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Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Leaving college at 17

7 replies

swapsicles · 09/11/2019 21:01

DD had a wobble at college during the summer but did end up going and seemed to be ok (2nd year)
Now she's saying she's had enough and wants to leave. Currently she has a retail job for 12 hours a week and another zero hours contract which she works 1 day a week but before the retail job she would work 3/4 days a week plus school holidays so plenty of overtime available.
I've told her to ask her employers about the chance of an increase in contracted hours to ensure she has enough money to live off.
I'm trying to get her to speak to the college in the meantime and get all the facts but the main thing though is is she allowed to do this?
All I can find is that children must stay in education until they are 18 but nothing to say what happens if they don't!
Has anyones child done this or know of the consequences if she leaves education?

OP posts:
MarchingFrogs · 09/11/2019 21:24

www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school

England

You can leave school on the last Friday in June if you’ll be 16 by the end of the summer holidays.

You must then do one of the following until you’re 18:

stay in full-time education, for example at a college,
start an apprenticeship or traineeship
spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training

MelissaCortezsPastry · 09/11/2019 21:54

What is she studying at college? I am assuming she is in year 13 if this is her second year.

Would she not be better sticking it out until June which is only 7 months away to get more qualifications under her belt before she starts working? Working life is a long, long time, college is the next 7/8 months of her life.

She can leave school to work, I believe it is mainly to do with claiming benefits to avoid NEETs so Not in Education, Employment or Training and expecting a hand out. I am not sure who is checking up on these teenagers to make sure they are working.

You will lose child benefit if you receive it as it stops after 16 unless your child is in full time education so that is worth remembering.

swapsicles · 09/11/2019 22:22

Marchingfrogs- Yep that's what I've read but theres nothing on what happens if a 17 year old goes onto work with no education, trading or apprenticeship as well.
I will lose child benefit and tax credits( 35 a week in total) that much I do know.
I'm trying to keep her in college for her own sake and she has reluctantly agreed to go with me next week and chat with them as wouldn't go on her own. Hopefully to look into other options we don't know about.
She's doing hairdressing and gets on well with the theory sections just not the client side of things, bit of a struggle in that career but even so it's better to finish the course.

OP posts:
chocolateisavegetable · 13/11/2019 09:42

Some of DD's friends left school at 16 and went into FT work. None of them got into any sort of trouble. It seems to me that as long as they don't try to claim any sort of benefits, why would anyone care that they're not in education?

havingtochangeusernameagain · 19/11/2019 17:52

She's doing hairdressing and gets on well with the theory sections just not the client side of things, bit of a struggle in that career but even so it's better to finish the course

Would she like teaching hairdressing? I don't know how much experience of actual work you would need but she could finish the course, then do the new version of the PETLS course part-time while working (it's quite a short course so it would be done by Christmas 2020) and then decide what to do next.

havingtochangeusernameagain · 19/11/2019 17:52

(PETLS is the basic further education training course)

LIZS · 19/11/2019 18:00

Don't think it is Pttls any more but even so iirc it is beyond level 3. You can only teach something you are already qualified in to start with and it is for teaching adults. Is she just doing a hairdressing level 3 or as part of an apprenticeship? If she likes retail work she may prefer to be training on the job, which would be more varied and it would build up her confidence. Maybe once she has passed she could find something else to do less directly customer related or selling hair and beauty products.

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