest that it will have exacerbated the symptoms ADHD and autism, and caused other cognitive issues.

Or do I just send him off to college, and hope? Various people keep telling me that this is normal for a boy - but is it? (I only had sisters. And I'm quite type A myself.)

@Puffykins no one needs a Grade 8 in their instrument to do A level music, unless this is a requirement for a scholarship at your DS's school. It is better to play a Grade 6 or 7 piece really well than below par at Grade 8.
If I remember rightly not even Westminster School asked for Grade 8. @comefromaway might be able to give you some more reassurance about this.

He Is only 15, just carry on as you are, at some point all your hard work motivating (nagging) him will pay off. Don’t encourage him to take a year out. If things go pear shaped he has a year for retakes or other courses before he pays adult fees.

Don’t give him a year out; that will be worse,

Many kids don’t have the maturity to see the bigger picture; screens don’t help; but not way I will give DC a year out before 18. We just have to keep pushing. I will only give them a year out before university if they are going to work, travel, etc.

He has chosen what seem to me some heavy subjects there, with phililosohy and politics. I haven't studied either though so may be wrong.

I mnow you have said you have looked at btec, but if he isn't sure what he wants to do after a levels, what about a 1 year music btec. If a younger child in the year it will give him that extra year to mature before starting a levels. If would be better than a gap year, at least he would get a qualification from it.

If he was able to do an apprenticeship and gain a level 3 qualification via that that then go for it. Can still go to University this route. It's not too late to find somewhere but it is 80% job with 20% training so actually harder work than staying in full time education. Works really well for some.

If not ready for work then give A levels a try. If it doesn't work out then he can restart with different subjects, T levels etc. and spend an extra year at school or college.

Taking an unstructured year out with a plan to go back to school or college doesn't sound like the best plan. The expectation is that YP are in education or training (can be part time) until they are 18.

Keep up the music practice over the summer. Would he want to try a different wind instrument? Switching to Sax is popular with clarinet players. You could hire one over the summer to see how he gets on. Is Music Tech an option?

@Malbecfan would you be able to help the OP who has been told her DS has to be grade 8 in his first instrument for A level music?

@Soma thank you. Although I know he doesn’t have to be Grade 8, but I was told that he is more likely to get an A if he is able to play a Grade 8-standard piece in the exam. And his teachers feel that is what he ought to be aiming for - and that it is absolutely within his capabilities, if he applies himself.

I would also advise against for exactly the same reasons. He wont go back and then he is limited.

Have you really really looked at BTECs and T-levels? The continuous assessment might really help. There are things like Music Tec BTECs.
If you find a level 3 btec he may be able to get a qualification after 1 year if he wants to switch to A levels.
Or start A levels knowing he can restart the following year onto a 2 year BTEC/T-level course if needed.

A comment. If he has ADHD it might just not be within his capability to apply himself. So saying 'if only he would ...' is a big ask if he can't.
A levels require a lot more self motivation, like of thumb is an hour self study for every taught hour.
Vocational courses are more structured with assignments that matter.

Rule of thumb (stupid phone)

@TeenToTwenties he looked at music B-Tech in some detail - but prefers the content of the A Level course. And there were no other B-Techs that made sense for him as he doesn’t have any vocational direction. They’re also not necessarily accepted by some of the top universities, which is what he would like to aim for (we’ll have a better idea of whether this is realistic when we get his GCSE results.) Thank you though.

@Talkingfrog this is a really great idea - thank you.

From experience, the change in teens between end of GCSEs and starting 6th form or college is huge! I definitely wouldn’t be letting him have a year out. As others have said, if in England you can’t do it anyway. My teen is also AuDHD and although it’s taken a while to settle in to college she’s achieved way more than I’d expected. The plan is to use the 3rd year of free education before considering if university is the right path. So the plan is to do the expected 2 years and if still not quite ready to launch, do a foundation degree. Maybe something similar would suit you DS?

If he is England he cannot even work if not studying if under 18

This is not true. Thousands of children drop out of education after GCSEs (and many more before)

There is no one checking if post GCSE students are in education, and he can get a job.

I don't see being 15 as a problem for getting a job if you live in a seaside town - I live in one with high unemployment, but there are plenty of kids working jobs in fast food/ice cream kiosks.

You don’t need grade 8 to study music but you should be the equivalent of grade 8 by the time the practical exam is held, 2 years time. Voice is a good option if a chorister, my dd took her with voice and recorded her pieces in church so they had the right acoustic, got full marks ( Also has asd, motivation issues) whilst I don’t think a gap year is wise at 16, it’s definitely wise to have a gap year(s) before university until they are ready

@JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn this is really reassuring! And @hahabahbag this is similarly reassuring, re voice. Thank you!

Thanks @Soma and yes, I’m happy to advise - just finished teaching after 32 years as a secondary music teacher.

You don’t need any grades to do well at A level Music. I don’t have any grades on my main instrument but get paid to play and teach it. To access top grades, he would need to play pieces of grade 7 or 8 standard, depending on which exam board he uses but definitely does not need to have taken an exam.

If you want to PM me, that’s fine.