DS won't pass GCSE English and Maths

[bluetatoo]

I have a lovely boy in Yr 11 and it is unlikely he will pass his Maths and English grade 4. He might not pass any GCSEs tbh.
I have looked and found a great BTech course at a college but needs 5 grade 4s or above.
What did your child do or what do kids do if they can't pass exams. I am so worried he is lovely but very dyslexic and not geared up for school work.
Got him tutor etc but still struggles?
Did your child do OK despite lack of success at school?

My daughter does functional maths English gcse and her main course is catering and hospitality which leads to professional cookery as you go up the levels

You need to check out BTECs quite carefully. My DD1's Travel & Tourism Level 3 BTEC was far more written and far less 'practical' than we expected / had been lead to believe.
Also check out the learning support of colleges as it can vary quite a lot.

No advise as my dyslexic son is only 10. Hope all goes well for your son. I can imagine we will be in your position in a few years. Does he have an EHCP/statement. He should be able to get a scribe/pen reader or whatever works best for him. Also additional time in exams

It’s hit and miss as to whether DS will pass gcse maths and English. We’ve looked into a local college that does a variety of diploma level courses and level 1 doesn’t require any GCSE’s and they continue doing functional maths and English throughout the course. Once he’s passed the level 1 he can go on to do levels 2 and 3.

He should be eligible for a scribe if school are difficult ask for an OT assessment to support getting his needs

Dyslexia is a great asset to have once you have left school. Dyslexic thinking is a positive skill employers look for. Success in life is not made by a school exam grades.
www.madebydyslexia.org/

My dyslexic DD has an MA!!

You'll need to get the scribe thing sorted quickly so it can be proven to be a normal way of working

My son is severely dyslexic.

He had coloured lenses fitted in year 9.

He did scrape gcse passes in most subjects but it wasn't his true ability.

I told him to follow path of least resistance.

He did BTEC IT. He did level 3 but could have started on 2 if he hadn't quite met the grades.

He got an apprenticeship at 18 in a local IT company and is now a software developer.

I've had L1 students in FE work their way up to Level 3 BTEC he just needs the right environment. Consider apprenticeships too at L2/3 for the future.

I did the functional skills course in English a couple of years ago, it's so much better for most people than a GCSE. It totally practical so easier to understand.

5 Grade 4 passes sounds like a Level 3 Btec, as others have said. It's likely he could start at a lower level, like level 2, and retake English and maths, and progress on to the Level 3 after a year.

As others have said, Level 3 courses do demand a high level of written work, and they have to be able to hit the ground running to an extent, so it may not be right for him to start at level 3. That said, many colleges will let him in if he misses his offer by a grade or so.

Do investigate access arrangements for exams- this will need to be sorted soon, if assessments etc are needed.

There are lots of routes available to him- it may also be worth thinking about level 2 apprenticeships as well.

Op I think your school are not doing a good job. For all subjects he should be working on a laptop if this helps him. He should know how much extra time he is allowed and whether he can have a scribe. If his English language is aqa he ideally needs to swop to eduqas and needs to be tutored by someone who knows how to pass their exam. The combination of extra time and good exam practice can put on grades with that board’s exam.
Push the school hard. Arrange a meeting, Keep in good email contact and see if those threes can become 4s. If they can’t colleges will have good offers.

I think it’s really important for him to know that struggling academically doesn’t reflect on his intelligence. I do really worry for our kids who have additional support needs. School can really impact on their self esteem with their one size fits all approach.

I agree that you need to discuss with school how he is going to be supported to achieve his potential. What is the SENCO like? I would want him to have a support plan in place. He should also be eligible for extra time. My child had a scribe for exams.

He will get there, my dd has dyslexia in maths and English, although she passed English she never did maths, she’s now at university
has he got diagnosed with this, he can have a scribe so that he tells them the answer and they write
what about the reading pen, that can be used in exams