Wanting to go to uni after leaving school.

Even without getting higher education, you really need to go back and at the very least do your GCSEs - it’s so hard to get anywhere at all without them.

Okay I think I will go back to do GCSEs and than A levels and possibly Uni but would I be able to go to a standard sixth form/college to do that or would I need to find somewhere else if I missed a year?

1) I took them in 2018.
2) I was kicked out from a previous school and sent to a school where I learnt next to nothing so I gave up and stopped attending.
3) 17 turning 18 in march.
4) I had a few months doing nothing but have been working full time for the last 6 months.
5) My high schools Ofstead was good.

Okay so you can get in touch with your previous high schools and ask to re-enroll to take your GCSE exams as you’re only a year behind - they might even be able to get you enrolled now if you’re quick. You can also contact local colleges who offer GCSEs and again, if you do it fast you might be able to get in this year to take the exams in summer 2020.

You definitely need to sit your English and if you think you can get a better grade on your Maths then take that again too. Almost all employers and A-level and degree providers will require you to have 5 GCSEs including Maths & English at grades 9-4. English language is the compulsory English subject in the U.K. and you should also look at taking literature - it’s relatively easy once you learn the basics (basically how to read a piece and analyse it for symbolism and say why the author included the symbolism, it’s easier to get a higher grade in this because it’s subjective to interpretation and as long as you can justify what you say, you’re right!).

Science is one of the compulsory GCSE subjects in schools so I would strongly suggest taking that too. If you passed your maths under such difficult circumstances last year you will definitely get a pass at the very least in science this time round. You can take combined science GCSE made up of two parts if your skills aren’t as strong - as long as you don’t want to go into a high science career this won’t affect your prospects and they are WAY easier than taking bio, physics, and chem separately.

This would give you Maths, English Literature, English Language, IT, and Combined Science. Pass them all and you have your five GCSE minimum needed to progress onto A-levels or an apprenticeship! Depending on your strengths and your interests you could look at taking an extra one in be kind of field you might like - history, geography, art, film or media, RE, drama, design. This gives you some background for taking an A-level in one of those subjects.

Good luck! You are definitely going to turn this around. I spent my GCSEs and A-levels skipping school to smoke pot, dropped out of college once and uni once, and now I have a first class degree from a Russel Group uni and a wonderful job in my field. You can make it work, trust me!

omg thank you so much I thought itd be hopeless, also is there a best way to check what the best nearby schools are for this since every time I look it up the schools websites arnt helpful and lead to just more confusion.

The best thing to do is to make a list of school & colleges, check they have a good or excellent Ofsted rating, and call them directly. Explain that due to extenuating circumstances you were not able to complete your GCSEs last year and you’d like to meet them to discuss enrolling as soon as possible so that you can sit them.

Okay and if I wanted to get my GCSEs done this year is that still possible or would I have to wait for next years classes to start before I could study again. And im looking but in my area it only looks like high schools and colleges that only take on from high schools.

Start by contacting your old high school, the one you sat your maths and IT GCSEs at last year. I know you said you felt like you weren’t learning anything but part of that would have been your attitude and level of engagement with the work - if you show teachers that you’re willing to learn and you’re trying to turn things around they’ll be more likely to invest some time in you. This is the time to keep your head down and work hard.

You have to bear in mind that teachers are only human and managing big workloads and classes, and that last year when you started, they were getting a new student close to exam time who had been expelled from their previous school and was really disengaged in the work - that was really difficult for them. Show them that you’re trying and that you want to change. Turn up to all your classes, be on time, do all your work, don’t piss about and chatter and slack off in class. Head down, work hard, build strong relationships with teachers and talk to them a lot about how you can do better and do what they say you should.

I know that might not sound super appealing yet but remember that I’ve already been through this - I did the same things. You’ll get through it, just put the commitment in.

The school where you took your GCSEs is the place you’re most likely to get a place to retake your exams. If they can’t offer you a place, ask if they can help you find somewhere that will let you enrol to take the exams. If you don’t mind telling me what town/city you live in then I can look for student support organisations there that can help you too just in case your old high school can’t enrol you.

If you move quickly then yes, you might be able to take your GCSEs this academic year. If you miss much more of the year though, you won’t be able to catch up and you’ll have to wait until next year but regardless, the time to contact your school is NOW. Don’t waste anymore time.

Hi, thanks for the help and I have checked all the schools nearby and none are re-enrolling for this year. Would just revising at home and paying to sit the exam when this years year 11s be the best option do you think and would that effect possible future college and uni applications?

Alright thanks, as for getting my A levels if im 17 turning 18 in march will I need to pay to get them or how will the financial side of it work.

Truthfully I don’t know, you’re better off asking colleges etc. I don’t *think* you will have to pay.