GCSE English resit

[pasanda]

DD has just got her third ‘3’ in English language 🙁
She is gutted. Got 3 distinctions for her BTEC in Health and Social Care (she chose it because of lack of exams, rather a focus on coursework) because she clearly doesn’t do well in written exams.
I understand we have to pay for her to resit. She wants to go to Uni next year to study Social Work. But where do you start? Where would allow her to retake? Can she just sit the exam (seeing as she’s been to lessons for it for 4 years)

thanks for any help

Poor kid, it seems like an uphill struggle. One of my friends sons was in this situation and he’s at university now doing physics. He just can’t do English language!

Yes, she can take the exam as a private candidate at an exam centre. (Some of them are schools). What advice has her setting given her/you?

You could look at functional skills as an alternative. I don’t know anything about it, beyond that it exists!

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/functional-skills-subject-content-english/english-functional-skills-subject-content

The GCSE isnt working for her.
Definitely look into functional skills level 2.

I agree with looking at functional skills.

It’s just a stick to beat them with getting them to retake. It’ll do her MH no good.

She has equivalent to 3 As at A level. That should be enough - just find an English she can pass.

Definitely functional skills level 2 English. Just check any unis she wants to apply to will accept it over the GCSE. Lots do, but some unis and courses might not (but functional skills is accepted for the postgrad training routes into social work.)

You shouldn't have to pay to resit English Language GCSE, though there is a black hole in the 'third year' of 6th form, so you might.

We abandoned GCSE English Lang and DD did English Level 2 Functional Skills (again privately due to the funding gap). It is much more straightforward, and leaves out all the esoteric and fiction and focuses on 'functional' English.

If next steps accept FS I would look at that. It can be done online at any time of your choosing, but she should do an online course or tutoring first as it isn't obvious what is needed from the outside.

I'm just waiting to hear back from my son who has gone into.college to collect his. This is his 4th time doing his English Gcse. He got a 2 at school and the last 2 resits have been grade 3, both times were only 2 marks off a 4 so I'm hoping he managed to get those extra marks this time. If it's a 3 this time I'm going to suggest functional skills for him. Good luck to all others getting results today.

FS Skills English:

3 sections, Reading, Writing and Speaking&Listening. Can be taken separately and resat separately until you have passed all 3 components, though general set up is do it in one go (we had to hunt to actually do in bits).
Can be taken in person (if you can find somewhere) or online.

Comprehension, understanding opinion v fact, understanding different types of writing (leaflets, instructions etc).
Writing in correct structure (email, letter, magazine), using correct formality.
Short speech on topic of choice, answering questions on it. Listening to someone else, asking questions. Round table discussion on preprepared topic - putting over point of view and shoing active listening.

Dictionary available, but SPaG has proportionately more marks than in Eng Lang GCSE.

I've just heard back from my son, he got a 4! He's so relieved he doesn't have to do it again. Proud of him as he struggled with it so much.

zobalina - amazing news and congratulations to your son!!! 🍾

and thank you all for your comments. She is SO relieved there is an alternative and has already started googling Level 2 functional skills! Plus, Oxford Brookes Uni accepts this as an alternative to gcse for their social work degree.
it’s like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders!!

ps She was even thinking about getting her identical twin to take the English resit for her!!! 🙈🙈🙈

If she still needs a level 2 in English (and has neither Languauge or Literature passes) there is government funding to resit. Having a 3 may limit her to gcse though, worth speaking to the college to see if they can offer FS parttime.

If you are under 19 on 1st Sept then the only way we found for funded english was alongside a full time course. This hits 3rd year 6th form age who are otherwise stopped from progressing, or just want to work.

Clearly something isn’t clicking for her. Does she understand the entire point of the exam and what it is asking of her? Can you hire a tutor to go through some past exams with her and check what she thinks the questions are asking?

Would iGCSE English Language be an option? It's 50% coursework-based.