ECDL

Thanks for the offer. In the midst of applying to two of the larger trad A level colleges down here.

Stick I'm sure the college on the whole is fine, generally gets a good Ofsted etc. I think we probably just hit a load of circumstances that conspired together. However, if your DC has any level of SEN then PM me if you want more info.

Teen Now desperate to know which college we should avoid!

Oh - this was two years ago so it must have tightened up!

We don’t get funding for students unless full time which is three a levels or Btec equivalent.

A school won't receive funding for a student doing two A levels so this is almost unknown these days, unless other things are found to stuff the timetable...

I would definitely enquire about 2 A levels - one of DD's friends only did 2 A levels at her sixth form (attached to the school) because they knew her character and knew she was a hard worker, and that she wanted to do a very specific course after sixth form that only required 2 A levels. Generally they asked for 5A*-C including English and maths (though these could be retaken) and Cs in the subjects taken for A level aside from maths, where a B was needed (although some of DD's friends got on with Cs after an interview with the head of maths - again because the department knew their work ethic and skill set, and capability.)

Coming from the lower school could put you in an advantageous position and it's definitely worth lobbying for an option that suits your DD.

I'm not sure about the Cs. I do think there needs to be a cut off. But schools that state ^s/ 7s and above are nakedly trying to protect their results! Which is ridiculous, as they can't have great Value Added measures to be honest.

To some schools, it is as if Ds and Es at A level don't exist. they certainly don't want them at their school.

That said, I don't think it holds true any more that there are many degree pathways available to students leaving with, let's say, 2 A levels at DD or three at DDE, whereas there definitely used to be.

I find this obsession with needing such high grades at GCSE to do A levels very odd.

They are different exams.

The kids can specialise in the subjects they like.

They are older, so hopefully more mature, and will work harder.

I did much better in my A levels than I did in my GCSEs.

The idea that you should be written off if you "only" got Cs or 5s is a nonsense.

don't . Teacher and year 12 parent !

Different schools.

The main issue of comps not having sixth forms for me would be the difficulty of hiring subject specialists for 11-16 that won't have the opportunity to teach A-level.

Well Don't just in case, I would like to say that the advice and information we had from school was fine and I suspect better than in many other schools.

I do think the Hants system has one major issue though. The schools don't teach A levels, so can't tell you whether your DC would cope, and the colleges don't know your DC so can't say whether your DC will cope.

I think we hit a perfect storm with DD and college, lots of things conspired to make it a difficult 2 years which we couldn't have predicted. But DD2 is going to same college over my dead body

Sorry Piggy, I have only skim read, are you a Year 11 parent or a teacher? Or both?

As a school, we have also always been somewhat discouraged from encouraging students to leave - funding and all that. Happily, with our own on site careers adviser, that is shifting a little, so more students are choosing appropriate pathways.

How funny Teen, we're in exactly the same area!

teen that sounds like bad teaching rather than anything else. It is sadly true that good behaviour is not a guarantee post 16.

Here in South Hants we have a fantastic range of options from more or less pure A level colleges, BTEC/vocational colleges, one that has a mix of both, plus Sparsholt that offers animal care, farming, motor mechanics and other outdoor stuff.

I think the Hants model of comps only going to y11 does mean that kids have to make a positive choice rather than going for the 'easy option' of stay at school.

Can't say on MN! There is one. I don't think most of our students would choose to go there. Some do, obviously.

Piggy, you mention Sixth Form but what about FE colleges? Where are you based?

I agree with Piggy, very difficult for a student without a "plan" to pick a BTEC. Very important with those students to get comprehensive careers advice, work on choosing an area at the very least that interests them. Where I'm working SOME colleges have the option to do single vocational quals and then make your choice based on the simple formula when I doubt about what you want to do at college:

1. What do I like?
2. What am I interested in?
3. What would I like to study further?

Really, really can't advocate enough to Year 11 parents to research ALL FE provision in your area with your kids and look at the options available. Sometimes, parents without meaning to, have out of date opinions on local colleges which are based on their experience 15-20 years ago.

My problems with DD's BTEC:

• a lot less practical than we were led to believe
• very wooly worded assignments, completely unclear what was wanted, especially for Merit and Distinction criteria
• no teaching or guidance on research or data analysis techniques required
• poor classroom behaviour management
• assignments set for 3 units simultaneously in the Oct, so by not understanding some of the above correctly missed the Merit, so immediately couldn't get more than a Pass for all of those first units. (Compared with A levels where you can improve technique over 18 months)
• very limited feedback on where criteria were missed, or ability to see Merit / Distinction level answers to help understand what you were aiming for

I don't know whether these were issues with BTECs, her course, her college, or DD.

My school uses the fact that we're in a MAT to bus kids between schools and increase sixth form options. I think we offer maybe 10 BTECs but not all on our site.

Don't the big problem by me is lack of BTec offer anywhere. Maybe one per school. Even the large sixth form college only does 3 , I think.

It's exacerbated by the fact that students see school as a comfort blanket, don't want to leave and, even if they did, public transport is severely limited.