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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

College preventing progression to Y13 due to poor attendance

78 replies

Wobbly75 · 09/07/2026 20:31

Can they do it?

OP posts:
BuffaloCauliflower · 09/07/2026 20:33

Yes if it’s in their policies

Octavia64 · 09/07/2026 20:33

Yes

Cappuccino5 · 09/07/2026 20:34

Yes. Unless there’s good reason for the absences then why shouldn’t they? It’s not uncommon for kids to be held back in Y12 if they’re not on track for decent A level grades.

Overtheatlantic · 09/07/2026 20:34

Surely the lack of attendance is the barrier to progression?

Bigtrapeze · 09/07/2026 20:35

What level of attendance are we looking at here, OP? If the attendance has been insufficient to tackle the content of Yr13 for a course, I think the only other option would be resitting Yr12. I know of someone who resat most of a year of an apprenticeship due to cancer treatment. College made arrangements in those circumstances and he passed a year later.

OddBoots · 09/07/2026 20:36

Are they saying the young person needs to leave or that they need to repeat?

Are there any special circumstances, for example has the young person been having major medical treatment or anything?

Wobbly75 · 09/07/2026 20:39

Bigtrapeze · 09/07/2026 20:35

What level of attendance are we looking at here, OP? If the attendance has been insufficient to tackle the content of Yr13 for a course, I think the only other option would be resitting Yr12. I know of someone who resat most of a year of an apprenticeship due to cancer treatment. College made arrangements in those circumstances and he passed a year later.

About 70%. He didn't go for two months earlier in the year. Entirely his fault

OP posts:
Badvocthebad · 09/07/2026 20:40

Resit y12 an option?

Wobbly75 · 09/07/2026 20:40

OddBoots · 09/07/2026 20:36

Are they saying the young person needs to leave or that they need to repeat?

Are there any special circumstances, for example has the young person been having major medical treatment or anything?

They want him to repeat Y12, no special circumstances

OP posts:
Ponderingwindow · 09/07/2026 20:40

There are medical exemptions and workarounds if your student is ill and you are proactive, especially if they stay on top of their work.

If it is just a general attendance problem, of course they can deny completion of the year.

darkandgloomy · 09/07/2026 20:40

Yes they can.

How would he expect to pass with two months of work missing?

Wobbly75 · 09/07/2026 20:41

Badvocthebad · 09/07/2026 20:40

Resit y12 an option?

Yes, but he's resisting it and to be honest I'm not sure it would make a difference.

OP posts:
Pinkissmart · 09/07/2026 20:42

‘ Child did not attend, got several warnings, and now cannot progress. What can they do now?’

That may be a better thread title 🤔

HellonHeels · 09/07/2026 20:43

What are his plans if he doesn't want to retake the year?

KimTheresPeopleThatAreDying · 09/07/2026 20:43

Sounds like he needs a reality check.

LightlyRoamingOcelots · 09/07/2026 20:44

It's entirely sensible to repeat year 12 in that circumstance. He wouldn't cope with year 13 without catching up with what he missed. Why fight it? It would only be setting him up for failure. Is he allowed to repeat y12 in the same school or does he need to find a new setting? It's really good for a young person to experience something like this. They need to get a dose of reality to get them to buckle down and the earlier the better - some kids don't get this lesson till they start failing sections of their degree.

Pinkissmart · 09/07/2026 20:44

Btw OP, many colleges would not allow a restart. Your child is very lucky.

Wobbly75 · 09/07/2026 20:44

darkandgloomy · 09/07/2026 20:40

Yes they can.

How would he expect to pass with two months of work missing?

Agreed. Somehow he thinks he can pull it off.

OP posts:
Shedmistress · 09/07/2026 20:45

Wobbly75 · 09/07/2026 20:41

Yes, but he's resisting it and to be honest I'm not sure it would make a difference.

Are you saying that 30% of their teaching is pointless?

QuaintBeaker · 09/07/2026 20:46

Seems he's fucked around and now he's finding out.

Instead of asking "can the college do that?" maybe you would do better to tell him to sort himself out.

Doesn't really matter if he's resisting it does it? Seems like he has 2 choices. Repeat the year and accept he's wasted a bunch of his own time, or give up and go and get a job.

Wobbly75 · 09/07/2026 20:48

HellonHeels · 09/07/2026 20:43

What are his plans if he doesn't want to retake the year?

That's a good question, we have explored other options but nothing is as good as his current college in his eyes

OP posts:
Bobbie12345678 · 09/07/2026 20:48

I would be 100% supporting the college in this.
For you son this a good life lesson in ‘fuck about and find out’.

Wobbly75 · 09/07/2026 20:49

LightlyRoamingOcelots · 09/07/2026 20:44

It's entirely sensible to repeat year 12 in that circumstance. He wouldn't cope with year 13 without catching up with what he missed. Why fight it? It would only be setting him up for failure. Is he allowed to repeat y12 in the same school or does he need to find a new setting? It's really good for a young person to experience something like this. They need to get a dose of reality to get them to buckle down and the earlier the better - some kids don't get this lesson till they start failing sections of their degree.

Same college. Thank you, this is an interesting point of view. Just a bit hard to swallow right now. Perhaps, in a few years, looking back.

OP posts:
Wobbly75 · 09/07/2026 20:51

Pinkissmart · 09/07/2026 20:44

Btw OP, many colleges would not allow a restart. Your child is very lucky.

Didn't know that. Thank you. I wish he knew

OP posts:
Wobbly75 · 09/07/2026 20:53

Shedmistress · 09/07/2026 20:45

Are you saying that 30% of their teaching is pointless?

I'm saying that a new attempt at Y12 would likely end up being a repeat of what he's just done this year

OP posts: