The Student Room Group

My A-levels might be ruined and I don't know what to do

I currently go to a private school and was meant to leave it at the end of the year, once I'd completed my A-levels. The only way I'm able to go since my family don't make enough to send both me and my brother is through our scholarships and the army - which gives parents an allowance to keep their kids in consistent education. (I move around a lot as my Dad gets different jobs so staying at a boarding school is a much better option than switching school every couple of years).

The Labour government's addition of VAT and removal of business rates for private schools means my parents will have to pay thousands of pounds more to keep me and my brother in school this year, money we essentially don't have.

I don't want to argue about whether or not this is 'fair' or 'good' as I'm sure a lot of people will feel strongly about what is happening, but I just don't know what to do since my A-Levels might be ruined by moving school. I've got A* UTGs for all my subjects and leaving would mean that I might have to retake my subjects or pick new ones entirely because of different syllabuses, as well as find new friends and teachers and adjust to all the admin of a new school which I can't afford to spend time doing if I want to go to Oxbridge.

As a seventeen year-old I don't think anyone will take what I have to say seriously and I doubt the parents out there who have to deal with this will get any sympathy either. Please can someone talk to me.
Reply 1
Original post by tristan.evans
I currently go to a private school and was meant to leave it at the end of the year, once I'd completed my A-levels. The only way I'm able to go since my family don't make enough to send both me and my brother is through our scholarships and the army - which gives parents an allowance to keep their kids in consistent education. (I move around a lot as my Dad gets different jobs so staying at a boarding school is a much better option than switching school every couple of years).
The Labour government's addition of VAT and removal of business rates for private schools means my parents will have to pay thousands of pounds more to keep me and my brother in school this year, money we essentially don't have.
I don't want to argue about whether or not this is 'fair' or 'good' as I'm sure a lot of people will feel strongly about what is happening, but I just don't know what to do since my A-Levels might be ruined by moving school. I've got A* UTGs for all my subjects and leaving would mean that I might have to retake my subjects or pick new ones entirely because of different syllabuses, as well as find new friends and teachers and adjust to all the admin of a new school which I can't afford to spend time doing if I want to go to Oxbridge.
As a seventeen year-old I don't think anyone will take what I have to say seriously and I doubt the parents out there who have to deal with this will get any sympathy either. Please can someone talk to me.

I'm assuming UTGs means predicted grades here, ain't heard the abbreviation before icl. Sorry if this is may seem a little obvious but have you tried consulting your school on the possibility of transferring the predicted grades?

Alternatively, have you considered applying as a private candidate and sitting your exams in private exam centres? You'll have to pay for your exams which might be costly, from what I've seen £125 per exam, but hopefully more affordable for you. You'll be able to sit the exam boards you attained your predicated grades for so it eliminates the problem of different specifications but you will have to study and prepare independently which could be off putting or perhaps better.

Seems like you're going through a lot sorry if I haven't been helpful.
Reply 2
Original post by ArthurMZ
I'm assuming UTGs means predicted grades here, ain't heard the abbreviation before icl. Sorry if this is may seem a little obvious but have you tried consulting your school on the possibility of transferring the predicted grades?
Alternatively, have you considered applying as a private candidate and sitting your exams in private exam centres? You'll have to pay for your exams which might be costly, from what I've seen £125 per exam, but hopefully more affordable for you. You'll be able to sit the exam boards you attained your predicated grades for so it eliminates the problem of different specifications but you will have to study and prepare independently which could be off putting or perhaps better.
Seems like you're going through a lot sorry if I haven't been helpful.

Becoming a private candidate might be the best course of action but I'm slightly worried that I won't do as well studying at home as I will at school. Spending months isolated from people also sounds like a nightmare.

My school aren't being very helpful at all about the process of leaving or switching and my parents think it's worth going back for a term (a couple months) so I can do my UCAS applications and find out from my teachers what resources and revision materials I might need if I moved. I also really want to spend some time in my final year since I missed year 8 because of COVID and have been appointed to some different prefect roles and society boards and want to at least make a decent showing before I hand them over to someone new.

I think I'm going to have to wait it out a bit and see if anything changes, and if nothing does by December I'll move.
Original post by tristan.evans
I currently go to a private school and was meant to leave it at the end of the year, once I'd completed my A-levels. The only way I'm able to go since my family don't make enough to send both me and my brother is through our scholarships and the army - which gives parents an allowance to keep their kids in consistent education. (I move around a lot as my Dad gets different jobs so staying at a boarding school is a much better option than switching school every couple of years).
The Labour government's addition of VAT and removal of business rates for private schools means my parents will have to pay thousands of pounds more to keep me and my brother in school this year, money we essentially don't have.
I don't want to argue about whether or not this is 'fair' or 'good' as I'm sure a lot of people will feel strongly about what is happening, but I just don't know what to do since my A-Levels might be ruined by moving school. I've got A* UTGs for all my subjects and leaving would mean that I might have to retake my subjects or pick new ones entirely because of different syllabuses, as well as find new friends and teachers and adjust to all the admin of a new school which I can't afford to spend time doing if I want to go to Oxbridge.
As a seventeen year-old I don't think anyone will take what I have to say seriously and I doubt the parents out there who have to deal with this will get any sympathy either. Please can someone talk to me.

Definitely look into sitting your exams as a private candidate. If you know your subjects and exam boards, you should be able to look up centres near you where it is possible to sit your exams privately - hopefully without having to change subjects or exam boards.

https://www.jcq.org.uk/private-candidates/

Which subjects are you doing / would you consider taking up if you had to change them and which boards are you with / are schools in your area with? If you say, some of us may be able to recommend resources for you to use to quickly cover the content outside of school to lessen the impact of potentially having to change schools.
Reply 4
Original post by UtterlyUseless69
Definitely look into sitting your exams as a private candidate. If you know your subjects and exam boards, you should be able to look up centres near you where it is possible to sit your exams privately - hopefully without having to change subjects or exam boards.
https://www.jcq.org.uk/private-candidates/
Which subjects are you doing / would you consider taking up if you had to change them and which boards are you with / are schools in your area with? If you say, some of us may be able to recommend resources for you to use to quickly cover the content outside of school to lessen the impact of potentially having to change schools.

I take History (AQA) with NEA coursework, Religious Studies (OCR) and Mathematics (Pearson Edexcel). I also did EPQ but have handed it in and assume I will get my marks in next year with the rest.

I won't change history because I want to study it further, and shouldn't need to change maths but would be willing to replace religious studies if need be with English or Classics. I have textbooks for all of my subjects but don't know whether I'd be able to keep them, though I'm sure I could simply return them once the year is over to my school.

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