What are you doing to support your lacking-in-direction, lackadaisical 15/16 year old for post GSCE choices?

There is a L3 Art foundation course that is examined by UAL. My DS looked into it and really liked it. He has applied for it, but its his insurance choice in case he needs to resit GCSE maths. The only thing may be that its a bit restrictive at the age of 16.

@RRollergirl11
Would you consider Art foundation course after 18?
A good friend also has an arty DD and she is at a loss what to to pick for post16.
However, she is keen on art foundation for a year. It's just the 16 to 18 she needs to get through which seems hard.

I have a y12 DD who is struggling with no future goals, so this thread has been helpful.
I am preparing back up options in case she will drop y12 for some reason.

I guess my concern when I posted before was that no A level is easy. It may be that some feel more challenging- dd found French a real slog, for several reasons; I otoh found it a breeze, but really struggled with Greek. I wouldn't want any student to think "I'll pick sociology, media and PE bc they are easy", that's all.

@converseandjeans apologies, I thought you were saying that PE and other subjects not on the list we no longer use 😁 we're not accepted by RG.

Eng lit, French and geography is what my dd took, randomly! She didn't do law tho thank goodness.

@clary

I imagine all A levels are accepted by RG unis. I think however a student with A-levels in say Eng Lit, French & Geography would be more likely to get onto say a law degree than someone with PE, media & BTEC business studies. Anyway this is detailing the thread. My daughter wants to do Media Studies & I'm happy with that as I think she will enjoy it.

This article from FFT shows that there are definitely some subjects which are more challenging academically than others.

ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2022/06/why-a-level-physics-students-are-doubly-penalised-by-grading-severity/

Also the A levels you find challenging is surely related to the student and their skills?

My DD found music A level (not on the old facilitating subject list as it goes) so difficult that she switched to French - which was on the list. Not that the list itself has much relevance now (except in that the subjects on it keep doors open - you need biology A level to study biology, but not psychology to study psych).

I work in employability support, from age 16 onwards and it is shocking how little many know of the realities of the workplace. A good place to start is the 'line in the sand' for employment / apprenticeships and this is GCSE English and Maths and even those offering apprenticeships will focus on those that already have these qualifications. Some BTECs will be defunded in 2025, so worth checking, as this can impact on delivery in colleges prior to them disappearing from their offering. Perhaps a conversation about just how broad the world of work is, as career education and support is woeful in many places, non-existent in others and sometimes simply focused on signposting to local provision in others (gets a Gatsby box tick). Start the conversation early and reverse the focus by using job adverts to see what an employer is asking for in their candidates and then how you get to this starting block, if that's a job you'd like to do, or would like to have the option of applying for. The best work often comes with short term pain (study etc.) and has the best longest term gain, but I agree, 16 is too young to choose now and we need to broaden how we prepare young people for what next. This website might help starts some conversations https://www.ucas.com/careers-advice

@converseandjeans facilitating subjects are no longer regarded as such, tho for sure you need some of them to do certain degrees. PE is certainly accepted by RG unis, I know this as my DS took it and got RG offers. I am sure media is as well. The only subject I know of that’s not accepted is general studies IIRC.

Hi there, another one here with DS 15 in Year 11 that is really at a loss as to what to do after school. He has ADHD and has struggled through secondary school. He is likely to get majority 5’s with one or 2 6’s and hopefully a 7 in Art. He is creative and has a natural aptitude for Art & Design. But given he is good at these subjects he still doesn’t really have any passion for them and does not work harder in these subjects.

He is likely to stay on at his school 6th form given that the majority of them do. But I’m not convinced it’s the right place for him. They tend to focus on A levels, with just a handful of Btecs on offer and 1 T level. The latter aren’t in subjects that he is interested in. I think he will probably do Art and 3D Design A levels but I worry that the workload will be too much for him.

There is another sixth form college that does an Art & Design Btec that I think is potentially more suited to him but it would mean an hours bus journey there and back. With his school sixth form in walking distance and the majority of his friends staying on I can’t see that he will choose the other college.

At the moment I can’t see that DS will want to go past further education unless he decides that he wants to go to Art school. So it pretty much feels like he will just be occupying the next 2 years until the time that he no longer has to be in education.

It definitely feels like DS is 2 years behind developmentally and isn’t ready to be making these decisions. I know that this is likely due to his ADHD, where they say they can be up to 5 years behind developmentally. I do worry about him but am hoping it’s just a matter of time and things will eventually fall in to place for DS. Doesn’t help us right now though.

@clary

www.tutorchase.com/blog/top-10-hardest-a-levels

@clary

But your comparison of PE (less academic) and biology (more academic) or media and Eng lit won't fly. And there is a media teacher on this board who would agree with me

But this isn't true. Sone subjects are facilitating subjects which Russell Group unis accept & Biology is on the list as is English Lit. Media & PE are not. Some A levels are more challenging than others. Ask a student who does a mixture & they will agree.

I think T Levels might be best - 20% work experience & 80% college. Or BTEC at college.

Don't assume doing traditional A levels & going off to uni is necessarily going to lead to a better job. There's loads of great courses out there.

Also grade 5s are perfectly decent passes. GCSE are just a stepping stone to nest level.

Thanks @Hopeforb, I don’t think he’d be hoping for a distinction. I’ll speak to the school at the 6th form open evening about the volume of work though, thanks. They only do A levels and some Btecs at his school and he’d probably be better staying at school with his friends. I’ve found somewhere that does T levels but that would mean a couple of buses or a bus and a train, compared to a 15min walk.

Sounds good. The kennels sound right up my sons street. Hopefully he’ll figure it out within the next year.

@Passthecake30 I am not trying to put you off but triple award Btec can be quite intensive in itself if your Ds wants to achieve merit or distinction especially for a child having anxiety.

For DD they rotated practicals (1 day a week) around the 7 areas, 2 weeks at each. So per year only 4 actual practical days in any one area.

She only did Level 1, and is on a kind of 'Gap year'. But she has been doing some work experience at a kennels and just started at a groomers. Groomers will require a L2 apprenticeship (or she could have done it part time this year at college but she decided she couldn't cope with the teaching room too many people and dogs).

(We don't have a dog so her experience outside of college is limited.)

Hopefully by Easter she'll be ready for more regular work, if only part time, and will know whether she wants to do grooming. The kennels is more physical and outside, but includes actual playing with dogs. The grooming is indoors and more skilled and close holding dogs.

@TeenDivided what job has your daughter ended up with from this course?

Thank you. I did look up courses and found one but it’s an hour and a half on the bus which put him off 🙄. Also the fact that it covers other animals as I think dogs are the only interest. I’ve told him to start Googling what kind of jobs working with dogs are out there in the hope he will get inspired. I think we will chat about it more and maybe go and visit at some point if we can before year 11 so he has an idea.

@IcedupTulip 'may want to work with dogs'

There are Animal care courses. That is what most people who work with dogs seem to start with as far as I can see on 'Meet the Team' pages on websites. You may need to look to your nearest Agricultural College, though some 'normal' colleges do them too.
DD's course covered Kennels, Cattery, Reptiles, domestic pets, paddock animals, birds and zoo. Her favourite lesson was walking the dogs. (Though Level 3 course would do this less often than she did on her Level 1 courses.)

I hear you all. Have a 15 year old son (although year 10) who hasn’t a clue what he wants to do. Not interested in a levels and he won’t get the grades anyway (probably 5’s mainly)

Ive found a couple of college courses he may like but no enthusiasm there. He doesn’t know what he wants to do it seem to have any cares in finding out! May want to work with dogs so need to research that but I doubt he’ll be interested in any jobs I do find.

it’s going to be a nightmare.

Not yet @TeenDivided. Open evening is this week so hopefully I’ll know more then. They do suggest that a single A level is taken alongside the triple award but that might be too much for my ds. Will find out Tues!

@Passthecake30 A triple award (Extended Diploma?) plus a Single Award (certificate) would be a pretty high workload. Have the school indicated it is a viable option?

My ds is in yr 11, forecasted a couple of 4’s, mostly 5’s and maybe one 6/7 (double science). He’s an anxious boy and the stress of not knowing what he wants to do is just piling up on top of the pressure of exams. I’m planning on encouraging him on doing a triple award btec in 3d design and a single award btec in science (or an A level in physics, if they’ll have him). I also think he’ll be better at school where they know about his anxiety and history. After that we’ll look down the apprentice route as I don’t think he’s university material, although he’d love to be.

dd (2 years younger) will smash her subjects and get 9’s and maybe a couple of 8’s so she can just probably pick 4 A levels and head off to uni.

How does your country better support 15 year olds?

Thanks @Hopeforb . It's hard to see them struggle isn't it?

Things have improved for dd in the last couple of days, she has met a few more people and seems brighter.

I did do a tough love chat and it actually seems to have worked! She been putting her phone down and going off to do stuff which is lovely to see.

Good luck with your ds!