BTECs starting 2015 - General support thread

totheside a funny story about a college like your DC goes to.

My DD had a friend who was a bit off the rails at school and would storm out of lessons and go home. They left school and went their own ways - my DD to a city art college and her friend to a rural college like your DD.

One day, about a week in, my DD got a text message. "OMFG help me. I've walked out of F college. Now I'm stuck - all I can see is fields"

Also thanks for all the info and links on how assessments work. It's a whole new world to me. DD has enrolled on a BTEC level 3 extended diploma Countryside Management, which she decided she wanted to do after she got her GCSE results and confessed to me that she really couldn't face doing A level exams. DD really wants to do nature conservation in the future and as its an area where practical experience is as important as qualifications BTECs are great. And this one would get her on to a university degree should she really want to go that route.

Unfortunately, the college is in the middle of nowhere. The college runs a subsidised bus in the morning and evening to bring in students from all over the county - if they didn't they would have very few students as public transport is virtually non-existent. But this means the days are long and she will leave the house at 7.15 and get back about 6.30. On the plus side she's only in college three days a week with two days for study and work experience (compulsory for this BTEC).

Lovely to have a thread for BTECs - thanks OP.

Thanks to everyone giving info on how the assessments work. DS is not one to ask questions. (He's only just 16, several others in the class are 18, and not very confident around people he doesn't know well) I may have to pester him at first to make sure he understands what he has to do (I think getting him the text book may help too).

DS is delighted as he has Fridays off this year. We live in the same street as the college so he stays in bed until the last minute then grabs some toast on the way out. He does tend to stay there for most of the day between lectures. There's a lot iof socialising and playing cards in the canteen and debating life and politics etc by the sound of it.

My DD went by public bus and the closest in age was about 40 years older! She had some interesting conversations - from having to defend her choice of a commercially creative course to a middle aged guy (she made him count all the images he could see as they passed!) and another elderly guy who insisted she should never work or save because the government will always shaft you. Oh then thete was lager man - would tip a can of lager into a travel coffee mug at the bus stop and drink it on way to work.

Yeah same for my DS in the first week of first year, even with mates Onboard, but they soon learned how to work the system and now they all get to sit together as do others.

Hopefully soon all will fall into place. BTEC s are hard work but hopefully a lot of fun too - doing what you love or are interested in without the stress of exams

Guess it is better if they are in a group. Dad was hoping to sit next to a friend but apparently the bus is crowded.

Yep, both of mine had 90 minute journeys each way - although different directions.

He's with a bunch of mates though as our school has no sixth form and about a half goto this college because it's amazing. They have debates and general chit chat. Sometimes they play cards, some sleep. It's not so bad.

90 mins each way and 90 assignments ? I'm feeling slightly wobbly about how this is going to go and will be very pleased when it is the weekend.

D'S is going into his 2nd year of BTEC level 3 in applied science. He did extremely well at GCSE but they couldn't offer him the course that he wanted because wasn't able to sit the subject at GCSE due to a schedule clash (and the school was less than helpful ) He has a minimum of 90 assignments over 2 years and based on last year it's more like 1-2 assignments per week per module It was recommended by the admissions officer for the uni course that he's aiming for and he's loving the practical elements. His workload is nearly double of his friends who stayed in 6th form but he's definitely getting exposure to more elements and it has helped him decide what he wants to do.

My Ds missed enrichment for that reason. He would have gone in if it hadn't been for the 2x 90 minute daily bus journeys.

That's a pain. It's all going to take s bit of getting used to. Does she really want to do the Enrichment ?

I think DD might have to put job hunting on hold for a bit.

I'm glad the trip was good but that is a pain with thd clashes. DD will be in the same boat as of tomorrow as also has the same amount of travel time. She'll be back over 2 hours later than with school.

I did like the feel of it though, was sitting in reception waiting for a fair time. I was hoping there would be a day she didn't need to go in but there isn't.

Fine thanks T&T. She has her timetable but didn't get asked about an enrichment course. Tomorrow first is a free so she has to go and get assigned to a tutor group and get her photo taken. Media not starting until Thursday, she has double Maths tomorrow which did not fill her with joy, Luckily 2 of her friends have frees tomorrow so she'll have something to do whilst waiting for the bus. The lunchtime one won't work for her.

How is your DD getting on?

apologies for the formatting issues (copy and paste plus also I'm also cooking!)

Thunderbird - assignments are written and internally verified by each centre (so the the vocational scenario will differ as will the form of completion, i.e. letter, presentation, leaflet etc) but they have to met the requirements set for each particular criteria.

For example, Unit 1 (compulsory unit) for Business P5 states that students have to "describe the influence of two contrasting economic environments on business activities within a selected organisation". The assessment guidance states that students need to ensure that they cover 2 of the following:

Economic: importance of stability; impact on business of changes in the economic environment (growth, recession, ripple effect); levels of inflation; availability and cost of credit; labour; changes in government policy (legal, fiscal, monetary)
Demand: influenced by affordability; competition; availability of substitutes; level of Gross Domestic
Product (GDP); needs and aspirations of consumers
Supply: Influenced by availability of raw materials and labour; logistics; ability to produce profitably; competition for raw materials; government support
Changes in supply and demand: supply and demand curves; elasticity of demand; price sensitivity; influence of branding on price sensitivity
Global interaction: levels and types of interdependence (supply chains, ownership of businesses, movement of capital and business operations, reducing ability of national governments to regulate global businesses)

My assignment asks students to present a report for a team of marketing managers of McDonalds as to why they need to market the brand differently to different economic environments and I suggest that they focus on demand and product

They are taught all the above, but the vocational scenario of McDonalds on these two issues are ones my students can identify with, whilst a different centre may have students that can entify with a different scenario and may suggest two different issues to describe.

All assignments have to be verified by another teacher to ensure that they meet the assessment criteria, have a suitable hand in date etc before it is issued to the students.

Centres can run units as and when they want to, but the assignment will be issued with an issue date and hand in date. This is why every students needs to be fully conversant with how their college/school issue, expect hand ins etc

Sorry about my inept attempt at trying to explain. eatyourveg has explained just right.

thunderbird They will be given a sheet of paper but I can't remember exactly what is on there.

The main thing (as parents or students) is to ask questions if you don't understand. It is different to GCSEs and it might not all make sense to start.

Thanks - so when you say they 'come with them' do you mean that they are given a handout or something with all the details on?

Are the assignments set by the college or does everyone nationally get the same details at the same time, with a due date for it to be completed by?

The mark descriptors usually come with the assignments. Each assignment will state to get P1 you need to do bla bla bla, to get M1 you need to do all the Ps plus bal bla bla, to get D1 you need to do all the Ps, all the Ms plus bla bla bla. For ds's assignments the Ps are describe questions, the Ms are explain questions and the Ds are evaluate questions. Not all assignments will have all the criteria some will be a max of P others M and others D.

I bought ds the main recommended text book - no-one in the class has one in the classroom so he keeps it here. There will be tons of copies in the college library though so there is no need to spend money.

It's rather odd losing that close communication that you get with a school

My DS wasn't home till nearly 7pm yesterday - that was shock to him!

This morning his bus was over 20 minutes late so I'm not sure he'd have arrived in time - not great for only his 2nd day!

To those in the know - have you bought any text books? When you talk about mark desriptors, is this just what you have found from looking online or does the tutor tell them what they are?

Buses are a complete pain in the arse.

3 times a week D2 starts at 9am. The 08.15 bus gets to college at 09.05 (and that's without traffic holdups at that time of day).

So if she gets a bus and wants to be on time she has to get the 07.15 bus. Coming home is even worse as after lunch buses are 2 hourly.

So lots of hanging around wasting time and waiting. No good for DD who gets more and more anxious and wound up.