Accelerated Maths

[marigold]

Tree , I agree.

I remember a crammer in Winchester in the eighties which was heaving with public school boys who had played too much rugby and messed up their A levels, all having another chance. Perhaps in the past you had to pay for the luxury of retakes and now they are open to all.

[mike1880]

Not at all, the ones I knew that stuffed up went off to the local FE college to have another go. That still depended on parents being willing to subsidise another year though - and as far as I remember, since they were still in the environment that provided too many distractions the first time round it wasn't usually very successful.

Mke

[wonderwoman]

I'm one of those ancient people who resat A levels, after doing zero work in the 6th form.

I could have done what some of my friends did (and people do now) and gone through clearing for the same course or a different course entirely that my grades were good enough for. I wanted my original choice, so resat and got As.

I worked hard during that year to pay my way. It was an excellent year, though I was gutted at the time. I also did a bit of gap year stuff, travelling, nannying and training at a high level with my horse.

I'm now actively encouraging my DC to take a gap year - I grew up a lot then worked and played hard at uni.

[Tree]

Hi wonderwoman

I hope you didn't read my post as critisism I think it is really important to give people a chance to improve and retake exams i have failed a few in my time and it can be a really positive experience it makes you reflect on what your real prioritieas are and often you work extra hard on the subject and end up with a better understanding of it and better grades than you would have got.

[wonderwoman]

Hi wonderwoman

I hope you didn't read my post as critisism I think it is really important to give people a chance to improve and retake exams i have failed a few in my time and it can be a really positive experience it makes you reflect on what your real prioritieas are and often you work extra hard on the subject and end up with a better understanding of it and better grades than you would have got.

Not at all - anyway I'm famously hard to offend

As you said above - sometimes failing or achieving less than expected is a good thing, it certainly made me realise I did have to put in some actual work and that it was ultimately only down to me as to how well I did. I had always worked just enough to achieve what was needed, A levels didn't quite work out because I just hadn't done anything at all for the entire 6th form (except party), but was still cocky enough to think I would get the grades needed and I nearly did! So when I resat I did actually work.

The sad thing is all my DC actually do work really very hard compared to me at their age - but they have to get those As and A*s, everything else just seems worthless. I do feel for them. Bring back the days when 2 Es got you onto a degree course.