Page 13 | BTEC/T level/other vocational 25/26

BTECnewbie · 2025-08-14T18:34:22+00:00

Hello all. My DS will hopefully be starting a level 3 extended diploma in September (assuming he gets the grades). I know very little about BTECs having come through the A level route myself. So I’d love to have a support thread for parents of kids taking vocational qualifications this year.

swampwitch0 · 23/10/2025 12:50

@BTECnewbie
Yes...it's awful.

teafor1 · 23/10/2025 12:11

Thanks everyone. DDs course is 100% practical/hands on and it’s level 2 so you’ve made me feel better she’s not doing anything out of school. Many of her classmates are doing resits (luckily she is not). For her course everyone has to start at level 2 and if they pass that they move on to level three for the second year.

TeenToTwenties · 23/10/2025 10:16

BTECnewbie · 23/10/2025 10:04

It’s a great shame if they lose the level 1 and level 2 as there are so many kids who aren’t ready for level 3 straight from year 11. DS was borderline for doing level 2/3 and was grateful that a level 2 option was available should he have needed it.

Edited

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My DDs' experience on workload:

Level 1 -Work based and then Theory based: No work required at home. DD was able to have dodgy attendance and still get everything completed easily within time at college.
Level 2 (work based). Could get almost everything done at college with maybe an average of 1hr weekly at weekends. This was with good attendance at college and passing/nearly passing most assignments first time, so little re-work. Did put in extra before the multi-choice exams, which she passed first time.

Level 3 (other DD, different course) Definitely considerably more work required at home (though not helped by having BF at college so we suspect little work done there even in free periods). Assignments much harder too in terms of research and analysis.

Original poster

BTECnewbie · 23/10/2025 10:04

swampwitch0 · 23/10/2025 10:02

Yes, level 3 here, too.
I'd assume that level 2 would be less intense?
Sadly, a lot of colleges here are getting rid of their level 1 & 2 courses ☹️

It’s a great shame if they lose the level 1 and level 2 as there are so many kids who aren’t ready for level 3 straight from year 11. DS was borderline for doing level 2/3 and was grateful that a level 2 option was available should he have needed it.

OP posts:

swampwitch0 · 23/10/2025 10:02

Yes, level 3 here, too.
I'd assume that level 2 would be less intense?
Sadly, a lot of colleges here are getting rid of their level 1 & 2 courses ☹️

Original poster

BTECnewbie · 23/10/2025 09:56

DS also does 2 full days and 1 half day. Then he does a lot of work on his days at home. His course is vocational but not practical if that makes sense. So he is mostly researching topics and then writing reports and developing slides. I expect if it is more practical or needs specific software there will be less expected at home.

I guess it also depends on the size of the BTEC. My DS is doing the extended diploma which is worth 3 A levels whereas I know some kids doing versions that are only worth 2 A levels so I guess that will make a difference.

I’m not sure if there is a difference in workload between level 2 and level 3. I always assumed level 2 would be less as some will be doing GCSE resits as well. That’s just my guess though and I might be wrong. Certainly DS would have struggled to do his current course plus any resits.

OP posts:

swampwitch0 · 23/10/2025 09:37

Dd does 2 full days and half a day.
She has to do quite a bit of work at home - far more than either of us realised tbh - but her timetable does state "research/work at home" on the days she isn't in.
Despite my advice to "eat the frog" and do her least favourite tasks first, she spends the most time on her favourite subject, then gets agitated that she hasn't got much time on her least favourite 🙄😬
Luckily, dd does have some equipment at home, which helps.
We also installed photoshop on her PC (no guarantee of a PC being available if she went into college)
The current issue is realising she won't have as much time for her hobby 😬

teafor1 · 23/10/2025 06:38

@sashh she’s at college for two long days 9-5 and one shorter day 9-2:30 and she needs the equipment there to do anything so you are right all the work must be completely on-site. I didn’t release that others may have less on-site time.

TeenToTwenties · 23/10/2025 06:34

If DD were a bit more emotionally stable and could drive then dog sitting / dog walking would be excellent for her. At the moment she benefits from at least some supervision, and we had to pause driving lessons as they were too much on top of college.

sashh · 23/10/2025 06:32

TeenToTwenties · 23/10/2025 06:21

Sadly not, South Coast.

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That's a shame.

@teafor1 it depends on the college. Some will only have students in all day every day and expect assignments to be done in the college.

Some will only have students in for there actual lessons / lectures.

teafor1 · 23/10/2025 06:28

I’m sorry placements are so difficult to find. I thought work experience was hard so this must be so much worse!

I’m finding it interesting that everyone’s young person has a lot of work and assignments. Mine is on a level two vocational course and has no work outside of college it seems. Does that sound normal? I have no communication from the college so I have no idea of course requirements or how she is doing!

TeenToTwenties · 23/10/2025 06:21

sashh · 23/10/2025 03:21

Are you in the Midlands? A friend's daughter has a business part of which is dog sitting.

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Sadly not, South Coast.

sashh · 23/10/2025 03:21

TeenToTwenties · 21/10/2025 08:07

NOOO! Don't do that! Just post what you want to. People are probably still watching even if not posting if everything is just trotting along.

My DD's Supported Internship has hit a wobble as she wants to work with dogs and college isn't getting any responses from businesses we suggested.

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Are you in the Midlands? A friend's daughter has a business part of which is dog sitting.

Sisublondie · 22/10/2025 17:48

@swampwitch0 @BTECnewbie..

Yes, I’m suprised by how much work they have! I’m also an ex A Level person, and just remember exam hell, certainly no working over half term nonsense! I do feel confident at the moment that DS has support from his lecturers in terms of what is expected from him. His last assignment was by way of spoken Q&A, and he had prepared it report-style, but he was happy how it went. I think I will try and find out from his ALS support the number/ dates of assignments, as DS doesn’t give the due dates but I think I am probably so used to school work! He seems to have things in hand!

Ah, yes, now, the work experience! Now. I really do need help ascertaining what is required here- mixed messages!!! And, @swampwitch0, you have a heads up for next year?!

Sisublondie · 22/10/2025 17:38

swampwitch0 · 22/10/2025 10:45

I'm sorry it upset you @Sisublondie, but I understand. You are so kind and supportive - it did feel like an uncessessarily unpleasant remark.
I love an emoji 🤪
I've come across such posters before (I've been on mn for donkeys years...) and it's a shame.
As I said, there is a hide thread option 🤷
On long running threads - which I hope this will be! - posters do generally start to chat/share info/ask for advice...I think that's what MN was started for tbh..support and not feeling so alone.
Please keep posting and being you! 😊

Thank you- you are, too. I like how sometimes what can literally just be a simple, brief post can really brighten your mood, so thanks for always doing that 😸

swampwitch0 · 22/10/2025 12:19

Apparently, a 2nd year student last year commuted 2 hours each way to dds college 😲

swampwitch0 · 22/10/2025 12:18

@BTECnewbie
I'm a big fan of level 2 courses and foundation years at undergrad...they are SO helpful (I used to work at an RG uni)
It is a huge learning curve after gcses, no doubt.
Dd got a 9 at gcse in one of her btec modules and she's finding it harder than she expected wrt expectations and layouts etc

Original poster

BTECnewbie · 22/10/2025 11:52

swampwitch0 · 22/10/2025 11:31

@BTECnewbieDd's course has had a few join in the past 3 weeks (so they've had a LOT of work to catch up on..) but no one has left yet,
but dd feels that two of her coursemates might be asked to leave...they are already not turning up for classes and are behind with work ☹️
There are kids coming from a long way away to study at dds college, so I'm not sure how long that attitude will be tolerated...

I think three have left DSs course. Two were kicked off and one chose to leave. I think there may be 1 or 2 others also considering their options at the moment. Several travel quite a long way so it’s quite a commitment if you aren’t massively interested in the topic.

OP posts:

Original poster

BTECnewbie · 22/10/2025 11:51

swampwitch0 · 22/10/2025 11:26

@BTECnewbie
I think dd has found it tough, too. She had an awful day a week ago...came home really frustrated and upset (broken machine) and was feeling really stressed about the workload.
We sat down and made a list of work and deadlines and it all got done.
It doesn't help that she has a new CAD tutor who they all dislike (I sense because he's had to catch them up after 3 weeks of no tutor!)
She's currently printing loads of work off prays to the printer gods 🖨
Dd has been asked to re-do some work, too. Turns out the previous CAD tutor hadn't given them the correct info so most of the class had to re-do whole boards of work 😬

DS has had to resub quite a few things. But it’s been mainly adding a little more detail in here and there rather than any major rewrites. I think pretty much all the people on his course are in the same position. His tutor told me that the criteria for passing each component are fairly prescriptive and it’s a fairly steep learning curve when starting a BTEC. I guess this is where doing a level 2 could be helpful so that you can get into the BTEC way of working.

OP posts:

swampwitch0 · 22/10/2025 11:31

@BTECnewbieDd's course has had a few join in the past 3 weeks (so they've had a LOT of work to catch up on..) but no one has left yet,
but dd feels that two of her coursemates might be asked to leave...they are already not turning up for classes and are behind with work ☹️
There are kids coming from a long way away to study at dds college, so I'm not sure how long that attitude will be tolerated...

swampwitch0 · 22/10/2025 11:26

@BTECnewbie
I think dd has found it tough, too. She had an awful day a week ago...came home really frustrated and upset (broken machine) and was feeling really stressed about the workload.
We sat down and made a list of work and deadlines and it all got done.
It doesn't help that she has a new CAD tutor who they all dislike (I sense because he's had to catch them up after 3 weeks of no tutor!)
She's currently printing loads of work off prays to the printer gods 🖨
Dd has been asked to re-do some work, too. Turns out the previous CAD tutor hadn't given them the correct info so most of the class had to re-do whole boards of work 😬

swampwitch0 · 22/10/2025 11:19

BTECnewbie · 22/10/2025 11:10

Perhaps we should all just draw a line under yesterday’s discussion and move on. It would be a shame to dilute the discussions across two threads. Especially since support and chat about BTECs and other vocational course can often be a bit limited on MN (certainly compared to A levels).

Agreed

swampwitch0 · 22/10/2025 11:19

@MotherMary14
Entirely your choice.
I'm not the poster making hurtful personal remarks about others...that was you
I'm pointing out what MN was created for, which this thread is a good example of (imo).
As I said, you have the option of just not responding to posts that irritate you. It's not difficult.
I generally find people who make hurtful, unnecessary remarks, then act like they are the wronged party when called out on it really irritating - but that's just my opinion.

Original poster

BTECnewbie · 22/10/2025 11:10

Perhaps we should all just draw a line under yesterday’s discussion and move on. It would be a shame to dilute the discussions across two threads. Especially since support and chat about BTECs and other vocational course can often be a bit limited on MN (certainly compared to A levels).

OP posts:

MotherMary14 · 22/10/2025 11:06

swampwitch0 · 22/10/2025 10:45

I'm sorry it upset you @Sisublondie, but I understand. You are so kind and supportive - it did feel like an uncessessarily unpleasant remark.
I love an emoji 🤪
I've come across such posters before (I've been on mn for donkeys years...) and it's a shame.
As I said, there is a hide thread option 🤷
On long running threads - which I hope this will be! - posters do generally start to chat/share info/ask for advice...I think that's what MN was started for tbh..support and not feeling so alone.
Please keep posting and being you! 😊

I did say yesterday that it wasn't my intention to cause upset. Personally I don't like emojis on MN, but that's just me! Really not fair to peg me as one of those MN posters who are nasty for the sake of it when that's clearly not the case when you look at my other contributions on this thread. I just wanted some practical advice and chat yesterday and I did offer to set up a new thread but was talked out of it.

Think I'll do that anyway, because I really don't feel comfortable staying on given your comments about me. Maybe you should reflect on how you've come across too.