Y11 2025-26 Results Day and Next Steps

[UncomfortableSilence]

We can use this thread to continue our discussions for now.

DS is going to a college where he knows no one at all and finds it incredibly difficult to make friends due to his autism. It's natural for your daughter to be worried but there will be lots of people in the same boat I'm sure she will be fine but how you persuade her of that is a different matter. Good practice for Uni though if she is planning on going. Good luck to her.

This is the thread regarding Maths A Level.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/5568835-yearly-warning-about-taking-a-level-maths-with-a-6-at-gcse?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

Mine will be. She dropped key grades so has had to switch college. It’s a brilliant college it’s just she says she knows no one at all going

Mine is now thinking 2 Alevels and BTEC AppliedSci instead of biology.
cant take two science As as missed a 7.
i think it will work out great long term

My DD is also heading to college knowing very few people. She does have a couple of friends going but they are doing different courses and with the college being the biggest in the area (over 3500 students) she is unlikely to see much if anything of them day to day.

A few of her closest friends have stayed on at school 6th form but DD was so ready to leave school she would much rather go somewhere new than stay just for the familiarity even though she is very nervous

Most other students will be in the same boat. And even if they are going with existing friendships, these quite often change at college as they all start to mix with new people.

We are having a tough time here and I’m not sure how to advise dd and if she’ll even listen.

she did ‘ok’. Passed everything, raised her grade in maths to a 6 which was a real achievement and got a 9 in her favourite subject. But she was actually on track for 7s and 8s in quite a few subjects so to get 5s and 6s wasn’t great. She also totally ploughed a chemistry paper in combined science - her average without it was a 7/8 but she got a 6/7. She wants to do a science a level (not chem!) and her preferred college wants a 7/7.

shes always struggled a bit with exams and I am wondering if she actually may be better off doing a human biology BTEc with 2 a levels rather than biology

one one hand she is doing core maths to support and i know her science teachers at school thought she was bright enough to do a level. Her biology marks give her a 7.

On the other, a quick google tells me the typical unis and courses she would be looking at take btec as an option and I wonder if a higher coursework content would suit her better.

she has places at 3 colleges and got the marks for 2 so has options. Also her preferred college had given her a strong indication that all will be fine and shes going in on Monday to talk it through.

bless her, it’s been a v tough few days and not over yet. All her mates did as expected or slightly better as well so she’s feeling pretty down in the dumps and isolated.

@myladyjane and anyone else with DC thinking about BTECs - they can be a great option and I know several YP who have absolutely smashed them including my own older DS. An A level/BTEC combo can work really well, and for some students the coursework element of a BTEC - not having everything riding on stressful exams - can suit them much much better.

Bear in mind too that many if not most universities accept Level 3 BTECs - I mean you won't get into Oxbridge or or the top London ones with them but most people aren't aiming for Oxbridge or top London unis anyway. Plus lots of university courses are coursework based, so BTECs can be excellent preparation for those.

The one note of caution I would sound is that there is no B or D grade equivalent in the L3 BTEC and grades are awarded as follows:

Distinction star (equivalent to A star at A level)
Distinction (equivalent to A at A level)
Merit (equivalent to a C)
Pass (equivalent to an E).

So just something to bear in mind. It feels like a big drop from a Distinction to a Merit. But other than they are that an excellent option and can work really well.

My child is also going to a college where they don't know anyone. Its quite a specialist college so takes from a wide geographical area with about 20 different bus routes of student transport provided by the college, so its likely their friends will not be that local.

They love the subject they have chosen and its the only place in the area that offers this so they are firm its what they want.

My child goes from excited to nervous at making friends but I've encouraged them to talk to people both on the bus and on the course. I'm hiding a lot of anxiety but I am excited for them too!

DD is doing 2 A Levels and a Btec which I think will suit her really well.

She gets extremely anxious around exams and even though she did even better than expected for her gcse's, she doesn't want that level of pressure again for her A Levels.

@Monr0e, @FlyingPandas this is really helpful/reassuring. @Monr0e this is my point with dd as well. She is a very bright girl but the pressure of an actual exam makes her mind go blank - she told me yesterday that happened in history - predicted a sold 8 with 9 potential and got a 5.

we’ve had another chat today and she does want to try the a level if she can but will consider the btec at college number 1 rather than a levels across the board at colleges 2 (3 is off the table now). Thinking is they have higher entry standards and better uni outcomes so she may be able to access better support if needed whereas college 2 has lower goals for its students so would probably happier with ‘fine’. They also don’t offer core maths and I think she’ll need that to stand any chance of success realistically.

feels like a good compromise so wish us luck for Monday.

Just to add to this, DD1 did a combination of A Level & BTEC too. She came out with all 5s&6s so this was the right path for her. She also struggled with exams and gets very anxious. She thrived at VI form. She also didn’t want to go to University, she is now nearly 3 years in to a fantastic career, she adores her job is earning great money and is just so happy.

There are so many paths and I think it’s just drummed in to them that A Level then Uni is the way and for many it is, but for many it’s not and it’s important to recognise that and not think of it as a lesser route.

@myladyjane handhold. We’ve had a rough couple days. 10 gcse pass with total of 54 but yet not enough for some options.

Ds got 4445558.
One of the 5s (English lit) may become a 6 as only one mark away.
He is due to do French (the 8) and History (predicted 6 but got 5) and an extra GCSE or two.
I'm worried about History. I know they'll let him do it as the min requirement is just 4 for English and 5 x 4 or 4 x 5 to do A Levels generally. But History is notoriously hard. The alternative is Politics, which I think would be hard in a different way (he has some strong opinions on certain topics and they're more likely to come up there).
He has no interest in any of the applied options (criminology, business, food, sport).
I can't attend the final course confirmation as its students only which I do understand and agree with but..

I posted above that my DD is doing maths. She couldn't do psychology as planned, as she dropped a grade from the mocks, but got enough from physics and she was 3 marks off the next grade up for chemistry, which would have qualified her.

I've looked at the secondary school requirements for psychology and she would have qualified at ALL of them, but she is at a grammar, and their entry requirements for all subjects are much higher than the secondaries.

She is excited about doing maths, has been acing all the algebraic equations and quadrangle (sp) thingies.

She got a 7 in maths, she got a 5 in her mocks, but her teacher told me it was a blip and the workings were right, but she forgot to transfer the answer to the box, or she had the answer but didn't show any workings.

I dud think about moving her, but she is determined to stay, she is also excited about maths - she chose it originally, but the mock 5 scared her. Her teacher said she is capable of A Level maths, and Physics was always her best science, especially the maths questions (according to her teacher).

I have been terrified by advice on here though. Terrified that it is an impossible task.

I am also mindful of the car crash my life has been, due to being risk averse and listening to others opinions.

I was a mature student when I did A Levels. We had to do a test when we started, given by a careers person. It was verbal reasoning, spacial awareness and other things. The careers advisor told me I couldn't do psychology as my maths was too weak. He advised journalism and some other things.

I did the psychology A Level and got a B - - not great, but now disastrous for someone with awful maths skills.

Later I also did Nutrition and Health and got an honours. That was a lot of science and maths. But I WANTED to do it.

So maybe I should let her? She us focused, determined and ambitious. She went from a predicted 3/4 in Spanish to an 8 in the GCSE (Edexel so higher grade boundaries than AQA Spanish), and jumped 2 grades in both geography and maths from her mocks - so she can do it if she wants (and she didn't revise until the last minute, and realises he error).
I am so conflicted and confused.

@Anonymousemouses I think you can’t really not let her iyswim? It’s her choice really and if school are happy to take her and she’s as aware as she can be of potential challenges then it’s up to her.

what does she want as a next step? Does it need top grades to progress or are Bs and Cs ok?

anecdotally friends kids have done fine with 7s in maths and science. May not have got A stars but have got as and bs and got into good unis or apprenticeships (Manchester, Lancaster, Big 4 scool leaver placements). She sounds like a hard worker so she’ll do well I’m sure.

How many is she doing plus maths? Can she start with four subjects so she’s got some flex to drop one and therefore give her time to “trial” it? Or have you considered core maths?

Thanks all - it’s good to know that there are others going in not knowing anyone.

@Anonymousemouses I think if her teacher thinks she can do it, she is the best placed to say. If it’s a grammar school and they have high requirements, I doubt she would say it unless she really thought she could cope. However, I know very little about ALevel Maths.

I do think the suggestion of starting with 4 if allowed, is a good one though.

@Anonymousemouses - it is there decision now I think - just be ready to support if need me

Hi all. Only just discovered this thread but I had the anxious lack of sleep on Wednesday night! DS got 8s in double science and maths, 7 in computer science (he’s apparently 1 mark off an 8 but we are not going for a remark), 5s in drama, Spanish and English language, 4 in literature and a 2 in RE. He’s hoping to do maths, physics and computer science A levels, so hoping the 2 in RE doesn’t scupper that. In my head I know it shouldn’t, but until he’s actually enrolled next week I doubt I will relax!

@Curlyfrizzball , DD also goes to a college where she doesn’t really know anyone. She actually prefers it that way because she wants a completely new environment. She really enjoyed her GCSE school, but she just feels like she wants something new — a chance to reset and restart. I’m actually quite ok with it, as I think at some point they will have to go into a completely new environment on their own anyway. I’m sure your DD will settle in and make lots of new friends too. ❤️

Daughter is going to be doing A-level Chemistry, Biology and PE at the boarding college and Russian outside of college. She will try to do Russian in a year and take it in Y12. We also have the crazy idea that if she takes Russian in Y12, she might have time to also do Photography in her own time as a private candidate outside of college, but that's a bit tentative 😬

@Curlyfrizzball She also doesn't know anyone at her college, but apparently there's a WhatsApp group she managed to join by following some new joiners online. Most on the group aren't doing A-levels though, so she doesn't know anyone on her courses. Someone from her yard goes to the university connected to the college, but that's about it.

@Curlyfrizzball my DS is the only one from his school going to his chosen sixth form. I signed him up for it sight-unseen just to give him another option and, if I'm honest, to expand his social circle. He wasn't best pleased but actually really liked it when he went for his admissions interview. It's in another town but there's a possibility that some of his teammates from football will be there so he won't be starting completely from scratch social-wise. We took him for lunch nearby on Thursday and since then he's been talking about how much he likes the town, looking into bus passes etc.

Good luck to everyone waiting for confirmation of next steps!

@NotDarkGothicMama I got DD to put an application in for a third choice last minute. Popped into open day. She wasn’t fussed but I was impressed. Did interview eve not thinking she’d go but out of interest. Has huge wait list so no me gets in late who didn’t apply at first..
Now I’m so relieved we did as it’s her best option based on her grades!!
Most of her mates didn’t bother and some now in a pickle

@Kindflowe26 @Curlyfrizzball this is always have I’ve felt. Break away and be you. Not who you were at primary & high.
She’ll still keep in touch all the time with couple best mates and they all still local!
halfway house to uni if they go

I’m a little bit worried about DD doing two Sciences with 6s… but they were so nearly 7s and still might be if she picks up a couple of marks on the re-marks. And, she said, she’d have easily got the 7 in Biology if it hadn’t been for the fish farming thing being so much of that paper (she is still bitter about that and the lack of questions on the bits she’s stronger in). She is so strong in Maths that I’m hoping that makes it a bit easier for her.

Also, she spent all of Y10 messing around / not engaging with lessons, and didn’t really start focusing until after the first set of Y11 mocks, so I’m hoping that two full years of being focused means she gets the grades she’s capable of,