Page 2 | Vocational courses 24/25

TeenToTwenties · 2024-08-24T06:11:25+00:00

Would anyone be interested in a vocational courses thread for the new academic year? My DD did 2 years at level 1, has had a gap year and is now returning to do a level 2.

Midnightstar76 · 12/10/2024 06:40

Morning DD has had a wobble in that she said would I be cross if she failed her course. I think she is not very confident in her abilities but I do wonder if she would have been better doing level 1. No assignments set yet. I received a letter from college about work placements and having to sort out ourselves. Letter was vague and did not say when for etc so I am stressing about finding something now. Any tips advice appreciated on this one.@TeenToTwenties I am surprised at the amount of free time they have but yes one of those days free will be for the work placement so not so much free time when it all gets going.

Original poster

TeenToTwenties · 09/10/2024 09:34

How are everyone's DC getting on?

Mine had a work at home day (while teachers doing progress reviews) recently which she coped with without collapsing which is an improvement.

Have assignments started coming in yet?

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Midnightstar76 · 18/09/2024 16:19

I’m sure it will have new content @TeenToTwenties at some point in her studies hopefully. When I was looking at level 1 and level 2 courses with DD they did seem different. Have not looked at the specs yet on the Pearson website for the courses but I will look at DD’s course and check for what is covered in level 1 as well as curious to find out. They are such similar courses in course title but level 1 had childcare in the mix where as the level 2 chosen doesn’t. However you could have branched off to do the childcare course after level 1 if you wanted.

Original poster

TeenToTwenties · 18/09/2024 13:42

Midnightstar76 · 18/09/2024 13:37

Just hopping back on for a quick update. DD has now said she enjoys her course and wants to stick with it. She didn’t go and see anyone but has just decided. Oh well I am just glad she is in a happy place and she can move forward.

That's good, and I hope it continues.

DD is complaining a bit that the Level2 course doesn't seem to be covering more than the Level1 did. I keep saying it must do, and to give it time. I wouldn't want it to be too much new straight away anyway as she would get overloaded.

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Midnightstar76 · 18/09/2024 13:37

Just hopping back on for a quick update. DD has now said she enjoys her course and wants to stick with it. She didn’t go and see anyone but has just decided. Oh well I am just glad she is in a happy place and she can move forward.

Lindy2 · 15/09/2024 00:04

DD has been to her induction days and has completed her first week.

It's going OK. She seems to like her course so far and the non school environment is suiting her much better. Having to do maths and English again adds quite a lot of extra hours to her weekly timetable but hopefully it won't overwhelm her.

I'm just keeping everything crossed that it continues to go OK.

OxAl82 · 14/09/2024 14:46

Midnightstar76 · 14/09/2024 13:34

@OxAl82 my DD needed extra time 25% for exams at school. Her school recently contacted me to collect a form 8 which she will need to give to college before any exams so she gets the 25%. Have just opened it and it is evidence from Seneco/assessor that her application was approved when she was at school. Hope this helps but if you have not received one do get in touch with their school for it.

Great, thank you!

Midnightstar76 · 14/09/2024 13:54

Thanks @TeenToTwenties will do that tomorrow and explain it may be boring stuff first 🙂 She has had enough of my suggestions today 😂 and I have been ordered to stop talking about it. Oh well we can but try and help.

Original poster

TeenToTwenties · 14/09/2024 13:48

Midnightstar76 · 14/09/2024 13:47

@TeenToTwenties I had a complete stress trying to sort out college access online. Got there eventually so she could get on the student portal but it was not easy to navigate

The IT is stressful.

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Midnightstar76 · 14/09/2024 13:47

@TeenToTwenties I had a complete stress trying to sort out college access online. Got there eventually so she could get on the student portal but it was not easy to navigate

Original poster

TeenToTwenties · 14/09/2024 13:47

@Midnightstar76 If you can try to find the spec of the H&SC and the T&T courses on the Pearson website. Print out the page with the units and get your DD to find out which options from the many the college does. There is such variety it can make a difference.

Plus they may be starting the H&SC with boring but mandatory stuff before it gets more interesting.

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Midnightstar76 · 14/09/2024 13:42

@Popfan I am 48 and I went to school with a lad who admits even now he struggles with English, spelling etc but my word he is so so talented. He makes his own Kayaks from scratch and has his own successful business from that and an absolute love for kayaking. So who knows I think Carpentry is an excellent choice

Midnightstar76 · 14/09/2024 13:34

@OxAl82 my DD needed extra time 25% for exams at school. Her school recently contacted me to collect a form 8 which she will need to give to college before any exams so she gets the 25%. Have just opened it and it is evidence from Seneco/assessor that her application was approved when she was at school. Hope this helps but if you have not received one do get in touch with their school for it.

Midnightstar76 · 14/09/2024 13:24

@Lindy2 hope your DD has settled in at college 🤞

Midnightstar76 · 14/09/2024 13:22

@coffeeandteav that course sounds very interesting

Midnightstar76 · 14/09/2024 13:20

Thank you for setting up this thread @TeenToTwenties I have made a long winded post on year 12 thread for advice as DD not sure what she wants for anyone who wants to read it. @TeenToTwenties will report back when DD has been to college Monday and find out what advice they gave. Will have a read of this thread now 🙂

Original poster

TeenToTwenties · 12/09/2024 07:20

DD had her first wobble yesterday (tiredness and overwhelmed), but her lovely key worker from college before helped her and has taken over now as key worker for this year, and they phoned me together for a chat too. DD was a lot calmer afterwards.

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Popfan · 11/09/2024 22:16

DS had his first days at college this week, he enjoyed it, helps a friend from school is in the same group and he can also travel in on the bus. They've done a fair bit of induction things. His highlight though seems to be the novelty of being able to go into town on their lunch breaks and buying Greggs / KFC etc etc 😂

Original poster

TeenToTwenties · 10/09/2024 19:29

How is everyone doing?

DD has had her first practical day (toads, stick insects and a gecko).
We found another hour of maths on the timetable so that is 3hrs each
And she has her first assignment to do.

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Original poster

TeenToTwenties · 05/09/2024 06:44

Dd only has 2hrs of maths and 3hrs of English on timetable for resits. Recommendation (non mandatory) for maths is now 4hrs. I guess they can't source / resource the teachers.

Otherwise timetable is nice, little trapped time, 2 days with a 2.20 finish which is fine as we were planning to collect her rather than use the college bus.

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Original poster

TeenToTwenties · 01/09/2024 07:57

Minor rant coming.

I have just spent the best part of an hour setting up the IT stuff for DD for college.

Things never quite looked how they do on the pictures they sent, and I sometimes get confused between IDs, email addresses, account names etc and wonder why things aren't working.
Add to that sometimes the password reset doesn't seem to work from in the account so I needed to do a 'forgot password' routine instead at least twice.

Why me you may ask? DD finds all this stuff very stressful and she is getting anxious enough as it is.

Still need to see with her whether it works on her new tablet & phone, decide how we are providing money onto the online account and for her to do the 'enrollment activities' which we mentioned in fine print 2/3rds of the way down the letter.

Oh and port to a new laptop as the one I'm on has a rubbish internet connection that randomly drops out (usually when doing online banking or trying to buy something).

At least DD has been at the college before so understands moodle / 360 / outlook / teams / proportal and when to use whichever. Does my head in.

And breathe.

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Original poster

TeenToTwenties · 31/08/2024 12:00

What DD found for her level 1 was there was very little expectation of work outside of lessons; she did focus in the lessons though and get on with work which some of the others didn't....

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Lindy2 · 31/08/2024 09:17

"What was lovely with the level 1 for DD was she kept being asked to do stuff she could do, rather than at secondary, where she kept being asked to do stuff she couldn't."

This really sums it up. My DD doesn't give much away about her feelings but when we were talking about the next steps she looked at me and just said "please can I just do something that is easy ". I could hear the pain in her voice.

She's spent so many years just simply not being able to do the work.

I'm hoping her level 1 is easy and she can get her confidence back. She'll have English and maths to do which won't be easy but hopefully the overall workload will be much less pressurised.

Original poster

TeenToTwenties · 31/08/2024 08:37

@Popfan My DD does animal care, and is returning to college after a year's break to do a level 2 work based course.
This year she did work experience and level 2 functional skills English (waiting result of writing paper). Agree the gcse with dyslexia (and dyspraxia, and slow processing, and mh issues) is a big ask.
What was lovely with the level 1 for DD was she kept being asked to do stuff she could do, rather than at secondary, where she kept being asked to do stuff she couldn't.

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Popfan · 31/08/2024 08:19

Thank you @TeenToTwenties ! DS's course is also City and Guilds so the information regarding the exam bits is useful. What course does your DD do?

The relief at passing maths and English was huge. He actually did very well in his English lang mock and had very high hopes... he then found the texts for paper 2 hard (as was always the danger with his dyslexia) and was incredibly upset so the outcome was great. The pressure to have at least a grade 4 now is so hard on so many and the way the system is set up so a certain percentage won't get this is a whole other thread!