A/AS level results any good news?

Discussion and advice on Sixth Form matters

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Ed's mum
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Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:47 am
Location: Warwickshire.

Post by Ed's mum »

Well done to those whose children have made them proud.

Commiserations to sianyn - you must feel distraught right now, and probably a tad angry? Maybe this is just what he needed. I hope that someone can offer you some advice that may help. Have you been able to contact anyone at his school who could advise you?

Take care, I wish you well x
solimum
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Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 3:09 pm
Location: Solihull, West Midlands

Post by solimum »

Probably worth taking a deep breath and taking time to consider:

Has he lost interest in the chosen subjects? Is he reacting to a (perceived and no doubt unfair) feeling that he's been pressured to go in a particular direction? Did he find GCSEs so easy that he could get by with only the minumum of serious effort and imagine the same would be true at A level, ( a very common problem among those who have always been at the top). Has he discovered the delights of partying, girls, drink, having fun, music, being out with his friends? Has he started to have doubts about what he always thought he wanted to do? Would a different degree choice be equally satisfying but less competitive ?

Someone other than a parent ("you'll throw your life away, after all I've done for you, if you go on like this you'll end up stacking shelves in Tesco" - that's how fraught we get if not careful) may be able to talk things through with him and see if perhaps a combination of selected module resits (very common nowadays) dropping the least successful subject, or even starting to go to open days and getting a feel for university life, might re-inspire him. There comes a point where no amount of parental pressure will make him work if it's not something he really wants for himself, and that point of adjustment to self-motivation comes at a different stage for many.

If the UCAS form has at least one university which doesn't expect top grades he should get an offer, and probably more if the school reference and his personal statement talk up his previous good results and enthusiasm. But it is quite natural to have doubts and worries at this stage, and if in the end it does take an extra year, it will be time worth spent to get something he is really motivated in
Looking for help
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Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Berkshire

Post by Looking for help »

Hi Sianyn,
I am very sorry to hear about your son. My son went through a stage like this in his year 11, fortuntately managing to get back on track just in time to take GCSEs where he did well enough but by no means brilliantly.
It was a struggle for us and for him because we couldn't see what had happened to make him so disinterested in school when up until then he had always loved it.
I expect that your son will take his results as a wake up call and buckle down now. Have a look at the marks he has got and the grade boundaries which the school will be able to tell you and work out which subjects he's not too far from the grade above. If he's only a mark or two away from the grade above it might be worth asking for a remark on a specific paper. If not , he can request copies of his scripts to see where he's gone wrong, and resit in January or next June. But beware or resitting too many in say January if he's also got modules in his A2s because a very heavy workload might frighten him off. There are deadlines for asking for remarks and script copies, I think its only about a week from now, so double check with your school

The really good thing about having AS levels is they really do give kids who struggle with the pressures of growing up (and there are very many of them) a second chance.
Take care and try not to worry too much.

LFH
sianyn
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Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2008 1:42 am

Post by sianyn »

Thank you so much Solimum and LFH for your support and words of wisdom - somehow this all seems to make the stresses if the 11+ a doddle! You have both offered fantastic advice and I have also received a PM from someone lately of this parish :wink: with a real wealth of experience so I am beginning to get a feel of how we (sorry, he) should move on.

You are absolutely right Solimum about him being complacent - he did not work at all for his GCSE's and still managed to secure decent grades (he had always maintained that he has a photographic memory!) He loves the subject he wishes to do at degree level and is happy with two others, the fourth he has found a real struggle at this level and will probably drop. He can then take up a new AS subjet with a view to getting a good grade in this which then support the three A* A2's which he assures me he is going to get!

LFH, he is only two marks away from a higher grade in 3 of his units so I think we will try for remarks on these.

He had a long and thoughtful day on his bed yesterday but is feeling much more positive today. I hope it lasts!

Very many thanks
Sianyn
ian35mm
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Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2008 8:04 pm

Post by ian35mm »

My DD had a lot of health problems last year (Yr12). The school messed up her speciall arrangements for one subject; the pupils were specifically told to revise the wrong books for another (HT very apologetic), and in another the teacher was completely unable to control a disruptive member of the group. In her fourth subject the two teachers contradicted each other and clearly couldn't stand the sight of each other.

But .............

Grades not great, but she now has 6 AS levels ands plans to do AS photography for fun, the AQA Bacc as well as her 4 A2's.

Should she retake modules? As a parent I'd say yes, one or two (where the school messed things up), but she's already got the UCAS points for her chosen degree, so we will not be pressurising her to overload herself. As a teacher, my view would be that students who struggle to do the work in Yr12 will find it doubly hard in Yr13 if they're trying to double up the workload. I've personally been told dozens of times by students that they'll work harder and revise more, but how many times does that actually happen? A handful at most! So, for DD, a couple of resits and then concentrate on getting through the A2's.
sianyn
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Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2008 1:42 am

Post by sianyn »

Hi Ian, fancy a swap?

Sianyn
KB
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Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:28 pm

Post by KB »

DD did deservedly well in ASs but is already starting on Personal Statement, January modules & reading for University interviews.
Don't listen to those who say teenagers have it easy!
sianyn
Posts: 30
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2008 1:42 am

Post by sianyn »

Hi all, thought I would just provide a brief update on my son's plans. We saw the head of 6th form today and are now feeling really positive about his battle plan for year 13. He will drop the subject in which he did really badly and go all out on the other three, applying for decent unis with at least a predicted A A B. Should he do well enough to get 3 A's or A*'s he will take a gap year and apply to Russell group uni thereafter. In the meantime, he is taking up Russian to entry level which hopefully will add a bit of extra interest to his personal statement.

Best of all, he actually said to me today, 'I can't wait to get back to school to get stuck in'. This has been an extremely valuable lesson - he seems to have matured just over the past three days and I just know that he is going to go on to shine brightly.

Sianyn
ian35mm
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Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2008 8:04 pm

Post by ian35mm »

Well good luck with all the resits!
andyb
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Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by andyb »

I was speaking to a young man while out shopping yesterday and his story was very much like your DS's sianyn (maybe it was him - I don't know) - he was taking 4 subjects, made a hash of them and is going back to have a concerted effort at 3 of them with a view to getting 3 good grades rather than 4 not so good. I was only chatting with him for a few minutes while one of his colleagues was getting something for me, but he seemed very mature and quite determined to show everyone that he could do better. I think we underestimate our children sometimes.
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