No GCSE's? What next?

[Summer27Worries]

What happens to kids these days who fail their GCSE's?
It doesn't look like DC will get 4's and above in the exams next year. I know it's not the end of the world, just a bit limiting/will cause a delay on some paths.
When I did my GCSE's in 1994, it seemed like if you got C's and above, you did A-levels at 6th form and if you didn't do that well, you went to college and did a beauty or construction course there. My year group had lots who started a family early too.
What are your kids doing? And are they doing okay in themselves?

You may like to read this encouraging thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/further_education/5484007-bouncing-back-from-poor-gcses-in-praise-of-btechs

Further Education is the board to be on!

Op why is he struggling ? Sen ?
The problem with retaking eng.and math in the institutions is that they don't teach it differently so why would he suddenly get it. He might but the beauty of tutors is they can tailor to your child.

Was that the mocks ? Has he ever tried the strategy to just write anything in English ? Any old rubbish like I'm sat here doing a rubbish exams.and it's hot ? That sort of thing ?
It's a technique for anxious students to first start to train them.rk just write something the

I work in an FE college, there will be a course he can do. Every year on Open Days/evenings we have parents virtually sobbing with relief we have options for their child. Schools often focus on the students who get 4s and above and the others are left hanging. Many teachers in schools don’t know what the post 16 options are for students who don’t get 4s.
Most students come to college and love it, they love the more adult environment, they get level 1,2,3 courses and progress to university or apprenticeships. FE colleges offer second chances and if your child runs with it they will do really well.

OP my foster son went from attending a special school where he only managed to pass food tech level 4 and double science 4,3 and went to college to study Sport which he loves. He did the BTec Sport Level 2 with merits and passed his GCSE Maths level 4. The following year he did the BTEC Sport Level 3 and got 2 distinctions and a merit. He's at uni now studying sports coaching and management. I knew once his focus could be on sport which he loves he'd flourish. Look at local colleges TT hey offer a far wider range of things to study. Not everyone is good at traditional subjects.

Interesting, hadn't thought of that. He gets so stressed out, he can't even just list what he sees in a prompting image, for example.

The thing is there is a functional issue with the English as well - for comprehension, he just can't read 'metatextually', he doesn't seem to get at all how words can create a feeling. His reading age is fine- he'll read Phillip Pullman and Douglas Adams but he just reads for story and stuff happening, not a deeper level than that.

I still would look in to tutoring/ school provided assistance to try and get him to pass his maths and English, like you said he has a year to go and it would make his life so much easier. The competition for apprenticeships as an example is high and you’ll have kids that have passed applying for them as well. It’s not the end of the world and I’m sure your boy will get there in the end, but really pushing himself this year could make the next few years a lot easier on him.

I left school 2004 so might have changed since but back then you could go to college and redo your gcse in maths and English

My ds( asd) did a year at college at 16 and retook maths along side his plumbing course.
After two attempts, he passed.
But he didn't like college and I had to coax him in,it reminded him of school and the years of bullying he had to endure. Said he only picked plumbing as had no idea what to do. So he only stayed the year.
So he is working pretty much full time at the pub after refusing to go back. Commutes on his moped and is starting to question his future.
I'm hoping he takes a chef apprenticeship.
At 16,it's tricky to know what you fancy doing.
And a few of his friends left school hoping to work at 16 and took a year out,nobody questioned this.
Good luck op

There was a mum on here ages ago and her son was going to train as a chef with either the Navy or Army. Could be worth looking into this.

Thanks all :)
I ended up popping to the local college for another one of my children so I was able to ask about the English and Maths situation there.
They said that if he got a 3 that was a few marks away from a 4, then they would encourage and support him to retake the GSCE. If he got lower than a 3, they would do an assessment and depending on the outcome, would enter him for GCSE or functional skills.
So I felt reassured that he would be looked after either way.
There wasn't the opportunity at that stage to find out about the other courses but I'm booked in for an appropriate open day in October.

His interests are photography and the RAF and he is thinking of applying to them at the earliest opportunity ie when he's 15 and 9 months.
We'll see how it all pans out I guess but there's lots of hope and possibilities and I feel much better!

That sounds really positive, OP.