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Original poster

Btec or AS for dc with health/attendance issues

31 replies

Runningtokeepstill · 24/02/2015 14:53

My ds, Yr 11, was hoping to do 3 AS's at college next year but his health issues are causing problems again and he's currently off sick using online education resources.

He was aiming for Maths, Computing and IT all at AS this year and hopefully continuing to A2 next but it has been suggested that an IT (Business) Btec extended diploma might be a good option. There isn't much difference in the grades he needs (can drop from a B to a C in Maths for Btec but otherwise C grades fine). AS courses run over 5 days with free periods as well as lessons. Btec run as 3 full days and 2 days private study - so he could be at home then. However, Btec is coursework based so would this be difficult/impossible to do if he had a bad flare up and was off for weeks/months? Obviously he'd find it hard with flare ups if he was studying AS but he could study at home. I'm not sure how much of the Btec coursework actually has to be done in college to "count".

OP posts:
Original poster
Runningtokeepstill · 01/03/2015 17:46

Thanks sashh, it's useful to have a tutor's perspective. If ds goes down the Btec route, it would be just that course as they do the extended diploma which counts as equivalent to 3 A levels. He's already needing a dispensation to do this level of course as he is now being entered into a very small number of GCSE's so there's no prospect of doing an A level on top of that.

We've resheduled the chat with one of the Btec course tutors for next week (I'm involved in this as ds hates talking about his illness so I've agreed to go along and do that bit). I also managed to have a quick chat on the phone. As expected, the tutor stressed the need for high attendance and I wouldn't disagree if it were possible. But he seemed to feel working at home during flare ups would be achievable for the self motivated so I'm more positive about ds's prospects.

OP posts:
sashh · 28/02/2015 11:23

I teach BTEC - different subject but same rules.

A lot of the course work can be done at home, in fact sometimes it's better that way. If the college know beforehand they can also put things in place to support him.

You mentioned 'flare up' so I'm thinking this is a changeable condition, if it's something like writing he can't do but is mentally OK (that's sounds patronising but I have arthritis and can think what I want to write but not always write it) then using dictation software or having a TA can work.

i had one student who missed a lot and I made a 'pack' for her to complete over the summer, it was a different unit to the ones being studied in college but could be counted for her to get the number up to 18 (I think, things change), it wasn't an easy option as she had no teaching and had to do it alone but it is something that can be done..

Another thing about BTEC is that you can leave after 1 year and still have a qualification at Level 3, and you can take an AS or A Level along side, to go along with BTEC Computing I'd suggest Maths AS level in case he wants to go down a programming route for uni.

ChillySundays · 25/02/2015 14:59

If the flare ups could last for months it would be awful if that for during exams. At least with BTEC only some modules would be unfinished with possible the chance to hand in later

Hope it works out. A lot of unis accept BTEC nowadays

Original poster
Runningtokeepstill · 25/02/2015 14:12

Thanks for the replies. We've now got a few more issues to discuss with the college and can then see what they think. I'm favouring Btec myself as I think it would be easier for ds to handle in his circumstances. He previously said he didn't want to go down the vocational route yet as he thought it would be too limiting. Recently he's been reconsidering as he's missed so much school his choices at AS are quite limited anyway so there's not much difference, in subject breadth, between what he could do at AS and at Btec.

His flare ups can be days or months (psychological factors kick in) so it's very hard to say how the future will pan out. He improved considerably for a several months but has been much worse this winter and is now off school completely. He's just had an assessment at a national specialist hospital and we're waiting to see if they can come up with anything different to help him get more in control.

There aren't any other colleges to choose from without quite a bit of traveling and he feels this would be too difficult if he's having an off day. Ds was supposed to meet with someone at college today to discuss Btec further but as he's just gone down with a sick bug, we've had to cancel. Frustrating!

So far the college has seemed very sympathetic to ds's situation so I'm hopeful that they can offer support whichever route he decides to take.

OP posts:
sablepoot · 25/02/2015 00:50

I would think btec would be the safer option. Many module assignments can be done at home and time extensions granted in case of I'll health, or redone the following year if it was a first year unit. in the worst case if he did fail a module or two at least he would be awarded the non extended diploma, whereas with a levels I would think there was a greater risk of coming away with nothing.

ChillySundays · 24/02/2015 22:28

My son is (Y12) doing extended diploma in a different subject. So far all the coursework has been assignments rather than the kind of coursework they have to do in lesson for GCSE. Whether that it the same for IT.

How long do the flare ups last. My son normally has about 2 week for an assignment. Would that be enough time if he was ok when work set he got on with it straightaway or have the flare up and then do the work? My son is getting good marks and he does not spend 2 weeks doing the assignments!

I would also speak to the college. My son's tutors are strict about handing work in but would there be lee way in your son's case? If it is an option have a look at more than one college. One may be more suited to his health issues than another

If he did the AS/A2 how would he cope if he had a flare up during the exam period?

Hope I have been of some help OP