Where to do IB in midlands (or England)?

[SleepWhenAmDead]

Recommendations please for my son. Just finished GCSEs. Would like to start IB in Sept(!). There's nothing in our county.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions

https://www.ibo.org/programmes/find-an-ib-school/

Depending on where you are in the Midlands, there's KE in Edgbaston / Bromsgrove School / Oakham / Rugby / Malvern College?

(Rather obvious comment, that he / you have left it a little late, though...?).

He didn't get the grades for the sixth form lace/ A levels he wanted to go to so am looking at other options (not A levels).

He got lower than predicted. He has his heart set on a foreign language.

Thank you for getting back to me. That's really helpful.

I don’t know where does the IB but I think it may be a mistake to imagine it is easier than A levels if grades are too low for that option.

What grade did he get in MFL GCSE? Might it be better to choose a more vocational course and keep up the MFL in another way?

My DC's school (Hockerill Anglo European College in Hertfordshire) does the IB, and has good value boarding options if it's too far to commute. But if his grades aren't high enough for A levels then they're probably not high enough for IB either?

My mate teaches at one of those places mentioned. From previous conversations if he didn't get the grades for A levels then it unlikely he will cope with IB, even if money secures a place. Are there any apprenticeships where he can do something with MFL?

He missed by 7 marks. He has ADHD/ASD and he messed up the writing paper. Instead of staying within the word limit he got engrossed in the task and wrote a lot which wouldn't have been marked. I honestly think it's exam technique rather than ability on this occasion.

I also feel that a broader range of subjects would suit him better than choosing three, especially as he has no idea about future plans.

Due to the ASD, he struggles with uncertainty so all our hopes were pinned on this sixth form. If I tried to discuss other options it was incredibly distressing for him. Currently he is upset. He has grades in other subjects that would qualify him for A levels but he's rigid about doing his original subjects.

I'm now trying to regroup as fast as I can. I think an apprenticeship might suit him but he says he has no idea what he wants to do and they are hard to find. Our LA are pretty rubbish and it's very hard to find a mainstream school to suit.

@Tarahumara
He got 6 for Spanish which your school said they would accept. I was looking at your school yesterday. Would you recommend? Thanks

There are a couple of state schools who do IB in Cambridge but I echo another poster. It is not an easier option and indeed with the wider spread of subjects would it actually be more suitable?

He missed by 7 marks. He has ADHD/ASD and he messed up the writing paper. Instead of staying within the word limit he got engrossed in the task and wrote a lot which wouldn't have been marked. I honestly think it's exam technique rather than ability on this occasion.

Do you mean for the MFL writing? The examiner will mark all that is written. Tho tbh the quality does tend to go down if a student overwrites.

As an MFL specialist I wouldn't be keen on accepting a student with a 6 for A level unless there was a big mitigating factor and the 6 was unexpected. One key aspect of the A level exam (AQA anyway) is the writing of summaries which MUST be written to the required length.

@SleepWhenAmDead yes I would recommend, my DC are happy and doing well (they're day pupils not boarders).

Wqe in Leicester used to offer it but you need higher not lower grades than a levels, it's no easy option.

My advice is to avoid mfl at a level unless you are near fluent anyway, dd had a*'s and still struggled because nearly all the kids were bilingual or at least had grandparents of that nationality, the handful that didn't either dropped out or parents hired tutors (found out afterwards)

I looked into IB recently for my kids. I agree with PP that it sounds like a lot more work than doing a-levels. Add in his ADHD and I would be very concerned that he would struggle.
The jump from gcse to a-level mfl is notoriously big. If he usually gets 8s and 9s and just had a dodgy day, then you may be able to persuade a local 6th form to take him. If not, then he needs to be thinking beyond mfl.
You have my sympathies. I am all too familiar with the rigidity you talk of, and the associated frustration as a parent. However, I don't think this is a situation where you should try to magically fix it for him. I don't think you can. He needs time to adjust and regroup (something our education system annoyingly doesn't allow), then he needs to make a choice based on his interests and abilities and go from there. He needs to come up with the answers.

Just checked with mate said standard level IB is easier but higher- no.

IB parent here. Given your son has ASD and didn't get the grades for AL, please don't consider IB. It has been traumatic for my DS and has exacerbated ADHD in some people as it is an intense/tough, fast paced course

As far as I'm aware, all of those are.selective schools. KE is massively picky and I imagine Rugby too. Honrstly if he didnt get the grades he would be very lucky to get in.

Bromsgrove may have a little more leeway .. they certainly do at 11+. I don't know about the others.

I assume you're looking for independent as I've not heard of IB in the state sector.

You can try phoning admissions for each and see what they say

I'm so sorry your DS is going through this it must be very difficult for all of you

Impington village college and Parkside community college do the IB in Cambridge. Both state.

I would echo other posters - it is much harder than a levels and the workload is a lot worse.

Ok. Thanks so much to everyone for the feedback. The 6 as unexpected but he is an unpredictable boy.

It has been like trying to force a square peg in a round hole all through his education. I thought maybe the IB is the mythical square hole I'd been looking for.

We'll keep looking. I would love for him to have time, but the rest of his age group go back to school/college next Wed/Thurs so I'm feeling a bit of time pressure.

His sister got 3xA* a couple weeks ago and is off to Uni. So proud of her. So gutted for him.

Another vote for not doing the IB.

How about he enrols for A Levels without Spanish but works towards a Spanish qualification outside school.

The Spanish government has tests for various levels of course.

https://londres.cervantes.es/en/spanish_exams/spanish_exams_info.htm

THere are also evening classes.

@sashh
That's very helpful. Thank you. There is a Spanish A Level evening class locally so I was going to offer to do that with him.

I think he would be very happy to do Spanish government exams

Would a btec work for him with Spanish on the side as above?
He is upset, but probably won't stop being upset until he has a plan. I would spend the morning printing out various local options for him, then sit him down this afternoon and run through what is available. Then leave him to come up with a plan, with an aim to start calling colleges tomorrow.

Another option is King's Interhigh... They do it online but not sure what the entry requirements are

Are there not just ordinary school near you that will take him into Spanish with a grade 6? A 7 seems a high entry bar for a normal state school, especially since languages struggle to recruit and need bums on seats to survive.

All the schools near me (which still have the staff and uptake to offer A Levels) require a 5 or above. I am not saying that's the ideal starting point but it's the facts!

Is he currently at a selective school?

I have found Sandwell College to be really good and very supportive of my foster son. It's in West Midlands. Have a look at wide range of courses they offer. You might find a BTEC worth 2 A levels and a single A level in a language would be available to him.

I agree with this - especially if he was a few marks off a 7. Have you asked the local state schools?