To think that 4 G.C.S.E's needed to do business studies is ridiculous

[magicalmadmadamim]

My eldest DS is 16 and been at college since September. He has 2 G.C.S.E equivalent certificates in English and Maths.
I'm sure back when I was in college business studies was always a foundation course?
He really wanted to do business studies and they have put him on some really rubbish courses that he is super bored with.
Is it me or is education getting much harder now?
Hardly any of his school friends passed any g.c.s.e's :(

I’m sure he’s not, kids make mistakes just sounds like he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, getting on in college should do him good. Ignore the negative comments im sure he’s a good kid at heart.

You know he can sit GCSEs privately if you pay for the exams? If he's so talented the level 1 course is beneath him why don't you take this route?

I'm not sure how it works today, I thought it was five GCSEs needed for A-levels. However, I'm still figuring out the landscape - my DS has an EHCP and is studying functional skills, which I've been told could still help him get onto a college course (though the EHCP may be the difference). If it's an A-Level I imagine you need more GCSEs, but are there other foundation courses he could do either there or at a different setting?

Most colleges will ask for a minimum of 5 GCSE's grades 4-9 for A levels, some ask for at least 8 though and at higher grades) but OP's son is not doing A levels. He wants to do a Level 2 Btec course, for which you need 4 GCSE's (presumably at Grade 3)

@lilkitten It's not a-level courses being talked about here.

It's likely a BTEC course - I think OP DS is on a level 1 Btec course which may have had functional maths and English as part of it as he got grade 1 or 2 at GCSE for those - if you get grade 3 I think you have to resit GCSE in those - and he is looking at getting on a level 2 Btec bussiness course which needs 4 GCSE at level 2 pass or persuably level Btec 1 course being completed.

In further eduation section there's a thread for btec and other vocational courses posters who kids are doing those courses and found a path right for them - it may help you nagivate what alternatives there are.

@trappedCatAsleepOnMe thank you, I'll take a look. Trying to inspire him with some ideas of Post-16

@lilkitten This is the thread Page 20 | BTEC/T level/other vocational 25/26 | Mumsnet we are nearly at the end but presumably someone will start a thread 2 in due course. Jump in!

It's going off topic a little but to reassure you. My son did manage to pass 5 GCSE's mostly Grade 4/5 and did a Level 3 Btec at college. He is now in his final year at uni (albeit studying a practical/vocational type subject).

There were several students on his course who had "failed" their GCSE's (in the Grade 4 and above sense) but because they had managed to get at least 4 GCSE's at Grade 3 they did a 1 year Level 2 btec instead and progressed onto my son's course a year later. Many of them also went onto uni.

You are totally right, by law to keeping on studying for English and maths if grades are 3 and below. Great advice

Why does he only have 2 GCSE’s? No wonder they will only let him do a foundation course.

Why are you making so many excuses for him. I had a summer baby, 4 years and 2 weeks when started school, flew through it and got a university degree, 2nd one nearly 5 when started, fecked everything up, failed it all, cried and then did 3 years at sixth form and got to uni. If they want to learn they learn. They have to realise it themselves. But please, stop making mummy excuses for him.

Had the misfortune of reading this thread. Only had the equivalent of grade 4 in maths and English. He "likes economics" and wants to "do some investing". No great economists scrapes a pass in functional skills maths

You don't scrape a pass. You either pass or don't pass. Even if you score 100% you still get a pass. My sister had to do it to move to the next level in her nursing degree.

This boy did functional skills with a provider. He didn't attend all of his GCSEs so we don't know if a 4 is 'all' he would have got.

I get that people are trying to show the op that her son is far below average even for a summer boy, but that's not going to help her enthuse him to carry on going with a course .

However, if you read Andrew Tate online he is inspiring a generation of teen boys to move to Dubai and make their fortune trading online....... 😆

Trading is quite complicated and technical. I'm not saying it can't be done, but you'd definitely need to understand maths to do it.

Good question, answer tbd honestly! Not seeing tonnes of entry level posts. AI isn't that great at coding. There are in fact people setting up full time purely advertising their services fixing vibe coding fuckups. Like anything, the more you can do for yourself without it, the more you can integrate it as a tool into your workflow. I found out very quickly that it's a bit stupid and you need to know what to ask it (and whether its answers are contradicting something it did mere seconds ago, which happens constantly) and whether the answer is what you genuinely need.

He actually only got two GCSE equivalent grades, not four.
Certainly not enough for entry to a BTEC level 2 in business studies.

Onward and upward. He's young, he has time to grow and reflect. The sooner he accepts the course for what it is (and tell him the vast majority of adults have crappy things they have to get on with too, but they always pass) the sooner he can turn in what he needs to make the next step. It's a game, he has to play by the rules, but he can progress from here. It must be difficult trying to manage this from a distance OP. Brave to post on here honestly, I got flamed for the stupidest thing on here last week and signed out for a week 😆

However I would like to see where you read it as forewarned, etc etc... the people I'm training with have connections and have recently had people finding work after training with them, as in within the last 6months. I think there's a bit of a slump generally right now though, games industry had a boost during covid and that bubble seems to be bursting too. In 10y it might be different, LLMs might be amazing, or more specific coding iterations of AI might begin to dominate. Part of me is dying to swerve back into mending and creative writing... Or something like waste management or funeral directing. Y'know, something we'll always need. 😅