If you left school with no or very few qualifications

[aesoplover]

What job did you end up in?

Apprenticeships are incredibly competitive especially in fields such as engineering + he would need minimum of grade 4s in English + maths

I left school with rubbish GCSEs and didn't go to college or uni.... I'm now a driver on the London Underground.
There are options to progress to higher paid jobs but I'm very happy with the job I do.

Husband left school with one very mediocre GCSE. He's now a well regarded and respected osteopath

How old is your DS OP?

You can actually leave school to go to an FE college at age 14. Mostly to do a BTEC and sit English and maths GCSEs on the side.

If he isn't going to get a string of passes it might be something to look in to.

He might start at Level 2 but more probably a level 1 qualification. Something like digital media might be a good fit, depending on what your local college has available.

I think the very basic IT/digital media is things he can probably do, send an email and type in to word but then as you get to level 2 and 3 you can specialise or take a broad range depending on, again, the college.

So he could go down a gaming route or into things like photography / video production or into a more academic computer science.

My brother is a practice manager for a health centre.

He didn't pass any of his GCSEs. He was taken on as a pharmacist's assistant at the health centre but didn't like it, so applied to be an administrative assistant instead, then worked up.

I on the other hand had good GCSEs but ended up working for London Underground. C'est la vie. The money is good but it's shift work and people can pose a risk and can't be quite stressful at times.

I'm a Pharmacy technician. I left school at 14 with no GCSEs, became a mum a month after my 17th birthday and have ADHD. I was all over the place until I was 22, then I started in pharmacy as a counter assistant and loved the type of work place. Before that, i couldn't focus or stick at anything, nothing drew me in or had me motivated to focus and learn.

DH didn't even get his GCSE's - he now earns about 50k a year working part-time as a plasterer and tiler (self employed).

DH has no GCSEs, has a fairly chaotic previous work history, struggled to stick at anything for very long, diagnosed ASD at 26 was able to go to university as a mature student through a short intensive summer access course. Now works as a civil servant, he could progress and earn more but he's happy where he is and honestly, he's gone from someone who once struggled to keep a job for longer that 5 months, to being in his current position for 5 years. There's a lot to be said for stability.

Would he consider doing an e-sports qualification? Harnessing his interests seems like the most likely route to successful learning. Agree with previous poster that personal training, or work in a gym could also work.

It isn't the end of the world if he takes longer to find his feet than others. One of mine is likely to go down the horticulture route doesn't need much in the way of school qualifications, but does help that plants are his deep interest.

Not me but family members in this situation have worked as

• carers
• retail
• school dinner lady
• kids club at a holiday park
• answering 111 calls

My late DH who had two o'levels in geography and drama spent years in low paid work (labourer, baggage handler at airport etc), then him and some mates decided to start a taxi company, which was successful for many years.

I left school at the time when CSEs were around and every few did 'O' levels. I got one CSE which was Grade 1, ie equivalent of grade C GCSE. My highest ranked job was secretary to the Senior Partner of a law firm that had four offices.

DD's BF had employers who believed in him and supported him with a Degree Apprenticeship. He now works for Civil Service, was earning £40k at 25, but just been promoted.

Left at 16 with fairly crap results. Undiagnosed ADHD.

Spent several years working payroll and computer software, and changed direction on my 30s . Now a chef aged 54, running my own catering and private chef hire company .

No he's not as he didn't want to take meds

@Sunplanner 16.
That all sounds really interesting - will definitely suggest these ideas to him.

Yes he does but we moved to another part of the UK where EHCPs are not valid unfortunately.

My brother left school with no GCSEs and was on the dole for a few years. After a bout of depression caused by his bleak circumstances he did an access course, then a BA, then a (vocational) masters. He now earns £75k+ in a public sector management role. I'm very proud of him.

I had no qualifications (and was (undiagnosed at the time) autistic). I fell into IT accidentally, found it really easy and landed up in Consulting. Paid my mortgage off by the time I was 40.

Your son will be fine, he just needs to find something he's passionate about and have the drive/determination to follow it through 🙂

I got quite good 'O' levels but failed my 'A' levels catastrophically. I worked in restaurants and bars for several years (with two children) until I retook my 'A' levels, then an HND and finally a degree in my 30s. I now have quite a good job in the NHS. It's not impossible to get back into studying later, if that's what she wants to do.

You have to remember that it doesn't matter what people did 30/40 years ago ,these days kids are expected to be in education or training untill they are 18 and they will need at Least a grade four in maths and English or to have passed functional skills to get an apprenticeship, they are also expected to carry on with English and maths untill they pass.

I'm a chartered accountant. Left school at 16 with 5 decent passes but not great.

Went back to uni part time through my employer when I was 21 (had a few office jobs initially just doing admin then more on the finance side). I did an accountancy degree while working full time. That took 4 1/2 yrs. Then straight on to professional exams. I qualified at 28.

My mum was also worried when I left school. I remember her saying I don't want u to end up in a dead end job.

My dh on the other hand got great results and a levels but then flunked uni as too busy partying. He had many rubbish low level, low paid jobs for years and had to retrain before getting a good job. So I'm not sure it matters that much really. I know quite a few people that got really gd grades from school but have ended up in low paid jobs.

There is a guidance change here from August 24. Those with send might be able to do entry level 3 in English and Maths and still pass their apprentiship. They have allowed some flexibility for certain types of difficulty. Not saying OPs son would qualify.

Thank you, this is reassuring. He just seems to have no drive at all at the moment and the end of his school days are looming.

I don't want to pressurise him, but equally want to encourage him to do something he enjoys.