A decision brief for Maia's 2027-entry medicine application via A-level resits. It compares fifteen taught resit colleges, sets out the two application routes, and evaluates a self-directed route now that Woking College has confirmed it will carry over the science practical endorsement and provide a reference. Figures are given in each provider's own words; marketing claims are kept separate from verified data.
Prepared 17 August 2026
TL;DR
The most trustworthy retake data comes from Collingham (2025: +1.24 grades per subject on average, 88% improved, one in three by two grades) and Ashbourne (retake A*/A of 71–75%; +1.5 grades per subject). Both publish real, dated, per-subject figures. Brampton has the strongest medicine number: 29 resit students won Medicine places over four years, plus a top-1% DfE value-added rating.
Treat every "average X grades" claim as marketing. MPW and David Game quote different figures on different pages, with no cohort behind them. Rely only on what a college will put in writing with a cohort size attached.
For Maia, near-miss Cs in Biology (remark pending, one mark off a B) and Chemistry, Bs in Maths and Further Maths, and strong GCSEs (six 9s, three 8s, one 7), the uplift needed is small and concentrated in two sciences. That is exactly the case selective colleges convert best. Taught front-runners: Brampton, Ashbourne, Collingham, MPW and Rochester.
The self-directed route is now a genuine co-primary option, not a fallback. Woking will carry over the endorsement and write the reference; external providers mark timed mocks and set predicted grades; Hoe Valley is the local exam centre. That removes the two things that usually rule such routes out for medicine. It costs far less, needs no commute, and suits Maia, with one manageable risk covered below.
There are two application routes; don't confuse them. Route A (2027 entry) runs on predicted grades and is time-critical now. Route B (2028 entry) is the post-results fallback.
A documented mitigating-circumstances case can reopen some schools that look closed on grades alone, Lancaster and Liverpool most clearly. This is conditional (the case must be evidenced, accepted, and lodged with the application) and the resit grades required are higher, so those schools are marked conditional rather than live. It does not reopen every school: Plymouth, Manchester and Nottingham stay closed regardless.
The two application routes
Route A, 2027 entry, on predicted grades.
Apply by the UCAS medicine deadline of 15 October 2026, 18:00 UK, using predicted grades from the resit college and the 2026 UCAT (Maia's mid-September test falls inside the window; booking has since closed). Summer 2027 results then meet the conditional offers rather than supporting the application. Two consequences:
The predicted-grades and reference process is itself a selection test. A September joiner needs credible predictions and a UCAS reference within about six weeks. Ask how a college does this before enrolling (see Question 6).
Schools that require achieved grades from resit applicants (Keele; Anglia Ruskin's waiver) are not available on Route A. They belong to Route B.
Route B, 2028 entry, on achieved grades.
If Route A produces no offer, apply by 15 October 2027 with achieved grades in hand. This is a stronger, structurally different attempt: real AAA-plus replaces predictions, first-sitting bars are met or waived, and the achieved-grade schools open up. It needs a valid UCAT for that cycle. This is the planned fallback, not the default.
Resit admissions policy
Resit policy is set course by course, year by year, and often depends on why a student resat, their first-sitting grades, the number of attempts, and sometimes the practical endorsement. The Medical Schools Council database is the reference. It spans the full range: schools that accept resits freely, those that need evidenced circumstances, those with first-sitting thresholds or single-attempt limits, and those that don't accept resits at all.
No general "schools that accept resits" list is safe, because most will include schools whose first-sitting bars Maia doesn't meet. The reference for Maia is the profile-filtered spreadsheet (Maia's Options), which applies each school's policy to her actual grades. It shows nine schools open (Aston, Bristol, Brunel, Edge Hill, Exeter, KCL, Leeds, Sheffield, Southampton, plus Newcastle with a raised offer), three to check (Lincoln, UEA, Buckingham, pending the Biology remark), and Keele/ARU for Route B. Confirm each against the MSC database for the exact entry year before applying.
A further group sits behind a first-sitting grade bar that can be waived by a documented mitigating-circumstances case. Where a school accepts resits but sets a first-sitting threshold Maia doesn't meet, an evidenced case lodged with the UCAS application can reopen it. On current policy that applies to Lancaster and Liverpool most clearly, with Hull York and UCLan worth testing against their exact wording. Two things to hold about this tier: it is conditional on the case being documented and accepted, and the resit target behind the reopened door is higher (typically A*AA, often with an A* in the resat subject). It is also time-bound: the case generally has to be submitted with the application, not raised afterwards. This route is treated as conditional in the shortlist for that reason. Equally, some schools stay closed even with a case: Plymouth considers no circumstances at any stage, and Manchester and Nottingham only consider a case from applicants who previously applied to them, so a UCAS choice should not be spent on those three.
On the practical endorsement: a pass is often required and always worth checking per course. It matters most for distance and private-candidate routes, where it must be arranged separately, but it is a per-course check, not a universal bar.
Outcome metrics: definitions matter
Colleges' headline numbers measure different things, and they are not interchangeable: places gained vs offers received vs successful applicants vs destinations; medicine only vs medicine-and-dentistry vs medicine-dentistry-and-vet; retake students only vs all students. For example, Brampton's 29 "places gained" over four years has no applicant denominator, and a separate 2025 document lists 13 medicine plus four dentistry/vet places, not stated to be retake-only. Neither is an offer rate. Throughout, figures are given in each college's own terms, with any ambiguity flagged rather than guessed at.
National baseline (the counterfactual)
There is no solid public data on grade change for post-2017 A-level resitters. The nearest reference points all advise realism: modular-era research found the strongest students resat least and that only a first resit usually gained a grade, and Ofqual's atypical 2020 series saw just under half of resitters improve, about 30% unchanged, and just over 20% drop. Selective colleges' +1.2 to +1.5 grades per subject are plausible for their filtered intakes, but can't be checked against an audited national figure.
Details by provider
Notation: A*/A = combined A* and A grades; A*–B = grades A* to B inclusive.
01
MPW (Mander Portman Woodward)
South Kensington, Birmingham, Cambridge
Uplift
Two pages give different figures ("between one and two grades" vs "an average of two grades per subject"), with no cohort stated, an unresolved gap, not a proven contradiction. Nearly two-thirds progress to Russell Group.
Medicine
KCL among retake destinations (testimonials); Oxbridge/medicine prep offered. No retake placement count.
Inspection
ISI "Excellent" on both headline judgements (2022; latest report 2025).
Fees
~£12,325/term 2026-27 (≈£36,975/yr, three subjects), excl VAT. Birmingham and Cambridge cheaper.
Teaching
Groups under 10; weekly timed assignments, a strong fit for an exam-conversion problem.
Four subjects
Covers all four; one-year retakers transfer to MPW's preferred board. Confirm one-year Further Maths.
02
Brampton College
Hendon, North London
Uplift
"70% consistently achieve at least A*/A" on retakes (a rate, not an improvement). Whole-college 55% A*/A in 2024, 44% in 2025. Describes itself as London's leading college "over 20 years." DfE value-added top 1% (2025), independently corroborated.
Medicine
29 resit students won Medicine places over four years (no applicant denominator), destinations including Imperial, UCL, Bristol and KCL. A separate 2025 document lists 13 medicine + four dentistry/vet places.
Inspection
ISI all standards met (2025); "Excellent" throughout (2021).
Fees
Two-year ~£25,875 excl VAT; one-year retake on request, the main transparency gap.
Teaching
~200 students, small classes, strong science, dedicated medical programme.
Four subjects
Offers Maths and Further Maths alongside the sciences; confirm boards.
03
Ashbourne College
Kensington, London
Uplift
Retake A*/A of 71–75% across recent windows (denominators unconfirmed, ask them to reconcile), plus +1.5 grades per subject with a worked example (BBB → A*AA). Ten-year college average 51% A*/A.
Medicine
Named retake case (Bio/Chem → A*A* → Medicine at KCL); UCAT and interview support; mock weeks each half term. No placement count.
Inspection
Ofsted "Outstanding" throughout (2024).
Fees
£13,500/term 2026-27 incl VAT (≈£40,500/yr), among the most expensive.
Teaching
Small classes; structured mock weeks; personal tutor and UCAS support.
Four subjects
25 A-levels including all four.
04
Albemarle Independent College
Mayfair, London
Uplift
"97% A*–B over ten years" is a modular-era aggregate that predates linear A-levels. Homepage claims 88% A*–B; a 2025 listing shows ~46% A*/A, a gap worth probing.
Medicine
UCAT and medicine/dentistry prep marketed; no placement count.
Inspection
ISI "excellent" for curriculum, teaching and achievement (2023).
Fees (clearly published)
2026-27 incl VAT, three subjects £32,400; two £26,000; one £13,200. Exams £300/subject; science supplement £250/subject/term.
Teaching
Small classes, extra tutorials, personal tutors.
Four subjects
Broad science/maths; confirm Further Maths and boards.
05
Collingham College
Kensington, London
Uplift (most transparent)
In 2025, retake students improved by an average of 1.24 grades per subject, 88% improved, and more than one in three by two grades, the clearest single-cohort figure of any provider here. Whole-college 2025: 53% A*/A.
Medicine
Retake subjects explicitly include all four targets. No placement count. A high SEND proportion means a different intake profile.
Inspection
ISI all standards met (2026); "Excellent" for achievement (2023).
Fees (published)
2026-27 incl VAT, three subjects £12,100/term (≈£36,300/yr); two £9,010/term. Exams £555; registration £430.
Teaching
Small classes, personal tutor, rolling entry (September, or January/post-mock).
Four subjects
All four listed as retake options.
06
Westminster Tutors
South Kensington, London
Uplift
"Average retake improvement 1.5 grades." 83% of 2024 retakers to Russell Group (one to Medicine); 63% in 2025. Whole-college 2025: 36% A*/A, 61% A*–B.
Medicine
UCAS/medicine/Oxbridge support and mock interviews. Placements appear single-digit.
Inspection
ISI "Exceeding Expectations" (highest), 2024.
Fees
Previously published per-subject figures couldn't be re-confirmed, verify directly.
Teaching
Very small; regular timed papers; mocks before Christmas and Easter; NEA marks can carry forward, relevant to the endorsement.
Four subjects
Wide range claimed; check it can staff Further Maths and lab sciences at its size.
07
Ealing Independent College
West London
Uplift
None published for retakes. Third-party: ~30% A*–B, a non-selective intake.
Medicine
No published data.
Inspection
Ofsted "Outstanding," but from 2010, now dated.
Fees
Not published (enrolment £300; books £450/yr; no charge for a fourth A-level or practicals).
Teaching
Small classes; accepts external candidates; science labs on site.
Four subjects
Sciences and maths offered; confirm Further Maths.
08
Greene's College Oxford
Oxford/London
Uplift
No improvement figure; headline results vary by page (87% vs 78% A*–B), unreconciled. Non-selective.
Incl VAT, one £11,400; two £22,200; three £30,960. VAT fine print ambiguous, confirm.
Teaching
Tutorial method, three tutorials a week; trial exams four times a year; online option.
Four subjects
Tutorial model can support all four; confirm Further Maths and boards.
09
Cherry Hill Tuition
Harrow/Ealing & online
Uplift
None published.
Medicine
Anecdotal only.
Inspection
Not a registered school, a tuition provider and exam centre.
Fees
Per subject per month; small groups (~4).
Model and caution
Fine as a tuition top-up. For medicine, a paid predictions/reference package from a provider with no sustained teaching relationship is a credibility risk (admissions tutors scrutinise where predictions come from). Unproven as the main vehicle for a four-subject medicine resit.
10
DLD College London
Westminster
Uplift
No retake-specific figure. Overall recent year: 26% A*/A, 54% A*–B.
Medicine
Retakes and university prep offered; no placement count.
Inspection
ISI Regulatory Compliance, all standards met (2023). Boarding on site.
Fees
~£28,700–£30,000/yr day; per-subject retake not published.
Four subjects
Wide range including all four.
11
David Game College
City of London
Uplift
Pages disagree ("at least two grades" vs "one to two grades"), no cohort stated, an unresolved gap. Top School Guide independently expects "two grades." ~65% to Russell Group.
Medicine
Advanced Medical Programme led by an NHS consultant; UCAT coaching; a named 2024 destination (Leeds). No multi-year retake count.
Inspection
Ofsted "Outstanding" (2020).
Fees
Three A-levels ~£29,760/yr incl VAT; retake per-subject on application.
Four subjects
Wide range including all four; boarding available.
12
Kensington Park School (KPS)
Kensington
Uplift
None retake-specific; overall only (100% pass, 60% A*–B). Retakes are bespoke, not a specialism.
Medicine
No retake-specific data.
Inspection
ISI all relevant standards met (2026).
Fees
~£9,950–£10,350/term (£29,850+/yr).
Teaching
Classes of 6–8 (max 10); subject specialists; boarding available.
Four subjects
Broad offering; retakes case-by-case.
13
Rochester Independent College
Kent
Uplift
No single figure, but strong context: top 2% in England for A-level progress; average class ~8.
Medicine (well-documented)
Over three years, 10 retake-and-transfer students secured Medical school places (destinations Sheffield, Newcastle, Liverpool), plus dental. Weekly specialist medicine class; work-experience network.
"96% Medicine and Dentistry offer success rate" (2025), a combined figure with no denominator; UCAT and interview support.
Inspection
Ofsted "Good" at first full inspection (2024). The Ofsted directory now lists it under a "Closed" designation.
Fees
Retake ~£1,835–£4,300/term, far below London.
Status
The GOV.UK GIAS record for URN 149402 shows a closure date of 14 April 2025, with internally inconsistent fields, while the website still advertises 2026 courses. The position is unverified. Get written confirmation of current registration (and any successor URN) before treating it as an option or paying.
Four subjects
Maths and sciences prominent, subject to the status question.
15
Distance learning
NEC (National Extension College) & CloudLearn
NEC
Flexible online A-levels with 1:1 tutor support; students sit as private candidates at registered centres (e.g. Hoe Valley). No uplift or medicine data. Caveats for medicine: the endorsement must be arranged separately; no structured UCAT/interview programme; predictions and a reference need a credible route (confirm NEC's process and its standing).
CloudLearn
Online, self-study; "guaranteed pass" marketing; mixed reviews. No endorsement in-house (separate, often £800+). No medicine data. Same predictions/reference caveat.
Overall
On their own these don't supply teaching, credible predictions, or a reference. But those gaps are exactly what the self-directed route below closes. As the teaching layer inside that route, rather than a standalone plan, distance learning becomes viable for Maia.
16
The self-directed route
Woking College endorsement + external providers + Hoe Valley as exam centre
Not a single provider but an assembled route, and, now that Woking College has confirmed in writing, a genuine co-primary option for Maia rather than a fallback. Three parts, each solving a problem that usually rules private-candidate routes out for medicine:
Woking College, endorsement and reference (confirmed). Woking will carry over Maia's practical endorsement and write an academic reference, the two things a self-taught route usually can't supply, solved at source by a school that has actually taught her, which is the provenance admissions tutors trust most.
External providers, mocks and predicted grades. Recognised providers mark a sequence of full, timed mocks across the year and set predicted grades on that basis. A prediction backed by a run of marked mocks reads far better than a one-off paid prediction.
Hoe Valley School (Woking, Surrey), exam centre. The local venue for Maia to sit her papers as a private candidate. Booking opens 1 December, closes 31 January. No boarding or London commute.
Advantages: a fraction of London fees (£30–40k/yr), no relocation, and a structure Maia prefers, which matters, since a self-directed route depends on the student's temperament and autonomy may suit her better than a crammer.
Residual risk, and how to close it. The one weakness is less built-in exam-condition rehearsal, which is Maia's specific gap (performance under pressure, not knowledge). Close it by design: pick providers who mark frequent, genuinely timed papers, and pair the route with daily pacing between mocks (the PACE trainer, built for this). Route and app are complementary.
Two written confirmations to secure first:
Endorsement carry-over. Confirm Woking will report the endorsement as achieved on the board Maia resits under, for the specific subjects, even with the papers sat externally. If she resits on a different board, confirm it accepts the prior endorsement.
Reference provenance. Have Woking write the substantive reference (they hold the teaching relationship) and the external provider set the predicted grades, playing each to its strength.
Which providers publish the most credible outcome data?
Collingham, single named cohort, per-subject, with a distribution. The benchmark.
Ashbourne, cohort-window A*/A rates and a per-subject figure with a worked example.
Brampton, the best medicine figure (29 places over four years), plus corroborated top-1% value-added.
Rochester, medicine transparency (10 places over three years, destinations named) and independent progress data.
Edgbaston, specific figures that can't be weighted until the registration status is confirmed.
No retake-specific data at all: Ealing, KPS, DLD, Cherry Hill, NEC, CloudLearn. Needs the most scrutiny: MPW and David Game (cross-page discrepancies); Albemarle (modular-era aggregate); Greene's (unreconciled headlines).
Recommendations
Stage 1, shortlist now. Run two tracks in parallel rather than choosing yet:
Taught track. Colleges with proven science-resit teaching, a medicine/UCAT programme, published placements, and, crucial for Route A, a real process for predicting grades and referencing a September joiner: Brampton, Ashbourne, Collingham, MPW and Rochester (if boarding works).
Self-directed track (co-primary).Woking for endorsement and reference, external providers for mocks and predictions, Hoe Valley as exam centre. Cheaper, no relocation, and the structure Maia prefers. Secure the two written confirmations and lock in a frequent, timed mock schedule.
Stage 2, when the Biology remark lands. A B may cut the programme to Chemistry-led, lowering fees (Collingham two subjects £9,010/term vs three at £12,100) and changing which requirements bind. Ask each college to model both two- and three-subject versions.
Stage 3, run the Route A timeline. UCAT is booked. Remaining steps: enrolment or route set-up and diagnostics in September; predictions and reference secured; four UCAS choices from the verified spreadsheet; submission by 15 October 2026, 18:00. Route B (October 2027, achieved grades) is the planned fallback. If a mitigating-circumstances case is in play, its evidence and any advance notifications need to be ready by this same deadline, since the case is lodged with the application rather than raised later; that makes the evidence-gathering a now task, not an October one.
Stage 4, verify before paying. Taught track: every uplift and medicine claim in writing with cohort size; Edgbaston's registration status in writing; one-year Further Maths staffing; boards and the endorsement route confirmed. Self-directed track: the two confirmations above, a named provider with a frequent timed-mock schedule, and a Hoe Valley booking placed within the 1 December–31 January window.
The six questions to ask every college directly
Cohort size and basis. How many students were in last year's retake cohort, and is your uplift per subject or per student?
Exclusions and method. Does the figure leave anyone out, and how is "improvement" defined?
Chemistry and Biology specifically. What was the average uplift in those two subjects for retake students last year, not the all-subject average?
Medicine outcomes, precisely. For retake students only, over the last three cycles: how many applied to Medicine (A100/A101, excluding dentistry and vet), how many got an offer, and how many took up places, with schools named?
Programme mechanics. Can you deliver all four subjects in one year; which boards; how is the endorsement handled (NEA carry-forward or re-endorsement); mock cadence; class sizes; is UCAT/interview prep in the fee?
Predictions and reference (Route A critical). What's your process and timeline for predicting grades and referencing a September joiner applying by 15 October, what evidence do predictions rest on, and have yours ever been challenged by medical schools?
Caveats
Except where a named third party is cited (ISI, Ofsted, DfE, and others), all uplift and medicine figures are the colleges' own marketing claims, usually without cohort sizes or methodology, from self-selected intakes, and not independently auditable.
Fees are indicative and change yearly; VAT now generally applies to independent-school fees; several colleges quote per-term or on request.
Edgbaston's registration status is unverified, get written confirmation before relying on it.
Resit policies are course- and year-specific; confirm each shortlisted school for the exact entry year before applying.
The Biology remark is pending; its outcome changes the best subject mix, the fees, and the school list, revisit the shortlist once it's confirmed.