University not accepting school qualifications

Just wondering if anyone else had the same problem as me. Whilst at school I completed a GNVQ in science, which was explained to be worth 2 GCSE’ rather than doing the standard GCSE. (Baring in mind the GNVQ meant I had to do more work for the course).

But since I’ve been looking into going to university to do a dental therapy course, I’ve found loads of Unis refusing to take the GNVQ and telling me I would need to go to college to do the GCSE version.

Basically I’m going to be doing all the same work as iv already done 10 year ago, just so they will let me enrol.

Has anyone has this problem and is there anything you can do to challenge it? I feel like all the work I did at school has just been a massive waste of time. I chose the GNVQ version as science was my favourite subject, and the fact the GNVQ was worth more I didn’t see the point in doing the GCSE. What’s the point in studying at school to be told what you’ve done is not acceptable. Especially when the GNVQ was more demanding than the GCSE, just don’t understand it.

Thank you for any feedback.