Do you have questions about your child’s options following A level results day? Q&A with The National Careers Service - £100 voucher to be won

[JustineBMumsnet]

With uncertainty at a peak surrounding A level results day this year, we’ve partnered with the National Careers Service to bring you an expert careers adviser to help answer your questions about your child’s choices - including apprenticeships, university, internships and more - following their A level results.

Find more information on post-18 options here.

Francesca Cinotti, a qualified Careers Adviser, will be answering your questions. Read on if you’d like to know a bit more about her background: “Francesca is a qualified Careers Adviser, usually covering the Central London area. Francesca has been a part of the National Careers Service London team since 2018 and her areas of expertise include working with customers who are hoping to change careers and helping customers who have been out of work for a long time.”

Post your questions for Francesca on the thread below - she’ll be online to answer questions on results day and periodically in the days following.

Please note the advisers will be giving advice with the education system in England in mind. If you're living elsewhere, any advice given may not be relevant.

All who post on the thread with a question for Francesca will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Have a child awaiting GCSE results? Keep an eye out for our Q&A next week.

Thanks

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

If you feel like your results are not fair and due to covid 19 have been unable to study properly how do you appeal

@Zoeyph

Overall school has been marked down, they all worked so hard and feel injustice . How easy is it going to be now gov have made a u turn to get grades that they deserve and still get into Uni when their first/second choice turned them down.

Hi @Zoeyph thanks for your question. Where possible, universities will try to be as flexible as they can in accommodating places for students. The government has lifted student number caps in order for universities to be able to extend their offers to those students who had been offered a place. UCAS will be working with universities to offer further guidance once they have received further instruction from the government and come to a decision following on from the results process. In the meantime, I suggest that you contact your preferred university for the latest updates.

www.itv.com/news/2020-08-17/a-level-u-turn-what-happens-now-for-students-and-what-about-university-places

[quote pushchairprincess]so..... now DS can have the teachers assessed results, A

@escapeveloxity

Now that the government has thankfully u-turned on its algorithmic results, when will the new results be made official. If a University has already turned an applicant down, must they now reconsider based on the revised results? Thanks for your help 😊

Hi @escapeveloxity thanks for your question. The Government has announced that students in England will receive teacher assessed grades for A level results this summer: www.gov.uk/government/news/gcse-and-a-level-students-to-receive-centre-assessment-grades

Where possible, universities will try to be as flexible as they can in accommodating places for students. The government has lifted student number caps in order for universities to be able to extend their offers to those students who received the results they needed to be offered a place. UCAS will be working with universities to offer guidance once they have received further instruction from the government and come to a decision following on from the results process. For further information, please see the below website:
www.itv.com/news/2020-08-17/a-level-u-turn-what-happens-now-for-students-and-what-about-university-places

@Jeanetteleighton

If you feel like your results are not fair and due to covid 19 have been unable to study properly how do you appeal

Hi @Jeanetteleighton thanks for your question.

@Jeanetteleighton

If you feel like your results are not fair and due to covid 19 have been unable to study properly how do you appeal

Hi @Jeanetteleighton thanks for your question. You can appeal your results if you feel they do not reflect your academic abilities - for further information on the appeals process, please see the following websites:

www.gov.uk/government/news/appeal-arrangements-for-as-a-levels-and-gcses?utm_source=0f1fa01d-ca7c-4d7b-b467-72f6cc167ffb&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate

How will they accommodate children who have had their grades changed now their chosen courses are full?

Is a uni degree worth it

My son is keen to get started on the next step in his life at university, but I wonder if I'm doing the right thing by encouraging him to go, as I worry come November we will have a second wave and all be under lockdown. Part of me thinks he might be better taking a year out.

Do you think there will be a lot of students choosing to take a year off pre Uni this year due to grades / Covid etc?

And if so, isn't there going to be a much larger demand for spots in 2021?

@gemmie797

How will they accommodate children who have had their grades changed now their chosen courses are full?

Hi @gemmie797 thanks for your question. I suggest you get in touch with your chosen university to see what options they have for you. The government has asked universities to be as flexible as they can be given the change in the results process. UCAS will be able to help you confirm how students will be accommodated and provide the latest updates. www.ucas.com/undergraduate/results-confirmation-and-clearing/ucas-undergraduate-results

@JazzItUp98

Is a uni degree worth it

Hi @JazzItUp98 thanks for your question. This will depend on the type of job/industry you are looking to get into long term and if a degree is required. As well as a degree, there are other post-18 options (Apprenticeships, Internships, etc) that you could look into here: nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/career-choices-at-18 Take the time to consider your preferences. It's also worth bearing in mind that you do have the option to attend university as an older student if you wish. Taking time out from studying will allow you the opportunity to undertake work experience (something you won't necessarily gain from doing a degree) and become more 'job-ready.'

www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship
www.ucas.com/undergraduate/student-life/why-choose-higher-education
www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/browse-sector
icould.com/

@10milewalk

My son is keen to get started on the next step in his life at university, but I wonder if I'm doing the right thing by encouraging him to go, as I worry come November we will have a second wave and all be under lockdown. Part of me thinks he might be better taking a year out.

Hi @10milewalk thanks for your question. I appreciate your concerns, although I do think the decision here is up to your son. Will he still be motivated to attend university next year and does he have an idea of what he would like to do, should he decided to take a year out? These are the questions I would be encouraging him to consider. Measures are being put in place to avoid a second wave, however I understand it is difficult to predict how things will look in a few months time.

@DimensionAEB

Do you think there will be a lot of students choosing to take a year off pre Uni this year due to grades / Covid etc?

And if so, isn't there going to be a much larger demand for spots in 2021?

Hi @DimensionAEB thanks for your question. There will be some students who choose to take a year out from their study, however given the change in results process, those students who have received higher predicted grades from their teachers may choose to attend university this coming academic year. Universities are trying to be flexible where possible, however due to the inflated grades this year, it is likely that there will be a higher demand for competitive university places next year.

Thanks for your questions everyone - the winner of the prize draw is @MyNameIsHow