What happens to kids who struggle with GCSEs?

[DorcasLanesOneWeakness]

What happens in mainstream secondary schools when pupils look set to struggle to access the syllabus for, and ultimately fail, their GCSEs?

DD12, Y8, has dyslexia and dyscalculia, and was referred for an assessment for inattentive ADHD while in Y6 -we're still on the waiting list. She has an EHCP which ensures she has some TA support.

Accessing learning at age related expectation is nigh on impossible as, although bright, with the best will in the world, she really struggles with working memory and processing. School is doing their best to provide differentiated tasks and accessible versions of texts etc, but DD, who is starting to worry about the commencement of study for GCSEs next year, feels she can already see the writing on the wall, and believes she is going to crash and burn on the starting blocks, and just not keep up with learning at the level required in most subjects. I feel I should caveat this post by stating clearly that I just want DD to be happy, and not mired with anxiety about her future; I'm very realistic about what she can reasonably achieve, and a full suite of GCSEs probably isn't on that list.

I've just realised I don't know how to reassure her. I teach primary and know lots of my former pupils, who were less able, and crucially, less fortunate re SEN provision, have obviously gone through secondary school. I can't imagine how they would have passed their GCSEs , and I don't know how schools support, or disapply or do whatever else they do with children who aren't likely to pass them. DD worries she is going to be asked to leave and attend specialist provision / ALP because she's struggling despite having some TA support, but surely that isn't the first course of action? Do some kids just go through Y9 and 10, doing what they can with or without support, and come out the other end, with or without GCSEs?

I'd be really interested to hear from secondary teachers or support staff, or parents of DC who have struggled with GCSEs.

Results are not everything. My sister did really badly at school, doing really well in NZ. The skills that she does have are more transferable than mine, even though I did a lot better at school.

A surprisingly large percentage of children just don't get GCSEs. Apparently, in a typical primary class, if you grouped the children into their little tables by ability, the entire bottom table won't. Have you considered home education and doing 2-4 GCSEs each year for the next three years, instead?

I'm not a teacher but I failed out of school with similar diagnosis to your daughter, despite being bright I was woefully under supported. I worked in various different jobs building up my CV, went back to university as an adult and was properly supported, got a 1st and am now in the high rate tax payer bracket for income. Please reassure your daughter learning is life long and GCSEs are not the measure of who she is or who she will become.

My children's school has different pathways dependent on ability, so some children will do less GCSES, but have an increased focus on maths and literacy skills.

Thank you for those responses, I really appreciate the reassurance. I have said this to her, as I really do have faith that her considerable talent in other areas will serve her well in life. She is, however, worried about how things will unfold while still at school as it becomes increasingly obvious that she'll fail. For context, as far as academic attainment is concerned, in her mind her whole school career is a string of failures, and I think she's bracing herself for the next lot.

If I could EHE I would, Zebbie, but as long as she's not too anxious to attend school, I am clinging on to having a job. Also, previous experience in lockdown tells me that it would likely impact our relationship in a less than brilliant way.

It will depend on where you live. In my area any child who is on a waiting list for specialist service like CAMHS is put on a staged intervention which means that additional support has to be provided. You can request a TAC , team around the child meeting, to discuss their needs and identify support required. This is in Scotland which has a very different education system than England. My advice is to have very regular contact with school otherwise they will get lost in the system, you are your child’s best advocate.
My dd withASD is given extra time in exams and a scribe due to her slow processing speed.

i work with young people who haven’t done well at this level and lots haven’t achieved any GCSES above a grade 2. Lots of options open to them Incl BTEC/ T level transition and apprenticeships. As well as more supported options dependant on your area provision.
More choice available if have grade 4s in English and maths.

I would suggest (nearer year 10/11) having a conversation with school; which subjects are a 4 or close to and which ones are not. In reality she would only need 5 subjects at grade 4/5 to progress to level 3 options (incl English and maths).

in the mean time don’t panic. There are options available to her regardless of GCSE grades.

My youngest has no GCSEs at all.. nada. He sat Maths but didn't get a pass grade. He has autism and obviously, some learning difficulties; attended special a special needs course at college.

He has been working full time since he was 19 (in Asda ), is brilliant at his job and has enough savings for a house deposit, although he is unlikely to leave home!

My eldest son's friend sat GCSES and failed them.. he was considered very low ability.
At 20 he went back to college to try and get maths and english...and after a few attempts, passed. Then he did an access course. Then he did a physics degree and came out with 1st class honours... honestly I can tell you how proud (and frankly gobsmacked) we were. Now doing very well indeed!

There are always options... exams aren't for everyone ! (and I say that as someone with 3 other 'high flying' kids as well as one with extra needs)

You basically have my DD at home. EHCP for Dyslexia and Dyscalculia. Recently started meds for ADD. I think we have about 3 years left on CAMHS waiting list so went private.
My DD is in Y10 so slightly older. Up until Sept she was as happy as Larry at school. Lots of friends, liked her lessons, brilliant learning support. It all hit the fan in sept when GCSEs properly started. Her school start them in y9 but they were really chill with them after COVID so it wasn't too bad. They went back to normal in Sept. Within 3 months she was a different child. Complete shell of herself. We are waiting to hear if the LA will fund a specialist SpLD school for her.

If I could go back to Y8, I'd look into that earlier. Probably for start of GCSEs, and especially if your DD is socially ok. Once GCSEs start, they can really see how different they are academically and it effects their self esteem to a huge extent, especially girls. It's not just about the grades. My DD became a different person.

Same as everyone else. They get jobs or go to Uni. They find something they like doing or they don’t.

@StillMedusa Well done to them both! That's brilliant. I completely agree with you re grades. I am of the same view and I really don't mind DD not getting any if that's what happens. However I do think the effects on confidence this has on kids is so big, it's best to get them onto BTECs or specialist provision earlier.

My sister is now a doctor (phd) and didn't have a single GCSE. She's now a university lecturer.

I know of home educated children who just haven't done them (they're not compulsory or it's too expensive) and access further education via other pathways. Some bypassed GCSE exams and went straight to A' level. They're not essential.

I left school with 3 low grade O'levels, I got an entry level job in the Civil Service at 18, worked there 27 years, got promoted & did NVQ through work, I have a level 2 in IT & a level 3 in Business Studies. I retired age 45 on a fairly good pension. Qualifications aren't everything, does you dc have any skills like art, design technology or any IT skills? Is there anything she could go to college for starting at a level 2 qualification? Does she have any interests like beauty, hair or cooking that could interest her? Some schools let less able pupils go to college on kind of day release instead of doing subjects they will only fail.

I dont know but I expect my eldest dd15 with SN, to get this year maybe one grade 4, a couple of grade 2-3's and the rest will be grade 1's. She will need to retake english and maths at college alongside a course.

There are college courses which cater for students with lower than average grades. The career person at the school should be able to advise you or the local college.

I don’t know how or when these are taken, but aren’t there functional skills exams they can take, especially in maths and English?

There’s are functional skills courses at level 1 and 2. In some cases a level 2 is considered equivalent to a GCSE grade 4.
Usually offered in college.

You can actually go to FE college at age 14.

It's a good option for children who are more practically minded, you typically do something like a BTEC alongside English and maths GCSE.

Apart from BTEC there are courses in catering, plumbing, mechanics, Arts...

It's worth having a look.

My daughter's friend has failed the functional maths gcse three times now. She is just trying to get English and maths. But she is finishing up a social care course at a college and is working at a hospital this summer so it hadn't stopped her progressing.
My son passed only English and Math and he did a vocational course at college and is doing fine.

Firstly, it's highly unlikely that your DD won't be forced into a specilist provision. The law has a very high bar to meet before a child would be considered to be unsuitable for a mainstream school of that was what the parent wanted.

The school will probably have different pathways for ability. Normally this means doing fewer GCSEs or
BTECs. The spare time on the timetable could then be used for more support for core subjects.

Your daughter has an EHCP, so it may be worth getting changes made at the next annual review to ensure your daughter is getting the right support. Ie, regular sessions with teachers with expertise in SpLd. TA's are helpful, buy unless they are experts in SpLD they may not be teaching your daughter the strategies she needs.

Time also really helps. My son has ADD, Dyslexia and Dyscalculia and is now in yr 10 and on track to pass his GCSEs (grade 4/5). I would never have believed that 2 years ago as he was miles off. But alot of it has been down to his EHCP ensuring that he has regular speech and language therapy, and tuition with SpLd teachers and not just TA support in class.

Oops,sorry. My first line was meant to say it's highly unlikely your daughter will be forced into specialist provision.

Ds1 is in year 10. He was able to choose some more vocational subjects that do not have exams. Some things are not optional like science, maths and English and they have to do either History or geography and ethics. But he's just done a week of mocks and seemed ok. He was allowed to take his exams in a separate room rather than the main hall with everyone else. In my experience school will do whatever they can to help and accommodate a child's individual needs, maybe we've just been lucky with his school. We know he isn't going to be getting great results but we also know that it's not the be all and end all and there are options after next year that are available to him no matter what results he gets.

If you are lucky your school will have some kind of option to reduce number of GCSEs and do a Level 1 or 2 BTEC instead. e.g. DD's school used to offer Construction / Beauty alongside core GCSEs for a number of pupils.

If they fail to pass any GCSEs then they can do a L1 or 2 course at college. L2 normally requires grades 3s.

My DD missed all of y11 due to MH issues but is just finishing her second year at college having done Level 1 courses.

Have you emailed Senco and HoY so that there is physical evidence, traceability, of you chasing. Even without a diagnosis thru can put in place lots of the things you are requesting. A scribe, extra time in exams. Less GCSe's. You have to fight, hard. Start now. Stand up for her. Did she get seen by an EP in primary. Have you pushed for this. Demand a meeting. Say it's damaging her, causing her anxiety. Also ask GP to chase camhs.

Unfortunately it isn't that surprising because the grade boundaries are set so that someone has to get a 1 or 2 just as someone has to get an 8 or 9. The good thing OP is that she is aware that she needs to work hard and she wants to do well. I would try to throw everything you have at maths and English because they are the gateway qualifications to so many other courses and jobs. Beyond that find something she is passionate about and help her develop that.

If people are getting 1s or 2s for GCSE, surely they are doing the wrong qualification. Are there not level 1 or2 qualifications they could do instead. It must be soul destroying to sit an exam and only be able to answer one or two questions. Does the school offer Asdan courses, which are done continuously and cover all sorts of subjects, personal development, maths, work readiness, animal care, honestly they are brilliant. I hope she finds something she enjoys which develops her confidence and skills and opens doors to the things she would like to do next.