has anyone had any experience of the new UTC schools?

[burberryqueen]

My son has not had a good secondary school career so far despite a love of learning he has been difficult, with suspensions and a stint in a PRU. Now towards the end of year 9, I have had to remove him from the school roll as he was refusing to attend. There were issues of bullying of the kind I could not discuss with the school, as well as most of the school even including one teacher mocking his London accent. Anyway.
I have just discovered a new UTC opening in my old hometown which starts at year 10 and offers the very technical subjects he is interested in, which seems like a gift right now, and we have been offered an interview next week!
Does anyone here have any experience of a UTC?

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There is a UTC near me, but the first entry was last year, so no real info yet.

I would say that if that is where your DS wants to go, then it sounds like to have nothing to lose by trying.

I don't know any children that have been to them, but have been a bit involved in the policy side of them (might have to nc after this!) Generally I think they are a great idea and should lead to either technical subjects at university, apprenticeships or useful vocational qualifications. Do you know the specialism and or university partner of the one neat you?

It is music and digital technology, stage lighting etc., and the university partner is the Uni of Hertfordshire. It just looks ideal! thank you both for your replies.

Your last post gives the information I was about to ask for regarding types of curriculum on offer. Yours sounds suited to your ds; definitely worth a look around and a frank discussion about your ds's problems so far. Do you think he would be happier and better behaved (for want of a better word) if the curriculum suited him more?

Our local one which opens 2014 is more going down the route of high level STEM teaching; so not targetting 'vocational' kids, more sciencey ones (if you get my general drift). I think they all vary as to whom they're trying to cater for.

Definitely worth investigating.

Sorry, just re-read your OP and it sounds like a lot of the issues your ds had were in reacting to others and not his own behaviour as such so it sounds like a fresh start would be ideal - and this one would be a great opportunity. Good luck!

Thank you books - we are going down there on Thursday so fingers crossed!

Hi
My son goes to a new UTC that opened Sept 2015 to do A-levels. All the information sounded so positive, mentoring by a year 13 pupil who would come in once a week, help in frees from staff, etc...it never happened. The jump from Secondary School to A-levels is quite a big one and I think there needs to be support to adapt to it. I thought that from all the things I read on the web and speaking to staff there that this would happen. Sadly there has not been the support needed even though I went in and set up parameters with the Staff there especially with SENCO. I would not say that there is nothing lost by trying. Once they start on an A-level course in a college, they cannot then just transfer if it doesn't suit them. My son would love to go somewhere else but in doing so would lose this whole year. See how your child responds to the actual teacher that is teaching the course he/she wants to do. That is a better way. I wish we would have sent our son to a different college where the teachers were more dynamic.

IF you are going to a new college....get them to definitely show you the other alternatives should their GCSE marks not be quite as high as you had hoped for. We found the third choice selection very poor with nothing in the area that interested my child yet having to have to choose something that has been a total waste of time. There is so much going on but it is important to make visitations maybe twice if you can. Hope this will help some of you when choosing.