AIBU to question repeated GCSE resits instead of alternative college pathways?

[Windyday3]

I have two friends with an 18 year old young person each
Both these DC went to the local school and failed maths and English GCSE
So from there they both went to the local college,did a foundation course and resat both GCSEs
Unfortunately neither passed Maths and English
So neither were allowed to move to the next level of their course.
Both had to start a second foundation course in a subject they didn't want to do and were doing resits in maths and English.
They have both just resat the exams recently
But if they fail again,in September they will both start a third foundation course in another subject they don't want to do ,while they resit maths and English.
This time next year they will both be 19 and will have to leave college.
They both have one more shot at passing and will end up in a years time leaving college with three Foundation courses and . hopefully maths and English GCSE if they pass.
But how does that equip them to get a job??
They will of had three years at college and come out with three Foundation courses,two in subjects they are not interested in .
Neither have an EHCP ,but both have ADHD .
Why is there not a different path for children that can't get maths and English GCSE ???
Why have they been made to waste 3 years doing courses that are not going to equip them for a job , because it's so important they get these maths and English qualifications.
I do get they are important
I'm just questioning why there is not different paths , because education should not be a one size fits all
They will of had 3 years at college when they leave at age 19
That 3 years could of been spent getting them a qualification that would of actually helped them get a job.
Who's benefiting from them both being made to do 3 Foundation courses in 3 different subjects..the children certainly aren't ,as it qualifies them for nothing

That's the problem with the system in the uk, they automatically progress children even if they are behind and moving them to the next year would strongly disadvantage them. Where I am your son would get to repeat the year (it happened to someone in DD's class who missed a lot of school due to cancer), and would happen to anyone else who is struggling too much to move up to the next year. Young people shouldn't be doing their gcses when they have no chance of passing them because, for some reason or other, they don't have a grasp of essential parts of the curriculum.

I hope you can find a way to catch your son up

If it helps there is a November resit option. Not all offer it but some places take external students if your college doesn't. Good luck with this minefield.

Given that pretty much every employer requires maths and english at gcse as the minimum qualification level your OP makes no sense at all. It is a shame that it's taking them so long to reach this minimum standard but reaching it is getting them a qualification that will actually help them get a job. If the specific college doesn't offer more than one foundation course they are interested in they could always tranfer to a different college to access different courses, but maths and english are non-negotiable.

That’s not true cover.

the college should be allowing them to progress to the next level on their vocational course.

And my company only cares if someone can do the job, not about their GCSEs.

If they're trying and failing GCSEs over and over again in the same college I would honestly look at alternative provision or self study for a while. It really takes a good teacher to actually 'get' a subject. It's not just down to the student.

I'm dyslexic. I didn't pass my maths GCSE until I was 28 because it took me so long to find a teacher who understood my struggles and who could teach it in a way that was accessible.

My son had cancer too. He was diagnosed in Year 3 and didn't go back to school until after the Easter holidays of Year 4. Despite that, he started Year 5 last September and will start Year 6 this September and also be expected to sit his SATS next year.

He does have a Maths tutor but the gaps are so wide, it's a real struggle. It's horrible feeling like he's been set up to fail.

My DD got a D in English & resat but did functional skills in English. It counts in order to progress to A levels if you want. She was discouraged from doing the GCSE in case she didn’t pass & she did actually need to. If there’s an option to do this instead of a GCSE, I’d take it.

Which bit is impossible?

And if after endless retakes they still don't reach the GCSE pass?

My children have all had a block about Maths. Their dad has discalcular and they seem to have inherited his difficulty with maths and numbers. They have all had to resit maths throughout college (none have got better grades than the original GCSE) but they were able to progress with their courses.

They all did vocational courses. My son started at lowest level of a catering course and progressed to become a chef while at college, he did three years. My daughter did animal care (although ended up working for NHS), the next daughter progressed through a painting and decorating course and my youngest managed to start at level 3 for the course she is doing, she’s just finishing the first year.

They have each worked from age 16/17 too which has allowed them to learn work place skills.

It sounds like the issue could be with the way that particular college does things rather than it being a problem with the system in general.

Having been in the fortunate position of my own DC passing their GCSEs,I had no idea the system was this brutal to our young people.
I feel there should be alternatives to GCSEs at school ,that from year 9 children should be able to work towards functional skills in maths and English,so even if they fail maths and English GCSE ,they still come out of school with functional skills and therefore able to move forward with the college courses of their choice.
I can't imagine anything more soul destroying at age 17 than doing endless rounds of resits ,while being forced to study a basic level course you are not interested in.
Both these children did excellent in their chosen foundation course , but were stopped from going up a level because they did not pass their re sits .
To retake resits for the second year meant having to-do another foundation course in a subject they are not interested in .
It is totally wrong
Their college dies not offer any other pathway
They can not just do the maths and English GCSEs
They have to be enrolled on a foundation course to access resits .
Utter utter madness

You can do it yourself at year 3/4/5 level.
Personally I would spend money on something he enjoys, like sports, art offer music and that will build his confidence rather than on maths tutoring.
I would suggest getting him a musical instrument even without lessons - my kids maths ability increased when he started to teach himself guitar and I think there's research behind this.

Strategy games - find games that you enjoy that you can play together - Carcassonne is my favourite. There are games like yahtzee which have other elements added to them, known as push your luck games. We had a brilliant 4-6 player one that involved monsters battling. They all reinforce maths skills - logical thinking, thinking ahead, learning the best algorithm for winning by trial and error. Again, being able to think strategically and win will build confidence massively for other areas.

He needs his own relationship with number that goes beyond the page so shopping, measuring, counting, playing little number games in the car , clinging things and making them into tally charts and graphs, noticing Roman numerals etc...etc are all useful ways of doing this. My son was first introduced to fractions by noticing the satnav measuring in fractions of miles. The 2p machines at the arcades are another unorthodox source of getting to grips with number. There are so many practical and playful things you can do.

Conquer maths is a brilliant free system where you can select any topic, watch a video and then print out the work sheet for practise. At his age you can do this together, as a team. You can play with it. You can get things wrong and let him do correct you, you can pick more relaxed surroundings - park, coffee shop etc.

@Windyday3

It would be surprising if they are preventing the moving up to a Level 1 course just because they don't have grade 4s.

It would be more likely (to me at least) that the issue isn't that they haven't passed English & Maths, more that they are only at grade 1/2 rather than at grade 3.

For DD's Level 1 Theory based course the requirements were Two or more GCSEs at grade 3-1 or above.

I slightly wonder whether 'Foundation' means something different to your college than my understanding.
My understanding is Foundation is kind of 'Entry Level 1/2/3' and above that is Level 1, Level 2 (GCSE), Level 3 (A level equiv)

I'm so sorry, your poor son. Hope he is doing well health-wise now.
DS's friend had cancer, left school near the end of preschool and returned near the end of 1st grade but not sure if he'll have to retake the year as he was able to join in a lot via a little robot in class plus do his work at home, and 1st grade requirements are quite simple here. Very different to later on in primary school like your son. I'm so sorry the system is failing him like that.

Controversial opinion, a grade 4 in Maths and English is achievable for the vast majority of people, with the exception of those with learning disabilities.

I'm not sure that's true at all but my experiences with learning disablilies is endless gas lighting from schools that kids are fine - so if there are they may not be recorded if there.

I saw cracks appearing with our DC in primary school - one child despite having full attendance made little to no progress one entire year and we were told it was all fine and that was expected to continue - took about 18 months of little and often support work to catch up.

So I agree that a huge issue with our current system - fall behind and it's luck if you can access a decent support program in school and down to parental influences if you find support outside.

@Kirbert2 I know from other threads DS has an EHCP; have you thought about appealing to get being educated outside of his chronological year group in section F of the EHCP? You would need evidence, but I think that would be straightforward in your case.