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

Honestly I think it's unlikely that a business study course would suit him. They can be fairly mathsy including economics and also fairly text heavy on subjects like law with lots of old fashion learning off.
given his interest in IT, that might be a far better option for him. Alternatively resitting his gsce s would give him far more options if you thought he was capable of doing much better. It is hard to know from what you've said here

Additional circumstances, as in he and his mates couldn’t be bothered to put the work in and now he wants an easy pass? He’s already bored by what he needs to do to catch up, so why should he be given a place ahead of someone who did apply themselves!

That’s outrageous them asking for someone to be able to pass GCSEs to go on to further study. If he has managed to turn up to college they should award him a PhD as a bare minimum for that level of achievement.

It's a get rich quick mentality and it's basically gambling.

If that's what he's interested in it doesn't bode well either.

He's looking for quick fixes so he doesn't have to put in effort... It makes him vulnerable to various dangerous and exploitative things.

Just be wary of him being lured in by "investing". They are bombarded with that crap on TikTok. As a Economics graduate and investment manager for many years, the products they are "investing" (no let's call it what it is, "gambling") in are very high risk and for every winner there has to be a loser. If someone buys, someone else is selling.
Also they may not realise but they are using leverage and they can lose more than they initially invest. Be warned.

I’m replying from a point of view that my son was in a very similar position. He was asked to leave his mainstream secondary school at the end of September of year 11 (asked to leave is polite. He was expelled but the decision was revoked by the head teacher because we fought to get him into an alp). He completed 5 gcse and got grade 4’s in all. His enrolment to college was farcical event when they ignored his EHCP and he had a melt down (asd and adhd) on college property and resulted in damage to my car when I went to the college to help him (he bashed my rear windscreen -sadly it already had several small stone chips and it shattered , so it looked spectacular like he had punched my window through). College then blocked him from enrolling. He is now on a level 1 functional skills for employment course - very much below his academic ability (he did higher paper maths!

but despite this course being far too easy. He has taken the positive approach, that whilst buts boring for him, it is college and if his attendance is good it looks good for next year when he is planning to start an engineering course.

btw 5 GCSE’s including maths and English is the standard for most of the Level 2 courses in our area.

Definitely not unreasonable; it’s business studies for heavens sake - what sort of job would anyone get in business without putting in some effort to get educated?

Quite - OP can’t have it both ways. The level 1 course he is currently on is simultaneously so ridiculously easy he is bored out of his mind on it, and also so ridiculously hard it is a massive achievement for him and we are all meanies saying otherwise.

The only people who ever use the phrase "play the racist card" are racist themselves. I can't believe you are still trying to minimise your son's despicable behaviour. I don't doubt that his teachers were fed up with his rudeness and lateness. But your son wasn't excluded for those actions, he was expelled for an incident of racist bullying. The school did the right thing.

If you continue to make excuses for your son, try to paint him as the victim, insist that life is so unfair for him, etc. then in all likelihood he will grow up to be an entitled and insufferable person. But if you actually want him to become a decent man someday, then step up and help him take responsibility for his actions. TBH you and his dad are in part to blame for not instilling proper values and encouraging a good work ethic. But he also needs to accept that he is in this position because he was lazy, rude, and a racist bully.

This is all fine but its not the point.

The material point about this kid is that he’s been lazy, poorly motivated, disrespectful and disruptive. And racist.

It’s bewildering how many posters clearly haven’t got the faintest idea what Functional Skills is, yet they have such a determined preconceived opinion of it. Personally I am very grateful and proud that my son was able to take and pass English FS on his first attempt and maths on his third attempt.

Agree and it's not always kids who struggle academically. It's not unusual for someone to be fantastic at maths and really struggle with the format of the English exam too. - a well recognised qualification that showed ability in numeracy would be a very good idea.
A young person I know is predicted top grades in essay based subjects at A level and has some great uni offers lined up. Unfortunately they keep getting a 3 in maths.
Having said that, one of my kids passed on a resit and I think it was important they had the chance to persevere.

My own husband failed GCSE maths and took what was the then equivalent of Functional Skills at college. He went on to do a degree and is now a university lecturer with very high level qualifications.

You know there are thousands of 16 -19 year olds pointlessly resitting Maths and English over and over again without a cat in hels chance of gaining a grade four ?
They ate not all problem children and neither do a lot of them have any SEN ,they just struggle academically, far better for them to have a nationally recognised qualification dont you think ?

Ireland has , I believe, leaving cert and higher cert. The one taken aged 16 is equal to gcses. However, I believe your students have to pass 8 subjects to get their cert. The one taken at 18 is equal to A levels. It is normal to take 3 or 4 A levels over here.
Vocational learners tend to take Vocational subjects, such as hairdressing, car maintenance, cookery and even god help us Business studies, which brings us to this thread. Vocational subjects consist of a mixture of academic and practical work. Btech is one of the many Vocational courses available.
There are also Vocational courses for kids who like to play on computers. They are horrified to discover that they're actually hard work. Because actually, most 12 year olds can do coding nowadays. They do it in computer lessons, at school. They have computer homework and are forever doing something called scratch.

Don't be silly. He lacks the attitude to complete his 6 weeks basic training. The army would kick him out before his 6 weeks are up.

Doesn't really matter, it's perceived how its perceived and someone saying it's difficult isn't going to change that. It's seen as the easy option for kids who failed school, the problem children who got expelled, like OPs son.

And yes, he did have the option of going with you, but that's a big ask from a kid who is old enough to not want to uproot from everything he knows. And ultimately, you decided to go without him.

This is a kid who has since proved at 16 he didn't have the maturity not to be a racist prat.

Expecting him to make that kind of mature decision about moving at such a young and then abdicating any kind of responsibility for how it's panned out isnt cool. He clearly didn't have that level of maturity needed to make that decision.

He probably felt guilty about going and leaving dad by himself too. I mean Mum had the rest of the family and didn't need him. He probably felt replaced by younger siblings.

This was an adult decision that the OP ducked and continues to duck responsibility for.

Have any of you ever taken Functional Skills? I have and it isn't easy.

I passed my Maths GCSE a year early back in the 1990's and I have A Level English Lit. I did an essay based degree subject. I now work in a payroll and accounts department so I use everyday business type maths (though I've forgotten geometry etc).

i was asked to help one of our apprentices with his Functional Skills. The questions are less abstract and more everyday/relevant eg no analysing 19th century texts but it isn't easy. I too an online sample paper and failed. OK I had done no prep and not even looked at the syllabus but I would say the content was definitely on a par with a GCSE Grade 4.

The thing is the BTEC is an academic course. The OP then has berated everyone saying not everyone is academic.

But if you aren't academic you aren't going to be able to do that course. So her attack about MN being so narrow-minded is just lashing out and completely missing the entire point.

Post GCSE most courses require self motivation and self study. That's what he's really lacking.

He has to PROVE himself now. That's what everyone is saying. OP doesn't want to absorb this.

I don't want to be unduly harsh, here, but it sounds very much like you and your new partner decided to move abroad without much thought as to how it might impact on your eldest child. From his perspective, it probably looks like you just abandoned him in favour of your new family. And yes, he did have the option of going with you, but that's a big ask from a kid who is old enough to not want to uproot from everything he knows. And ultimately, you decided to go without him.

Whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, that decision will have sent a very strong message to him about the value that you place on him. His other parent doesn't seem to be very engaged or hands on either, so it is hardly surprising that he has gone off the rails in response to all of this. Perhaps it is attention seeking, or perhaps it is simply the natural result of not having any proper parenting.

Anyway, what's done is done, and you can't turn back the clock now. Going forward, I think you need to work out a plan for how you are going to provide better support and guidance to your son from now on, and how you are going to go about repairing some of the damage that will have already been done. He probably needs some really good therapy for a start.

Her son chose to stay with his father.

Is it an English speaking country?