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Original poster

BTECs starting 2015 - General support thread

692 replies

TeenAndTween · 26/08/2015 16:21

Is there anyone else around whose child is starting a BTEC rather than A levels? Should we stay on this board or move to Further Education?

My DD has enrolled for Travel & Tourism.

OP posts:
thunderbird69 · 17/10/2015 13:08

IMO the first few weeks should be spent on study skills and doing practice assignments with feedback.
Really not impressed with the college. No signs of any student support at all. I called them a few weeks back when he was worrying, left a message on voicemail and nobody ever called me back. Thought this was going to be a new positive start for him and it's just been rubbish.

I'm now starting to look at what apprenticeships are available locally...

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 17/10/2015 11:59

thunder This is the position DD has been in. Failed all first 3 assignments as they were all submitted before getting any feedback. She has had some help from skills development and now better understands what is required so helpfully that will help.

OP posts:
thunderbird69 · 17/10/2015 11:18

Sorry to hear your DD has been having trouble teenandtween

Been away from the thread for a while. Things aren't going well for DS. He told me last night he has failed all the assignments submitted so far, although has been allowed to re-do them.
I have told him again that he needs to speak to someone at college about what he is struggling with but I don't believe he will. He is perfectly able, but I don't know if it is because he isn't concentrating in lessons/putting in the effort (he's obsessed with spending time with friends) or if he just doesn't understand what it required. They haven't had any guidance on how to do assignments which I think is poor as it is very different from GCSEs. Unlike school who would have picked up on this quickly and spoken to him and probably us about it, college just don't seem to care.

I know it is early days, but I am already seeing this year as being a write-off and him maybe starting afresh next September if he has matured and developed study skills better by then. He's August birthday and I have often thought he would have done so much better in the year below.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 16/10/2015 20:23

She's OK about it, I think. Seeing the advantages of doing fewer lessons and assignments.

But now she is coming down with a cold, so says she didn't get much done today - not good as has assignment to redo for next week and needs to massively add to it.

Roll on half term, that's what I say!

OP posts:
Kez100 · 16/10/2015 20:10

I've been thinking of her too.

SugarPlumTree · 16/10/2015 12:51

How was she last night T&T ?

SugarPlumTree · 15/10/2015 17:22

Yes I think half term will be a good break. With all the travelling etc it is a lot to get used to. That's good that's she is finding some new people, though see what you mean about people to discuss assignments with. DD hasn't really got that either. She is very self conscious at the moment which I think is general tiredness and need for a break.

Hate that waiting for them to walk through the door feeling. I hope she (and you) is ok. Think you need to be kind to yourself as well the next week or so. It takes a lot emotionally to deal with all this.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 15/10/2015 17:05

Thanks Sugar . I think maybe they couched it in too soft a language that the message got lost. Especially as most of the interaction was directly with DD and she definitely doesn't pick up on subtleties.

She is clicking with kids in the 'inspiration room' but not so much with people on her courses. And that means she hasn't got friends to discuss assignments with etc which doesn't help matters.

She'll need some TLC for the next few days to get her back on track and feeling confident. At least half term is coming up so we can get away from it all for a bit. Just hoping she's OK when she walks in the door in 30 mins.

OP posts:
SugarPlumTree · 15/10/2015 16:47

Good news about the Spanish T&T but how annoying they didn't say that earlier. I'm so sorry this means more is falling on you, I do hate Dyspraxia sometimes. I think you will need to keep a close eye on College to check they are doing their bit, I get the impression from a few people that they have gone off the boil a bit recently.

Has she found anyone she clicks with in the enrichment things? Just asked DD whether her friends have branched out much and they generally haven't and are still sticking to their school group, none of them are very confident. Friend said it did take some time for her son to get to know new people but it did gradually happen. Hang in there, a difficult week for you all but hopefully things will improve with the changes. Flowers

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 15/10/2015 16:45

Thanks Kez. Smile
Don't know about 'very able', but her B for GCSE Spanish was gained after only 2 years studying and with only teeny tiny input from me as I don't know Spanish, whereas some of her other GCSEs required massive input. (She also got a B for French with limited assistance).
And for Spanish AS at least, the 'writing' element is limited to only 250 or 300 words in the exam. So her ability to do 'expanded detail' hopefully will cause less of a problem. (fingers crossed).
I'll feel a lot happier when she has passed some assignments though ...

OP posts:
Kez100 · 15/10/2015 15:42

Also tell her well done to be allowed to do her AS - she is clearly very able at that subject to be doing A level and that's not a usual situation, so it's not a surprise she's found herself facing a slightly different scenario.

Kez100 · 15/10/2015 15:16

It's good you now where the "missing links" are and it's also good that she can carry on AS in a subject she is good at.

Now it's just making sure she completes the assignments correctly. If she doesn't write it down, they can't mark it. It does sound like some guidance is needed on what to cover - then she can go off and cover it herself.

I think my DD prepared some general exemplar lists for evaluating her photos so she didn't miss anything, pity that won't help as your DD is doing T and T.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 15/10/2015 14:01

Thanks for all the words of encouragement.
Well we had the meeting.

They said that to do Extended + AS you should be an A grade GCSE person, that has been their policy for 3 years. (Why did nobody ever say this clearly when we went to open evening, when DD applied, when DD enrolled??).

She is doing fine in her AS, and in the lessons. But they showed us an example of what she has submitted and someone else's. A world apart. Sad . Also not mixing too well with the others. SadSadSad.

They said she would be bored in the level 2 course. (Thank you for suggesting I asked about that though).

We agreed she needs to switch to the standard diploma.
We asked that she is given opportunity to talk through what she needs to refer to and write to meet requirements and that skills development focus attention on helping her identify what she needs to do.
I am also going to need to be more hands on short term Sad to try to make sure her assignments meet criteria.

DD isn't overjoyed, but we told her its our/colleges fault for signing her up to something she isn't 'qualified' for. But she is pleased she keeps the AS.
And more space in the timetable will mean less pressure, more time to do extra work on the AS, or extra curricular stuff, or to find someone to explain assignments to her etc.

I don't feel at all confident yet, so we shall see.

OP posts:
SugarPlumTree · 15/10/2015 13:44

I think it probably would Kez. There are people with pics of DIY ones they use put and about for black and white prints so guess it is doable. DD is very unlearn in that idea though so will abandon it and put down to early morning insanity.

I can see that Gaslight, very useful to have the experience behind him. I think I'll be quite twitchy until DD gets some feedback to say if she is in right tracK or not.

GasLIghtShining · 15/10/2015 13:36

Can see the sense of doing L2 as a year to get to grips with the style of BTECs and know a couple of people doing that

My DS's old school did BTEC Sport rather than GCSE PE. He started the L3 course understanding how the grading works. Is doing well as he enjoys what he is studying but I do think that previous experience has helped him too

Kez100 · 15/10/2015 11:09

Won't the equipment cost a fortune? Only been in one myself on open days but I remember different baths, chemicals, enlargers?

My DD just went into college on her off days when the darkroom was free and grabbed the technicians (who apparently often know the most!)

SugarPlumTree · 15/10/2015 07:54

I've had a fabulous idea, i'm going to make her a darkroom in the garage (my office) . We can all learn how to do it.

SugarPlumTree · 15/10/2015 07:46

Hmm,I'll be cross if they haven't updated the website. Can see the sense of doing L2 as a year to get to grips with the style of BTECs and know a couple of people doing that.

Hope you're ok T&T.

DD was a bit down yesterday, she struggles with the darkroom stuff, did at GCSE too.

Kez100 · 14/10/2015 21:47

My sons college certainly has a level 2 business/travel and tourism course. I don't know the difference but it surely would act as a foundation to the level 3. Hopefully college would explain if that was an advisable option. It might not be - she might just need some support. Both Ds and DD have had peers with support in their BTEC classes. My DS received out of class dyslexia support last year and others went to essay writing help. So I do hope you find her college can help.

GasLIghtShining · 14/10/2015 21:22

T & T Check on the rules for re-submission. My DS is in his second year and it is first submission but get a second chance if the student has failed or the grade is close to the next grade up.

L2 is certainly an option. It may give her the confidence before progressing to L3.

I can't remember what you have put in previous posts. Are you limited in choices of colleges - is it an option to move to another college if this college are not helpful.

But above all do not let them fob you off. I made that mistake with my DD. The tutors kept telling me it would be ok. She had no SN but just did not settle which was combined with some wrong choices. I regret not pushing harder to get things sorted.

Hope the meeting goes well.

eatyourveg · 14/10/2015 17:13

it was possible to resubmit but things are changing and NCF and QCF are running slightly differently. NCF courses iirc have exams now - for ds3's course he is in the college's last cohort of QCF and as of last year it changed to first submission only - hence the assignment workshops and the checking service. The NCF's may work differently though but I would check the college website is up to date

SugarPlumTree · 14/10/2015 13:33

If you have a looK at the online details for DD's course it says about the opportunity to resubmit pieces to get improved grades so I think there will be something in place from that ?

Will keep fingers crossed meeting goes well Flowers

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 14/10/2015 11:51

No, no EHCP.

This time a year ago we didn't even have dyspraxia formally recognised, so she had no specific support for it throughout secondary, only really from me at home.

Kez Interesting about the Level2 option, that might be worth considering, as presumably the work is 'easier' somehow.

DH is coming too as a sign of how seriously we're taking this. We don't see the point of dropping something without additional support being put in place as well, as it is not the workload that's the issue (at the moment, though if she has to keep redoing things then of course workload will go up).

I will ask about an assignment checking service.
I will ask whether she can do anything to be sure she's understood the briefs properly.

OP posts:
Hepzibar · 14/10/2015 07:38

T&T colleges call their staff by all different titles and Progress Leader may well be part of Learning Support. The PL should have the overarching view of both curriculum and learning support. They should also have a good knowledge of the Assistive Technology available to support students with dyspraxia.

Does she have an EHCP?

eatyourveg · 13/10/2015 16:21

An appt with the learning support dept is a must I would say. Having a prompt available is common place so it should be something you could ask about. Giving up a subject is quite a big thing to do without having first explored every avenue of support for continuing on the existing pathway.

All students in our college have a review at half term to ensure they are on the right course at the right level and there is always a fair amount of movement across courses or between levels so please don't think that your dd has been targeted because she is having difficulties. As Kez says, having 3 years in the 6th form is very common and if that ultimately means that your dd will find it easier to succeed and get better grades then it should be one of the options to consider.

Good luck

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