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Original poster

What post 16 options are there without GCSE English

70 replies

AlexanderHamilton · 16/09/2018 16:28

Ds is in Year 10 & it’s becoming increasingly clear he is not going to pass English. He is an excellent reader, his spelling and punctuation are excellent but he just can’t/won’t write. He has a tutor and they have great conversations about the texts but he is unable to answer written questions in enough detail or doesn’t understand what the question is asking.

His target was Grade 6 but school are predicting Grade 2. In his other subjects he is predicted 8 in maths 7/8 in music, 5/6 in science and 4/5 in food tech. I’m not sure about computers & business studies.

He is interested in studying music/drama/performing arts & maths but he won’t get onto a course without English. There is a level 2 accountancy diploma available.

What else would be suggested for a child like this?

OP posts:
MyNameIsNotSteven · 16/09/2018 20:09

What board is he doing?

Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 16/09/2018 19:16

When he did one of his specialist qualifications dh assessed Jamie.

But we are a lot further up north & so I have to look much more locally for post 16.

Has Read got funding for its level 3/foundation course?

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Lonecatwithkitten · 16/09/2018 19:15

@AlexanderHamilton Read is our number one choice post16 as a triple threat. Wink

Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 16/09/2018 19:12

For Ds it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to leave at 16 however.

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Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 16/09/2018 19:10

Jamie Read is a very good friend of my dh.

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Lonecatwithkitten · 16/09/2018 19:08

@AlexanderHamilton as the mum of someone who is a dyslexic (also twice exceptional) looking at performing arts I have looked extensively at these colleges. There are both triple threat courses ( musical theatre) and double threat courses, acting and singing ( acting course). Some colleges do require maths and English, but not all of them. For example Read College ( one of the top one and two year colleges) goes complexly on audition there is no requirement for any GCSEs at all.

oldbirdy · 16/09/2018 19:06

It's not weird, crafty. Some Autistic people who have excellent literacy skills cannot infer quickly from text, organise information, compose fluently, all whilst under significant time pressure. Because this bloody exam doesn't only measure literacy. My DS has excellent vocab, spelling and grammar and got a 3 at GCSE (by 1 mark, 1 off a 2). He has just written a piece this afternoon for physics that has this sentence as a for example:
"Countering this theory is the Fermi paradox (named for physicist Enrico Fermi), which postulates that there is a contradiction between the lack of evidence but high probability estimates for extraterrestrial life forms."

Alexander Hamilton, he even has the same handwriting as my DS!!

Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 16/09/2018 18:54

She wants him to finish it off. Had a total meltdown today over a Lang excercise & he’s at rehearsal now but when he does it I’ll post.

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CraftyGin · 16/09/2018 18:54

If he is genuinely predicted Grade 2, I would suggest Functional Skills.

Seems weird, though, if he is predicted high grades in his other subjects. He will use English Language to access the rest of the curriculum.

Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 16/09/2018 18:53

His use of vocab is good.

He did say that no one else in his set knew what the phrase “surplus population” meant

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TeenTimesTwo · 16/09/2018 18:53

DD1 used a laptop. We had some success with getting her to write down
Point:
Evidence:
Explain:
several times

then use each set of prompts to write something, each as separate sentences. Then remove her prompting words. (She had a tendency to say everything briefly in one sentence, and this forced her to be more expansive).

Piggywaspushed · 16/09/2018 18:50

I'd like to see that typed and with more time given. The promising sign is the use of the word 'reputation'!

notmenope · 16/09/2018 18:41

Talk to colleges. My DD is doing a level 3 Btec and has not got her English gcse. When interviewed, she showed such promise in her chosen subject that they have allowed her to do L3 provided she studies for English alongside.

Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 16/09/2018 18:36

House4 - IGCSES are international GCSES which many private schools do. They used to claim that they were better preparation for A level but since the new 9-1 reformed GCSE’s many private schools are moving away from them.

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Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 16/09/2018 18:26

I forgot they did some work in Inspector Calls last year. Tutor went through the play doing character analysis with him which he seemed to understand stand but I don’t think she got him to write any extended answers. Lots of spider charts etc.

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Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 16/09/2018 18:24

Forgot to attach. Excuse the handwriting

What post 16 options are there without GCSE English
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Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 16/09/2018 18:23

His old school did IGCSE. I think from what I’ve seen the syllabus is more suited to an autistic child.

His tutor tries to work alongside the school in most cases so she goes through what they’ve done in class that week so they get the depth. Except ds’s set don’t seem to cover much. They’ve watched a DVD of R& J last term & did a few basic character points. They are on Christmas Carol at the moment. Discussing chimney sweeps & treatment of children in Dickens’ time. Ds does at least understand that having played the role of Oliver on stage twice!

Tutor is going to make sure she has a laptop for next week. I’ve enclosed a photo of some writing he did do with her this week.

Re: performing arts. He’s not a dancer so is heading the actor/singer route. The colleges that run the courses worth doing all require maths & English as they are specialist provision so don’t have the expertise/facilities for the re-sit requirements. If he was a dancer (Dd is currently just starting her professional training) several of the Dance colleges including hers are able to accommodate the compulsory resit plus the level 6 dance/MT diploma requires little writing and analytical work unlike the level 3 Btec in drama/music.

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House4 · 16/09/2018 18:16

Interesting thread.
What are IGCSE's?

Bobbybobbins · 16/09/2018 18:08

Would also suggest private entry for IGCSE and functional skills - you can do functional skills online I think?

Piggywaspushed · 16/09/2018 18:06

ps my friend whose son has autism entered him privately for IGCSE (as did the mother of a boy I taught although that was not ASD related.) Friend's son got a C in IGCSE in year 10 and the other lad got a B. He also sat 'normal' GCSE and got an E. Food for thought??

TeenTimesTwo · 16/09/2018 18:04

she doesn’t really do writing with him

DD2 does writing with her English tutor. He prompts her - what could you say next? Is there some imagery you could use etc.

With DD1 (major panic feb-june y11) we ended up more or less doing 'English language by numbers'
0) what is overall feeling of the piece

  1. underline all the imagery / devices
  2. write what type of device
  3. for each underlined bit write what it is and quote it. Then say how / why it contributes to the overall feeling.

(more detailed than that but you get the idea).

Piggywaspushed · 16/09/2018 18:02

OK, so I think his tutor should be doing writing and should be focusing on the English Language exam : lit may be more interesting but it shouldn't be the main goal, much as it pains me to say this. Children with autism often do better in the Language exams as they are formulaic and the tutor could be teaching DS what hoops to jump through and focusing on basic things like how many marks a question is worth and how to break down timings.

I dodn't want to appear to be criticsing your tutor but loads of my charges have tutors and they nearly all get a weekly task to do...

Another exam concession is a prompt which ASD and ADHD kids find very useful.

Lonecatwithkitten · 16/09/2018 18:01

If performing arts are a realistic path for him, what about a performing arts college where entry is by audition and many of them require no GCSEs at all.

Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 16/09/2018 17:58

Oldbirdy - it’s frustrating isn’t it.

Ironically Dd just got a Grade 9 for Lang & 8 for Lit. She’s autistic too but just has a knack with words.

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Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 16/09/2018 17:56

His tutor says he doesn’t seem like a bottom set grade 2 child. He is articulate, a talented actor & can pick things out of texts when she asks him. But she doesn’t really do writing with him as she feels that parents are not paying for her to sit doing nothing whilst their child writes. She doesn’t believe in giving homework as they have enough at school (except Ds gets virtually none in English)

They didn’t have an end of year test last year as they hadn’t covered enough. There are only about 6/7 kids in his set.

His first year 9 report said predicted Grade 1 then at the end of the year it said predicted Grade 2. He’s dropped essay type subjects such as history & geography who predicted him a 3. Although he’s oredicted 5 in science that was based on year 9 combined. I expect it to be very different now he’s do My single as he has been moved into top set for physics & chemistry.

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