BTEC Edexcel First Award L1&2 Music

[hippo99]

DD (year 10), taken BTEC music. She has been having private keyboard lessons, first at school and now 1:1 at home. Lessons at home are costing us £25 each, her teacher is great but DD does not put the practice in. Had so many "discussions" with DD about this as we can't continue with throwing this type of money at it when she isn't putting the effort it. It has reaching breaking point now.

Considering looking at lessons at school again as cheaper alternative but DD will get taken out of other lessons to have music lesson. With her GCSEs a year away, I am loathe to do that. (Seems they don't do after school of lunch time lessons)

She clearly isn't going to study music at a-level, so my question is what she need to do to pass. Maybe what she does in her normal lesson will be enough for a decent pass

I've looked on the Edexcel website but quite hard to fathom

My other concern is entry to 6th form is an average points entry. (She says she wants to go) She is high level Maths (A/A* old money) and good level Geog (A in old money), so I am worried that she won't score enough points in her other GCSEs (English old money Grade C, nobody wants to give us s level in Science, but again not one of her strongest subjects, plus if she "only" gets a pass in music)

[catslife]

I think you need to have a word with the music department. Is the only option private lessons or are there other alternative options e.g. keyboard club for those who don't have one to one lessons or find this unaffordable.
In terms of sixth form entry most 6th forms would accept a BTEC pass as equivalent to a GCSE pass (but there are a few that do not include BTECs).
However you can apply to several different sixth forms, you are not just tied to the one at the same school. For many sixth forms it's individual grades that count and provided your dd passes English and Maths and obtains the entry grades for the subjects she wishes to do then she should be OK. They would only ask for a specific grade in Music if she was interested in taking the A level or related level 3 BTEC in Y12.

[hippo99]

Thanks cats

[EvilTwins]

For the L1/2 BTEC Music, she will need to complete a number of units, including some which are performance units. However, there is no requirement to be of a particular standard (e.g. grade 5) The mandatory units are The Music Industry (this is a written exam) and Managing A Music Product. We used to do this BTEC at my school but don't currently. For the Managing A Music Product unit, the class organised a concert to raise money for Children in Need. They then do three units out of the following:

1. Introducing Live Sound
   
2. Introducing Music Composition
   
3. Introducing Music Performance
   
4. Introducing Music Recording
   
5. Introducing Music Sequencing
   

The specification can be found here

If they are doing the Music Performance unit (which is likely), then the Distinction criteria asks for a student to perform "with flair and attention to detail to produce a fluent, coherent, successful and stylish performance".

At BTEC a Pass is the equivalent to a GCSE C, a Merit is a B and a Distinction is an A. What do you see as a "decent" pass?

[catslife]

For a level 2 BTEC the lowest grade would be a C grade equivalent (or equivalent to that in the new 9-1 numbering system).
As this qualification is level 1/2 there would also be grades equivalent to grades D and below.

[EvilTwins]

Below level 2 there is just one grading which is L1 Pass. It's a bit ambivalent in terms of its GCSE equivalent but it's essentially a D-E grade. It would be on a certificate as either L2 Distinction*, L2 Distinction, L2 Merit, L2 Pass, L1 Pass or Fail