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AIBU?

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Original poster

To understand why DS feels his college course is a bit of a waste of time?

61 replies

Collegedogdays · 03/10/2019 16:22

DS completed two years of a BTEC level 2 tech award. He was due to get a distinction but the last minute changes to awards they did meant it was a merit. Still good and he was pleased.

What we did not know was because it was a tech award it would count for nothing in relation to entry requirements. He had a rough time in year 10 and 11 with some issues with another pupil and got no where near his predicted grades so just missed the GCSEs he needed to go onto the next level.

He was due to start on a Nursing Cadet programme but because he bottomed out on his GCSE he is on a level 1 BTEC as a result with maths and English being retaken which is fair enough.

The problem is they have merged the level one Health course with the level 1 childcare as there were only two level 1 childcare students.
Despite the vast majority of the kids wanting to do adult healthcare they have made all the optional subjects all childcare related.

So far DS has
Coloured in nursery rhyme pictures.
Watched pre school kids television.
Played at the park.
Made play dough and sensory bags
Cut pictures of toys out of a magazine
Designed a toy.
Played with Lego.

Even the health care related subjects that they are doing are at a much lower level at the moment than what he has already done.

They have also made any work experience nursery related which I know is not a waste but many of the kids want to be adult mental health, sexual health workers, counsellors and such.

He feels totally demoralised and dumb and I do not know what to do. :(

Aibu to not see the point in the tech award if it counts for nothing?

OP posts:
Original poster
Collegedogdays · 03/10/2019 17:47

Livehopelove Thank you will have a look at that.

ghostyslovesheets I know he is on a GCSE maths course but I believe they are covering functional skills too, they do a lot of maths hours. Not entirely sure!

LIZ Thanks. He will be 18 and 5 months on enrolment for level 3 year 1. It is a two year course.

'A level 1 BTEC in Technology won’t get you onto a level 2 BTEC in Health'

Sorry to be clear SilverChime it is not a BTEC in technology.
He has a BTEC Tech award in Health and Social Care Level 2 with a merit (should have been a distinction but Pearson changed boundaries days before results)
He is doing BTEC Health and Social Care Level 1 now.

Staffing is not an issue. He has two health teachers in the few health related ones he does. Tbere are four health teachers and only one childcare that he has seen. They merged it because after enrollment they were left with only a couple of childcare students and rather than send them to another campus they merged them to include them (fair enough)

There is one other girl on the same course as him in the same position as far as I know and no one else has done any Health and Social Care before.
We originally decided to give it a try until the activities started and he is totally fed up.

Might have a look at late entry...

OP posts:
Original poster
Collegedogdays · 03/10/2019 17:52

'If he is wanting a career in nursing or healthcare then he probably will need 4/5 in maths and English (NHS says 5 grade Cs or above and this year I'm aware of some universities wanting 5s)'

This is my other worry Lola.
Even if he does get up to Level 3 eventually and retakes his maths and English we think he would not be able to apply for uni without an access course.

So we do not know if he would be better doing to level 2 and then a year of relevant work before starting an access course at 19 as we do not know if he would be able to get the loan for 19 plus fees mentioned above if already has a BTEC Level 3.

So confused.
We looked at GCSEs around her and can only find maths, English and science.

OP posts:
LIZS · 03/10/2019 17:58

We looked at GCSEs around her and can only find maths, English and science.

Not unusual unless it is a standalone sixth form or school. Take up of others would be too variable to employ tutors. Could he not resit these this year?

Spied · 03/10/2019 18:01

Btec level 1 Heth and Social Care is a joke imo. Sorry.
He should be doing something else alongside resitting his maths and english.
I always thought it was for people with no qualifications at all. He is on the wrong course.

Namechangeforthiscancershit · 03/10/2019 18:04

It shouldn't be too late to move but you need to be making calls now as it will need to be really soon.

I can totally see why he is demoralised by all this. College should be a really good fresh start for him, not a disappointment.

Confrontayshunme · 03/10/2019 18:05

I remember reading on an HE thread here once that for Level 1 and most Level 2 BTECs, teachers are pressured due to funding to pass as many students as possible. As a result, the teaching quality and actual courses have been dumbed down hugely. I was skeptical until my husband missed an entire BTEC class run by his work due to scheduling, but someone didn't get the memo, and although he never did any work or coursework, he got a certificate saying he passed!!!

SilverChime · 03/10/2019 18:06

He has a BTEC Tech award in Health and Social Care
Ah I misunderstood. A BTEC Tech is equivalent to GCSE. A BTEC is equivalent to A-level. So your DS is studying at a higher level now even if he doesn’t think so. He must not have had the grades to go straight into BTEC level 2?

Comefromaway · 03/10/2019 18:10

What were the school thinking ? (Unless there were extenuating circumstances such as at my son’s school those of very low ability do a minimum of 5 Gcse’s Plus a work skills course or if he was allowed to reduce his timetable due to his difficulties)

The reason the Btec doesn’t count is because he hasn’t got enough GCSE’s alongside it. He’d need 4 at Grade 3 plus the Btec for our local college Level 2 (some colleges ask for 5).

What a mess.

SilverChime · 03/10/2019 18:10

teachers are pressured due to funding to pass as many students as possible
Unfortunately true. FE has suffered massive funding cuts so now they can’t afford to lose a single student. No amount of bad behaviour or lack of work will get you expelled. If you can’t do the work the teacher gives you the answers or falsifies records to say you did it even if you didn’t.

Comefromaway · 03/10/2019 18:12

I remember reading on an HE thread here once that for Level 1 and most Level 2 BTECs, teachers are pressured due to funding to pass as many students as possible. As a result, the teaching quality and actual courses have been dumbed down hugely. I was skeptical until my husband missed an entire BTEC class run by his work due to scheduling, but someone didn't get the memo, and although he never did any work or coursework, he got a certificate saying he passed!!!

The new Btecs have several compulsory externally marked modules.

Original poster
Collegedogdays · 03/10/2019 18:15

Comefromaway It is a complete mess. Without being harsh the school was shit!
He was predicted nothing below a 4 to 6 until things started to go wrong with the issues he had.

The very high achievers did triple Science, maths, English, a language and a humanity plus a BTEC.

Those below expected 6 did double science, maths, English, humanity and BTEC.

OP posts:
Comefromaway · 03/10/2019 18:25

A Level 3 Btec is equivalent to A level and a Level 2 equivalent to GCSE, (on the QCF) but the different kinds of Btec (Award, Certificate, Extended Certificate or Diploma) within those levels are different sizes so determine the number of GCSE’s/A levels it is equivalent to.

A Btec First and a Btec Technical Award are both GCSE equivalent. The OP’s son is not studying an A level equivalent qualification. That would be a Level 3 Btec National.

LIZS · 03/10/2019 18:54

I'm not sure I'd buy the late change by exam board making a difference to the grade . More likely external moderation changed a coursework element grade or school omitted something, especially given the way they appear to have been so disorganised. There is no sense on him taking level 1 when he already has level 2 , seems as if the college are looking for easy wins not putting the student first.

Comefromaway · 03/10/2019 18:58

Liz - it was a national thing, widely reported in the press. They changed the grade boundaries after results had been given for previous modules.

It’s led to my son’s school abandoning their Btec half way through for an alternative course.

OP posts:
Springb0ks · 03/10/2019 19:48

Experienced BTEC Teacher here. From what you are saying he has completed a L2 Tech Award in Health and Social Care and has now enrolled into college to study Health and Social Care at L1?

What I can't get my head around is that they have said he is enrolled on a level one course. You don't enrol on a level one course, this is a fallback qualification for if you don't manage to achieve the level two.

Additionally, he wouldn't complete a three year BTEC by studying L1 in year one, L2 in year two and so on. That's not how it works. All of the L3 modules are just that- level three modules.

It sounds like he is studying the same course again, unless I've been following what you have said incorrectly?

Springb0ks · 03/10/2019 19:50

Just to add, my sympathies for the last minute changes in the way grades were awarded. Schools and colleges had no idea this happened and it was communicated to students only. It was enormously unfair and not in the spirit of how BTEC has historically worked.

LIZS · 03/10/2019 19:52

Omg that debarcle had passed me by.

LolaSmiles · 03/10/2019 20:11

That is a bizarre system for their school to have. They're quite literally sabotaging their chances of getting anything close to an acceptable progress 8 score.

I think the challenge for him OP is that ultimately he's not a mature student so someone with a poor hand at GCSE, level 1/2 and then an access course may (rightly or wrongly) leave admissions tutors with questions about his suitability for a tough degree level course with placements etc.

Maths/English/science resits would be worth doing, certainly maths and English. I'd also explore having a tutor to support as FE college resit provision is variable at best based on what friends of mine who teach it say.
If he can transfer to a level 2 course at another college and do his maths/English this year then that would be the better option in my opinion. Then he can either do A Levels or a vocational course, but do check the entry requirements as different providers will make different decisions on vocational entry.

Original poster
Collegedogdays · 03/10/2019 20:53

'Springb0ks

Experienced BTEC Teacher here. From what you are saying he has completed a L2 Tech Award in Health and Social Care and has now enrolled into college to study Health and Social Care at L1?'

Yes exactly this.
Completed the tech award at school.
Was expected to get much higher GCSE qualifications than he got so was offered a level 3 place.
GCSE results came a lot lower than expected and so on results day he was placed on a level 1 diploma.

He has been told if he completes the level 1 diploma this year he can start the level 2 course next September.
He is resitting maths and English at GCSE.

OP posts:
SilverChime · 03/10/2019 21:28

Additionally, he wouldn't complete a three year BTEC by studying L1 in year one, L2 in year two and so on
This is a good point. So it’ll take him four years to complete his L3! I’d check funding very carefully because he’ll be 18 when he starts year 1 of his L3 but he’ll be 19 when he enrols for year 2 so I don’t know if it will be funded?

Original poster
Collegedogdays · 03/10/2019 22:13

'Springb0ks

Experienced BTEC Teacher here. From what you are saying he has completed a L2 Tech Award in Health and Social Care and has now enrolled into college to study Health and Social Care at L1?'

This is what I have been trying to find out.

OP posts:
Original poster
Collegedogdays · 03/10/2019 22:15

Bollocks it didn't copy and paste the bit I wanted.
That was meant to be in reply to

'I’d check funding very carefully because he’ll be 18 when he starts year 1 of his L3 but he’ll be 19 when he enrols for year 2 so I don’t know if it will be funded?'

OP posts:
Springb0ks · 03/10/2019 22:24

@collegedogdays

Whether he is doing a L1 or L2 is neither here nor there. They are the same thing. The qualification is awarded at a L2 pass, merit or distinction OR a L1 pass, merit, distinction if the criteria for L2 is not met. He will not be doing different units for the L1 course.

I've had a brief look at the specifications for both courses, it certainly sounds like he is doing the childcare course but then again his course tutor could deliver something similar for unit one of the health and social course. I have a small experience of this course, but this is not my faculty specialism.

Judging by your sons results, it sounds as if there is not enough hours on his timetable to fit in a L3 BTEC, which can be equivalent to multiple A Levels, alongside studying for resits in both Maths and English. Perhaps the college have enrolled him on this course to ensure he is a full time student still?

My advice would be to concentrate on his English and Maths resit to ensure he gains at least grade 4 in both and then apply for a L3 course starting this September. To answer your original question yes I believe he would be wasting his time with the current qualification under those circumstances!

Original poster
Collegedogdays · 03/10/2019 22:32

Springb0ks

Yes I fully understood why he could not do level three. He was no where near the qualifications for three.

What you said about the pass, merit or distinction being awarded at either level 1 or 2 is definitely correct for the tech awards but is it the same for the diploma or extended diploma at college?

Because the course ds is doing has no exams at all. As far as I can make out it is a portfolio and internally marked.

The level 2 extended diploma definitely has external exams as did his tech award.

This course he is doing has no exams at all.

OP posts:
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