to think mainstream schools must offer courses which suit everyone?

[Glamis]

My daughter’s school has recently declared they will only be doing GCSE. No other courses, functional stuff, BTec etc. I thought that they had to offer courses for everyone esp maths and English but school say they don’t. They are an academy.

Any ideas?

My sons school offered a handful on non gcse subjects for students as one of their options. This is a standard mainstream schools. they offer alternatives in catering and sports science, a construction qualification and chikdcare qualification. The pupils can also sit functional skills alongside gcses. And some there are some asdan for those with special needs.

I think the traditional UK school model would be to only offer GCSEs. If you want more then an FE college, technical/arts/industry focussed place. Lots do offer this to 14+. But a regular school I wouldn't expect them to do much more than traditional GCSEs route. Surely your child can switch if they'd rather do Btec/ vocational study. It's a really good route for many young people.
But most trad comps etc will push for the ideal that they could go on the uni.

Did they make that clear from the beginning when you applied for a place? If they have changed, or misled you, that is different.

I agree about vocational courses and BTec, which should be offered at least in some subjects.

It is rather a shame that pupils can go through their entire education and then only be offered qualifications they can't succeed in at thier local school.

some schools are managing to offer a few options that aren't gcse - is it worth calling around other schools op?

Also some further education places do a post 14 offer that may work.

We offer a BTEC and a diploma as options instead of GCSEs but the courses are clinging on by a thread tbh as we can’t recruit anyone to teach them.

Actually Level 2 Functional Skills exempts you from Maths /English at 16-19 so not a bad idea for less academic students. Although L2 Functional Maths is not easy!

The problem is, a certain percentage of pupils are destined to fail English/maths GCSE, by getting a 3 or lower. It seems rough that they can't also do FS level 2 which is a GCSE equivalent but much more accessible to study. And then be ready to move on without being tied to endless resits of a qualification which is too hard for them.

They stopped offering it early this year. She is about to do her options. It all feels rather disheartening.

Thanks - I’ve looked at these and they look interesting but very STEM focussed, in our area. And she is very not Stem.

Just thinking about it, should the school have done an equality impact assessment when they chopped this out of the curriculum? It seems to disproportionately affect kids with SEND.

No, it doesn't meet the condition of funding.

If a student gets a 2 or below at GCSE then they are allowed to study towards functional skills instead of GCSE maths in college, but functional skills doesn't exempt you from the requirement to resit GCSE in the first place.

If they resit GCSE and get a 2 but already have functional skills then I'm not sure what happens!

Here's the list of qualifications that exempt you.

The trouble can be hiring the teachers if they cannot get the teacher for the subject if not a core subject it will get dropped.

Schools don't have money and don't have teachers. Of course the educational offering is being reduced.

I thought gcse was normal for school to offer, don't know any standard school that offers anything else.

At sixth form.lots of choice at college etc bit for school gcse is pretty standard

How old is she? Are GCSEs a way off or coming up soon? It seems a shame you think she’ll absolutely fail any kind of GCSE in any subject (I say this as someone who also has a very dyslexic child who is unlikely to be able to attend regular secondary school).

My assumption would be that if the school admitted her, they should have faith she could pass something.

It’s weird I know but if you read the full guidance this is included:

Students with a prior attainment of GCSE grade 2 or below but who hold a pass in level 2 Functional Skills will not attract the additional funding because these students meet the maths and English condition of funding.

so it’s not listed as an alternative I know but equally
o COF for those who have passed FS L2. I work in maths and English provision at a massive general FE college. Occasionally we do get students who have passed L2 from school particularly PRUs etc and they are exempt.

Sorry the middle but us a quote from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-funding-english-and-maths-funding/16-to-19-funding-english-and-maths-funding#eligibility

I taught many students like your child.

We offered entry levels such as this:

qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-entry-level-certificate/mathematics-2017.html

These are below the gcse in terms of content. These are offered by the exam boards in the number of subjects.

It's up to the school whether they offer these at all.

Many schools that do offer them will double enter - so students will do both entry level and the gcse. It's often possible for students to grade in one or more GCSEs and schools are keen to make this happen if possible.

Most students like your child will then move in to a special needs sixth form (or to an FE college that runs specialist courses for students with special needs) where they might do ASDAN or BTECs.

She is y9.

The school is chronically underfunded and they were something of a magnet for SEN but they are actively discouraging any more kids with additional needs. I know they shouldn’t, but they are.

She is in on an EHCP so it wasn’t really a matter of whether they accepted her or not. Really not sure what to do. We have looked at specialist dyslexia provision but there is nothing nearby at all - and by that I mean within 50 miles.

In NI most of high schools (not grammar) offer os subjects which suit my severly dyslexic children much better

Look into access arrangements. Use of reader pens, scribes etc

So who would run all these additional subjects?

Yes but they have to have sat GCSE and got a 2 or below. Functional skills isn't an alternative, it's in addition to GCSE. If they get a 3 (which they might do if they are capable of passing functional skills!) then they have to resit GCSE anyway.

And obviously Functional Skills doesn't count for progress 8, and English and maths are double-weighted so maximising GCSE grade will be a priority for schools, not offering an additional course.

PRUs don't need to worry about progress 8.

In my sons school, functional skills is run by the English and maths teachers, sports by the pe teacher, catering by the food teacher and the construction and childcare are run off site. A consortium of local secondaries club together to make sure they run.

I didn't realise it was so unusual until this thread.

I totally recognise recruiting teachers is hard and school funding tight. I now feel lucky my eldest had these options.

Yes - she has a laptop, with dictation software, and a 1:1 who will scribe as appropriate. All the same…