DD - what are options post 16 with not great GCSEs

[Inaquandaryagain]

So DD has just turned 17 but dropped out of sixth form (she found it too academic for her) and currently doing nothing. She knows she is meant to be in full time education or training until she is 18.

However on exploring her options, she has hit a few barriers:

*looking at apprenticeships (including level 2) nearly all of them require GCSE English and Maths at C/4. She passed them but didn’t get 4s (2 and a 3). Those apprenticeships that don’t require them the grades are in areas that don’t interest her (childcare, warehousing). Those that she is interested in require GCSEs at grade 4 plus and she cannot work out easily how to resit them outside of the school setting (without using very expensive tutor agency/private student).

*also looking at college spaces for September start. With her GCSEs (she has five others at 4 or above (but not English/Maths)) this seems to confuse the college since she has some GCSEs (so shouldn’t be treated as someone who hasn’t taken any) but maybe not good enough to go into a level 3 course.

Has anyone got any ideas of what the best route could be to either take her gcse resits and do an apprenticeship? Or has anyone’s child gone into college at level 3 (or 2) and then resit English/maths alongside course? If so, what type of courses?

Thanks in advance!

My son is currently at college doing a level 2 course and some of his classmates are retaking gcse English and/or maths. I think that they get a lesson or two in each every week so not nearly as much as school so you might have to supplement with tutoring etc to ensure the pass if she’s not the self motivated sort of pupil. My son isn’t retaking so I can’t comment on quality of those sessions or if they gave Functional Skills rather than GCSE.

She should be able to look around for L2 apprenticeships. The rules have recently changed so they will accept 2/3 at GCSE. I would look around at other apprenticeships, eg customer services etc. At a college, if she wants to move from L2 to L3, she may be able to do functional skills instead of GCSE resits.

She should have been offered resits or FS L2 at post-16 college. I would contact them and ask about this, to be done alongside her college course. Im puzzled it wasn’t offered tbh. What was she doing at college?

What courses did she take in 6th form?

I believe 2 at English entitles her to take functional skills instead of retaking the English GCSE.

Thank you for the responses. I think she is a bit hesitant to go back into college - sixth form scared her away from studying. But agree that she may need to lower expectations of choices available if wants to do an apprenticeship.

She was doing GCSE resits at school alongside A level PE and BTEC in health/social care (or similar).

I think now the college aren’t clear if she can start a level 3 course this September and do gcse resits alongside it, or would have to do a level 2 course. That’s where they aren’t clear.

So was she offered resits in sixth form? It’s odd if not. Was she taking A levels? My dcs’ school insisted on resits if they even accepted a student with less than a 4 in E and M. (Mate of ds had a mare with Eng lang but I guess they knew, so let him do A levels and resit in Nov: he got a 6).

As I and others say, it’s odd that the 6th form took her without the grades 4+. Was she offered anything resit wise?

What does she want to do? Some apprenticeships may be completely work based, so she won't have to go to college. She will just have to do the learning in the workplace.

Nearly all courses at an FE college can be done alongside English and maths resits. With a grade 3 she’d need to resit but in the grade 2 subject she could look at functional skills.

often they want people to have done the level 2 course before doing the level 3 course.

This is the difficult question. Ideas have varied from nursing to art, or something sport related. She doesn’t want office based job or working in a nursery.

Thanks - this is what I wondered. Since she would have been on level 3 subjects at sixth form (alongside resits) it seems odd that college will insist on a level 2 course alongside resits. But that may be better for a gradual reintroduction to studying in long term.

I am raising this for consideration due to personal experience and am not asking you to answer if you don't wish, but if she managed school, could she have burnt out at A level due to ADHD or ASD?

If she isn't sure of a long term plan, I would suggest college to consolidate some qualifications and keep things moving alongside a bit of work experience (doesn't have to be in a definitive long term final career). That's rather than committing to an apprenticeship she isn't sure of.

If you got some tutoring she could do level 2 functional skills for maths and English between now and end August. Then she might be able to avoid the GCSE resits and still do a l3 course (if that is a good idea).

This has been mentioned before but never fully explored (at her request).

I think I agree that college at level 2 (and manageable) may be the way to go. She really enjoyed her part time retail job in year 11 so she can be motivated in certain circumstances.

Thank you. I will look into this - didn’t realise you could do FS outside of the apprenticeships.

DD did English privately whilst on a break from college.
Note there is a black hole in funding if between 16&19 but not in college.
She may do maths this summer as a backup to the GCSE resit, not quite decided yet.

The rules changing on apprenticeships is for over 19…. You’ve always been able to access an apprenticeship without a grade 4 in English or maths, but had to retake alongside, making you less desirable. 16-19 will still need to retake.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/apprentices-maths-english-gcse-qualifications-b2697041.html