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Original poster

Teachers - what alternatives to GCSEs in your school?

29 replies

Kungfufightingwithexperttiming · 12/02/2025 19:20

Thinking ahead as DS (year 8) is so far behind his peers academically (SEN) and has never been able to access age related learning without significant support (has EHCP) but is in mainstream with standard national curriculum and standardised Academy testing. He’s functioning academically at around a year 2 level. The gap year on year between DS and peers gets bigger, although buffered now by being streamed with other kids who significantly struggle. We will continue to work at helping him at home, and via school, SENCO, EHCP reviews etc but my fear is that the system will conveyor belt him on to GCSEs with very little chance of him, even with significant support.

For those of you who teach secondary, do you have alternatives, functional skills courses etc for young people who you know won’t be able to access a GCSE curriculum? Or are they just put in for them with everyone else? I know the question will be why don’t we ask our school /SENCO, but when we’ve raised we’ve been told not to get ahead of ourselves and we’ll see when time comes.

Any feedback about alternatives and whether in your experience schools make these available to the lowest attainers would be gratefully received. I want to know there’s more than one path.

Please understand we aren’t “writing off” DS academically or setting him up to fail by wanting removing his opportunities for GCSEs - so please no comments telling me how important GCSEs are / how he’ll struggle without. I do understand the weight the education system places on them. It’s just that I want DS to be challenged in ways that he experiences success, rather than be working at a level where he cannot access even the basics of the GCSE curriculum.

OP posts:
Tygertiger · 12/02/2025 20:12

I would assume he was disapplied from SATS in Y6? If so, his outcomes won’t count in the school’s progress measures so there isn’t the same incentive to enter him for GCSE, if he won’t get a grade. Alternatives would be Entry Levels, Functional Skills, ASDAN and BTEC quals.

If he is working at Y2 you would have a case for getting him into a special school. You could ask for an emergency annual review and for them to consult - although there probably aren’t spaces. I work in special and our entry criteria is working at Y3 or below independently when they come to us in Y7.

mnahmnah · 12/02/2025 20:05

We offer an alternative pathway in these cases. Other schools in my area do the same. We don’t expect them to do a language, unlike the majority and instead they choose from a range of BTEC courses

TickingAlongNicely · 12/02/2025 20:02

My DDs school do BTECs alongside GCSEs. They are equal to GCSEs in performance statistics.

Unfortunately not something for Maths /English though.

User0ne · 12/02/2025 20:00

If your ds is in mainstream school it's very unlikely that he will be given the opportunity to study anything other than GCSEs.

The way schools are measured/judged in school tables is by progress so even a grade 1 is worth more than a higher level vocational qualification. Because of this mainstream schools won't want to fund the types of courses it sounds like your son would benefit from.

Some FE colleges take students from age 14 for vocational qualifications which they do alongside English and Maths. This might be worth considering depending on your son's other needs.