BTEC/T level/other vocational 25/26

[BTECnewbie]

Hello all. My DS will hopefully be starting a level 3 extended diploma in September (assuming he gets the grades). I know very little about BTECs having come through the A level route myself. So I’d love to have a support thread for parents of kids taking vocational qualifications this year.

Apparently, a 2nd year student last year commuted 2 hours each way to dds college 😲

Thank you- you are, too. I like how sometimes what can literally just be a simple, brief post can really brighten your mood, so thanks for always doing that 😸

@swampwitch0 @BTECnewbie..

Yes, I’m suprised by how much work they have! I’m also an ex A Level person, and just remember exam hell, certainly no working over half term nonsense! I do feel confident at the moment that DS has support from his lecturers in terms of what is expected from him. His last assignment was by way of spoken Q&A, and he had prepared it report-style, but he was happy how it went. I think I will try and find out from his ALS support the number/ dates of assignments, as DS doesn’t give the due dates but I think I am probably so used to school work! He seems to have things in hand!

Ah, yes, now, the work experience! Now. I really do need help ascertaining what is required here- mixed messages!!! And, @swampwitch0, you have a heads up for next year?!

Are you in the Midlands? A friend's daughter has a business part of which is dog sitting.

Sadly not, South Coast.

I’m sorry placements are so difficult to find. I thought work experience was hard so this must be so much worse!

I’m finding it interesting that everyone’s young person has a lot of work and assignments. Mine is on a level two vocational course and has no work outside of college it seems. Does that sound normal? I have no communication from the college so I have no idea of course requirements or how she is doing!

That's a shame.

@teafor1 it depends on the college. Some will only have students in all day every day and expect assignments to be done in the college.

Some will only have students in for there actual lessons / lectures.

If DD were a bit more emotionally stable and could drive then dog sitting / dog walking would be excellent for her. At the moment she benefits from at least some supervision, and we had to pause driving lessons as they were too much on top of college.

@sashh she’s at college for two long days 9-5 and one shorter day 9-2:30 and she needs the equipment there to do anything so you are right all the work must be completely on-site. I didn’t release that others may have less on-site time.

Dd does 2 full days and half a day.
She has to do quite a bit of work at home - far more than either of us realised tbh - but her timetable does state "research/work at home" on the days she isn't in.
Despite my advice to "eat the frog" and do her least favourite tasks first, she spends the most time on her favourite subject, then gets agitated that she hasn't got much time on her least favourite 🙄😬
Luckily, dd does have some equipment at home, which helps.
We also installed photoshop on her PC (no guarantee of a PC being available if she went into college)
The current issue is realising she won't have as much time for her hobby 😬

DS also does 2 full days and 1 half day. Then he does a lot of work on his days at home. His course is vocational but not practical if that makes sense. So he is mostly researching topics and then writing reports and developing slides. I expect if it is more practical or needs specific software there will be less expected at home.

I guess it also depends on the size of the BTEC. My DS is doing the extended diploma which is worth 3 A levels whereas I know some kids doing versions that are only worth 2 A levels so I guess that will make a difference.

I’m not sure if there is a difference in workload between level 2 and level 3. I always assumed level 2 would be less as some will be doing GCSE resits as well. That’s just my guess though and I might be wrong. Certainly DS would have struggled to do his current course plus any resits.

Yes, level 3 here, too.
I'd assume that level 2 would be less intense?
Sadly, a lot of colleges here are getting rid of their level 1 & 2 courses ☹️

It’s a great shame if they lose the level 1 and level 2 as there are so many kids who aren’t ready for level 3 straight from year 11. DS was borderline for doing level 2/3 and was grateful that a level 2 option was available should he have needed it.

My DDs' experience on workload:

Level 1 -Work based and then Theory based: No work required at home. DD was able to have dodgy attendance and still get everything completed easily within time at college.
Level 2 (work based). Could get almost everything done at college with maybe an average of 1hr weekly at weekends. This was with good attendance at college and passing/nearly passing most assignments first time, so little re-work. Did put in extra before the multi-choice exams, which she passed first time.

Level 3 (other DD, different course) Definitely considerably more work required at home (though not helped by having BF at college so we suspect little work done there even in free periods). Assignments much harder too in terms of research and analysis.

Thanks everyone. DDs course is 100% practical/hands on and it’s level 2 so you’ve made me feel better she’s not doing anything out of school. Many of her classmates are doing resits (luckily she is not). For her course everyone has to start at level 2 and if they pass that they move on to level three for the second year.

@BTECnewbie
Yes...it's awful.

I think that's really sensible.
Good that no resits required...I think dd would really struggle with BTEC work and resits

I think it's occurring to dd that she may not have as much time for her hobby ☹️

My DD does actually have some homework for half term 😁. Also a piece she did was assessed and she’s done well (though I have no idea what the standard is!) so I’m happy. Her teacher has suddenly left which is strange but they’ve got a new one and she likes him - phew.

@swampwitch0 my dd is struggling with energy for all her hobbies. I fear somethings got to give.

@TeenToTwenties it seems a drivers licence it’s important for these practical courses our kids are on. My son is doing A levels but wants to do an apprenticeship after and the application of what he wants asked about a drivers licence. He’ll be 18 soon and I’m thinking of giving him lessons for birthday and Xmas. I’m sorry your dd isn’t up for that right now. It’s hideously expensive and I don’t understand how they are supposed to practice with adding them to our insurance is so much.

Dd is currently refusing to learn to drive 🙄
Dd1 passed 3 years ago, which has meant that she could get herself to university and back, do pt jobs in the summer and is now working all over doing supply
Tbf to dd, it would be very hard to park where she is based and cost ££
Not sure what her plans are post 18, but if she goes to a local university, then it's possible via public transport and one of the best degree courses in her subject is at a university not far from here

@teafor1
Dd has not tried out for a main event this time, and is just helping out and has said she doesn't want to be involved at all for the next event (this is totally about the committee members involved..bad experience last time..)
So it may be that she ends up with 2/3 months off -but she can qualify for the adult events once she's 18 next year...

The driving thing is quite interesting. It’s complicated for DS, as he is epileptic. Plus we live in a rural area with zero public transport to get out of the village….. DS19 passed in June, but then was involved in the accident and his car was written off ( with ten months insurance paid left to run) so now no car currently for DS to learn in when he finally gets his provisional ( after medical stuff). DS19 has a few friends who haven’t bothered learning, and yes, @swampwitch0, he is exactly as you mention your DD, even if his car was still alive, there is zero way he’d have it up in Edinburgh.

I am definitely seeing that a driving licence seems more necessary for practical BTEC courses for some. DS will need one for his hopeful profession, in any event, whether we lived back in London, or out here in the “arse-end of nowhere, Mother!….WHY???!!”! 🙄🙀😹!

I hope all that goes well. I know how much their hobbies mean to them. DS19 has now started playing team football, and he is so happy to get back to it, he was really missing it. I hope she is enjoying helping out, in the interim.

Good news from college yesterday evening. My 'second list' of potential placements has yielded a retail business DD could walk to who are interested in taking her. It isn't hands on animals but is animal-adjacent, and she could walk to it. It is a business we use so she is familiar enough with the inside of it already, and she could walk to it. I know they do take on paid part time stuff too so it definitely would have the possibility of turning into paid work if it all works out.

Did I mention she could walk to it?