While I fall closer to FolkieDave's view than Lizzie's, it is certainly true that 'the System' does not cope at all well with people who follow unconventional paths. My daughter did not take 'A' levels but instead took a BTEC before going to University. On this BTEC she got 5 distinctions and, including her other qualifications, a total of 720 entrance points where the University required 220 as the minimum entrance, so she was accepted with no problem.

While checking up on allowances, bursaries and so on at the end of the second year, she discovered the 'D' distinction grades had been recorded as 'D' 'A' level grades. I.e. instead of 320 points it had been counted as 45. A simple admin error, purely caused because someone entered the Uni by a not-quite-conventional route. How they cope with really unconventional routes can be imagined.



(By-the-by one of my son's is dyslexic, had a hard time in primary but it was spotted in secondary and he has now graduated and has a good job.)