To think that 4 G.C.S.E's needed to do business studies is ridiculous

Agree, It frustrates me that people won't understand grade distribution. One year a score might get you a 4, the next that same score might get you a 3 and it's baked in that about a third must be within grades 1-3. My daughter was 1 mark off a 6 in an exam last year whereas the year previously her mark would have been comfortably within the grade 6 boundary.

Grade boundaries have gone up and up since 22. In 22 there were still lots of concessions made, eg some topics not tested and more formulas provided. I think we're not back to normal.

I compared Edexcel biology criteria for a 4 in 22 and 25 and it had doubled to about 80 marks

Just what I was thinking. Poor lad. Obviously in the wrong crowd of they have "all" failed GCSEs. I can't really believe the whole year group collectively failed - if so, what Mickey mouse school were you sending him to?

And his bullying hasn't even been addressed - the fact you regard the school expelling him shows your son's racism hasn't been addressed.

Your son is at a really critical stage in his development and he needs some real engagement. Not just seeing him at the summer. If his dad can't cut his hours maybe he should move to be with you and go to college there?

If the child is willing to engage, there is no reason for them not to get Cs in Gcses.
Children should not be allowed to fail.

There are reasons not all can achieve 4+. Ignoring all other reasons, the exam system is designed so that not all candidates can achieve a 4+.

In 2021 a C in higher Biology was about 16 marks!

Weren’t grades teacher assessed grades in June 2021? So no official grade boundaries were released for the June series. Candidates could sit papers in a the autumn sitting if they wanted but more than 16 marks were needed for biology for a 4.

There were no GCSE exams in 2021 so how can you say that!

in 2022 to get a Grade 4 in AQA Higher Tier Biology you needed to get 51 marks out of 200. This paper contained harder questions than Foundation where you needed 109 marks.

I'm always surprised when i hear people saying things like, 'is he academic'?
How academic do you need to be to do Gcses?
And why are people just accepting this?
If the child is willing to engage, there is no reason for them not to get Cs in Gcses.
In 2021 a C in higher Biology was about 16 marks!
Children should not be allowed to fail.
Get a tutor, or learn the content yourself and help your child.
There's a ridiculous amount of online resources now.
Even BBC bitesize is helpful

As a secondary school teacher this would have been exclusion from us as it is racism and a hate crime. Taking the mick out of a Muslim praying whilst they are praying is awful absolutely truly awful. And this 'they were friends' excuse is just as bad, I'm suck of awful behaviour being blamed on 'banter' and boys being boys. Also constant low level disruption and disrespect to staff so obviously not a hardworking conscientious student. Thr fact that you thino exclusions should be for chairs getting thrown at teachers. Wow! No wonder teachers are leaving in droves when parents think their darlings can do whatever they want as long as they stop short of physically assaulting anyone! Also permanent exclusions can be appealed and schools have to provide so much evidence to back it up especially for year 11 students it isn't an easy process to exclude someone at all.

Also he didnt pass any GCSEs if this happened just a few weeks before he was due to sit his exams I'll be honest he probably wouldn't have passed if he was in school.

He was stupid, he made a mistake, he has less the consequences of that and now needs to accept the hand he has been dealt and do the lower level 'boring' course to prove himself able to access the higher level courses as colleges don't want to waste their effort on people who won't work.

Also mother to a 16 year old summer baby who knows not to be racist, homophobic or just generally disrespectful and managed to get some excellent GCSE grades. Stop making excuses for him

No, 4 GCSEs isn’t a ridiculous requirement, anyone with fewer than that clearly isn’t suited to an academic career. If I had an applicant for a job with 2 GCSEs I’d assume they either had learning difficulties or couldn’t apply themselves. I’d say for his own sake he needs to see if he can re-sit his GCSEs now or it will follow him around like a bad smell.

Just a thought @magicalmadmadamim have you looked at a UTC? There aren't many in the country tbf. My school is a UTC and we take from yr10 up to yr14. They all have different specialisms as well as core subjects. There is one near Heathrow for example that specialises in Engineering and IT. It could be a really good fit if he's struggled with school before for whatever reason (no judgement, life happens, mistakes get made and sometimes things just don't work) it helps re-engage and re-ignite passion for learning too as well as repair the broken relationship with education. If you Google UTC schools UK you can find the list of them. If he's bored, he's not in the right place and will disengage, I know I would, humans do, especially when they're still young and discovering the world.

To weigh in, generally a school wants a student to have a minimum level 4 in English and Maths. If students don't get this the school will often get the student to retake at least one of them alongside their A level or equivalent studies. They also prefer a 6 in the subject they want to study, or a 6 in another subject. Something that shows they can apply themselves to this level of course. Otherwise you can be setting up a student to fail. Not always of course but often enough to be a concern. If there are SEND issues the criteria can change, depending on level of need. If they are SEND with an EHCP then you consult with the school to ensure the student can manage with the course.
I disagree that GCSE's have got harder. I work in Education, my school is different to many as we focus on the student more than the grade and a most of our students are ones that have struggled in school not high flyers but, that said, we have a very good track record in re-engagement and our students achieving passing grades and higher all the way to 9.
The relationship between the student, the school and the family has to work together.

The boy is not higher education material so there isn't really any point in discussing it.

OP is talking about further education, not higher education. DC do not need 5 GCSEs to access further education. There are FE courses for all levels. Not that everyone needs 5 GCSEs for HE either.

I'm assuming the OP lived in either England or Wales before moving away, so I am astonished at how little she understands our education system.

The boy's poor behaviour has been ongoing for a long time, so why is the OP only finding out about it now? Why has the father not stepped up and parented his child when he was still at school? Why has neither parent supported the boy's education?

There was no malicious intent and they are still friends
According to your Son.

No malice involved is what bullies always say. He's belittling the situation and you're letting him.

Or was it not his fault?
Did he just get in with a bad crowd?
And of course he's not like those other boys.
Or is it the teachers fault? They just didn't like him I bet.
Is he just misunderstood?
A loveable rogue?
Let me guess....he always makes sure he looks after his Nan.
Does his smile light up a room?

Your Son sounds like one of those boys that everyone tolerates, and who the majority of the school population can't stand. And you're making excuse after excuse for him. You're either oblivious to his persona and he's leading you a merry dance, or you're just too hard faced to admit your Son is a belligerant little shit and you're failing him.

the OP’s DS doesn’t have SEND, he just hasn’t properly applied himself.

I'm not sure it would be spotted if he had send. Often the wheels come off in the teen years. By that point, mum is abroad, dad is working long hours and the school see disruption.
I'm not offering it as an excuse. It's just a comment that it is another thing that could have slipped through the net under the circumstances.

Yes, this is what my adopted DD1 (16) is doing, at a specialist college. She has SEND - with probable FASD and a diagnosis of epilepsy. She has an EHCP.

the OP’s DS doesn’t have SEND, he just hasn’t properly applied himself. So if he applies himself, there’s no reason why he can’t do what he wants in the end. It’s about accepting where he is and what he needs to do to achieve what he wants.

I took a Business Studies 'A' level, for which I required more than 2 GCSE passes. Then I took an HND in Business Administration, for which I required 2 'A' levels. Finally I completed a degree in Business and Finance, for which I needed 3 'A' levels.

it entirely depends on what level Business Studies course he wants to do.... but Business Studies is not a Mickey Mouse course - it is a precursor to other vocational courses or to higher education for those that are capable and want to do them.

I’d have thought it a minimum tbh.

If he completes the foundation course, he will then be able to go up a level the next year. He will probably need to be at college for a total of three years..

In the UK for higher ed /post secondary, it was expected for students to pass five 'good' subjects (English, Math, Science and another two). Your DS subjects (two!) are below the minimum.

I'm 47 and you needed 4 x Bs to get on the Business course I did in '94, so it has not changed since then

Some people grow up and buckle down. But they will not find themselves at the front of any queue before they do that.

I’m not sure if this is a genuine post?! Of course a minimum of 4 GCSEs is justified! And your reasons for him not doing well are quite bizarre. You need to set higher expectations - does he (and you) think success (in any area) just comes easily?

Having had two through GCSEs, almost two through A levels and another in year 10, the content is definitely harder than it was back in my day. Luckily they have all worked hard and done very well but it isn’t easier than it was, both for students and teachers!

I think your attitude goes a long way to explaining why your son was expelled! He was being racist about a ‘friend’ and you call it “taking the mickey”. You are rude and disrespectful when people disagree with you and you don’t like being thought of as underprivileged, but that’s exactly how you come across! Uneducated and biased!

He never stood a chance did he? His mum left with her new family when he was barely a teen, and his dad is like a shadow in the background.