Predicted Grade and Reference

Essentially, I am doing one of my A levels (Further Maths) externally through a online course with Oxbridge Home Learning.

They said they are able to provide me a predicted grade which I will be able to use to apply to university with, but they are unable to provide me a reference. They have said that "what we can do is provide predicted grades, based on assessments completed with us, to you or whoever is completing your reference form".

I have contacted my school, requesting my teacher who forwarded to the Head of Maths whether or not they could write me a reference for Further Maths. I am currently awaiting a response but I think they will say no.

If indeed they say no, does anyone know where I could find someone (a referee) that could fill in my reference form for me and provide me with a reference for Further Maths? I am not sure of what to do right now, any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Your predicted grade should be enough - your school can say you are studying FM externally with this provider and give predicted grade. Hopefuly your Maths section of your reference wil be strong. Why aren't you taking this through school?

I am taking it through the school, I have asked my Maths teacher who was forwarded it to the Head of Maths and I am awaiting a response from him. Thanks for your help, so are you saying they don't actually need to know much to write my reference? I don't know if they will say yes and do it as I am not studying with the school.

They can't comment on how well you are doing but if your tuition companny e-mail a prediction to the HOD they can include a factual sentence as I indicated.

Why aren't you doing FM through school though?

But doesn't a reference need to be like over 100 words? How will they reach that? And won't the reference be invalid if the school weren't the ones teaching me but are writing my reference?

Yes I have also done what you suggested a couple hours ago. I have emailed my tuition company asking if they could add some comments with my prediction on how I am getting on with my work for the time that I have been with them. But I am still awaiting a response from them too, so I will see how it goes, they might or might not do it.

The reason to why I am not doing FM through school is complicated, it's probably best to not get into it now.

No, there is no specified length for individual subject comments - especially where its likely to be a 4th A level and an external provider. Each subject has a parargraph and there's an intro and final recommendation-type para. Your school cannot write more than a factual sentence stating what you are doing and who with and the predicted grade - have you already studied for a year with this tuition company? If so they should be able to say something substantial ... was this not part of their 'offer'

Ah I see, thanks for this, that is good to hear.

I have only been with them for around a month now, but when they give me a predicted grade (end of October) I would have been them for 2 months. They never put on their website regarding predicted grades or references, just that you can do the course online and they will help you and find exam centres for you to sit the final exam. But I have been maintaining communication with them, so I hope have something to go off to talk about, when and if they can make some comments along with my predicted grade.

I'm surprised your school did not suggest AMSP as a provider: https://amsp.org.uk/

Does AMSP give predictions/references too?

They are the provider of choice when school don't have the staff or pupil numbers to offer FMaths - it would be a two year course so I believe they would. [I teach Maths so we don't use them but I do know of schools who do]

My school offers FMaths, they just did not offer it to me specifically. I see, if I had found this option in Y12 I think it would have been viable since it is much cheaper, but I need to get a prediction and reference in by this November, which Oxbridge Home Learning is offer so I think that was the better option for me in terms of my situation.

I think it woud have been helpful if the school had pointed you towards this in Year 12 ... are you doing the whole A level in one year?

Yeah I agree but my school provides me with no support at all just more stress. Yeah I'm doing the course for a year but I will be doing what is required for a prediction in 2 months (Sep-Nov)

I'm sorry to hear that - is it in Barnet by any chance?

Presumably you've found: https://www.drfrostmaths.com/sow.php?year=A%20Level%202017&term=Main

No it's not.

Yes I have seen this before, thank you for showing me though.

There's a notorious school in Barnet which has strange rules in deciding who can do A levels

It's a great resource - with PPTs including worked examples. Remember TSR can also help - post a question you are stuck on and your attempt. There's a few people who are happy to help

There's a notorious school in Barnet which has strange rules in deciding who can do A levels

It's a great resource - with PPTs including worked examples. Remember TSR can also help - post a question you are stuck on and your attempt. There's a few people who are happy to help

UPDATE: My school said they can add my reference for FM alongside the Maths reference but they said they will give an informal predicted grade. I asked what they meant by this and basically said that I can't use the predicted grade as it was not given by the school. I hate my school so much I have spent over a year stressing about FM to finally find a option that allows me to do it while paying 600 quid for it just for them to say no. Do you know any other way I could add the predicted grade onto UCAS? My school suggested to contact UCAS but they didn't give any details on it so I'm not even sure what they meant.

Are you saying they won't use the grade the online provider e-mails them directly?