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.

Hey! Oh, that is so heartening to hear! I am hearing so many people mention similar…. how their children were so unhappy at their school and are “ blossoming” now.

You know how we have all mentioned at some point how our knowledge of BTEC wasn’t great, prior to this? What strikes me is how in my experience colleges seem to actually want their students to succeed, and will praise/ support any effort that is being made, as opposed to some schools, who only see lack of success and penalise for supposed “ lack of effort “…… Anyway!

My DS experience is all good, right now, too. I’m happy yours is still enjoying his!

That's great to hear!
College the right choice for us as well.
Hard to believe we/I spent so much of last year angsting over GCSEs, A Level choices or the BTEC.
I am not sure DS is working hard but he is happy and engaged and making lots of new friends.

DD has gone back into college for the first time since the 23rd October today. They had a teacher training day, then half term, then last week work set online because of GCSE exams. I think she was a bit nervous this morning but hopefully she will come home feeling a bit more relaxed.

As with others I think college was the right choice for her and she is really enjoying the course. Finding it quite hard to make friends though as the college is really big and she is only there three days a week. Her actual class is quite small but I think they are all pretty quiet and don't talk much. She has a college trip in January so it would be great if she could get to know some of the others going before then.

My dd was the same...it was too long off imo

I know!!! It seems light years away!!!!

Yes, I know what you mean…. But, sometimes just knowing they are happier than before is just the next feeling in the world! I’m happy your DS is happy 😸……!

@OWCAAgentP… I just wanted to say that I hope your DD was ok back at college, today. That is a long stretch off.

I understand what you’re saying about making friends. It must be really hard, with small class, big college and perhaps not much opportunity to meet others outside of class… Hopefully the college trip may have opportunities beforehand, for met

@OWCAAgentP…… sorry! Opportunities for meeting up with others going on the trip, as hopefully will be students off other course, also looking to make friends prior to the trip… 🤞🙏…

Well….. yay to the 🦷 being good! 😼… I’m so sorry that the rest is still crappy. Well done on getting a GP appointment.. hopefully you can get some advice/ diagnosis regarding your shoulder/arm pain…. ( and maybe mention you’re feeling a bit shabby, overall, too…..🤷‍♀️.. just an idea. It may help, just even verbalising it….. 🤗) x

I hope that DD was ok in college today…..🤞.. and DH is over his op…

@OWCAAgentP my DD is also in a small class and a big college and finding it hard to make friends. She’s enjoying her course but it would be so much nicer if she had a friend.

We are lucky that the half term was just one week! She’s in only three days so it seemed like a week and a half but I can’t believe how long some of yours have been out! That is tough.

Hi all,
Hope you're managing to stay dry...it's raining biblically here I don't have enough wood to build an ark, sadly
Dd has been voted as her class rep for student council!
She's really enjoying the course.
She has a very busy social weekend, so I'll be mum taxi again 😩
My shoulder is very sore (rotator cuff? Except I haven't I injured it?..)
So I'm going to try and arrange some physio.
Hope all the dc are enjoying their courses...I always think this is the worst term...wet dark, cold, everyone just wants to get home after class.
It'll pick up in the Spring 😊🌸

Good news for us yesterday.

School decided not to submit GCSE papers we requested for review and ignored all my chaser emails. Spoke to the exam board who have been amazing and after submitting evidence that DD had requested, chased etc, their panel decided to allow a very late review at the beginning of last week.

Got the results back yesterday afternoon, and the English Lang paper 1 went up 8 marks and 2 grades. So an overall grade rise on the whole exam. She now has near identical scores on all the English papers rather than 3 the same and one massively lower.

I feel very vindicated!

Obviously now I have to try and sort out getting new documentation and certificates with the new higher grade since they've all been printed and sent out to schools.

@OhCrumbsWhereNow
Brilliant 👏
Dds school didn't send her drama paper for review as I requested but 🤷‍♀️
Dds not bothered luckily I am

That’s horrible! I can’t believe the school did that! Good for you pushing it.

No GCSE certificates given to my dd yet. I’ve been wondering how they will give them to students who are now at college.

Many secondary schools have a certificates presentation evening.
Otherwise they may contact to say ready to collect in person.
Or send them directly.

They only come out about now-ish.

We have to send in time that we plan to come and collect them. I'm just waiting for confirmation from exam board on what happens with the replacement.

@teafor1 thanks, I was pretty furious. They don't know I went over their heads direct yet.

I think dds exam certificates are ready to collect this month sometime

@swampwitch0…. Yay!! You survived the storm, too! Bloody nasty, wasn’t?! We had power cut- was down all over round here- trees and power lines down… DS was desperate to escape the Amish life, so I took him to the town where his college is to a friends this morning, my beloved car sadly starting dying again on the way…..🤯!

How did your taxi duty go?? I hope you got some opportunity to get some rest for your shoulder, tho 🤞 .. how is it feeling? And, how are you feeling, generally? Hopefully a little perkier, despite the biblical storm hell! Were you flooded?! Roads were hideous, too, weren’t they?! Snowy frost on the horizon…….?!🤷‍♀️🙀?! ..

Your final sentence ..” it’ll pick up in the spring”….. made me smile….! Moreso as, was it a factual statement?! Or, just a begging, desperate plea?! 🤗

I totally get you about drama review!! I’d be cross, too, but, thankfully DD isn’t, otherwise……..🙀.. I’m still gutted DS Combined science didn’t increase by bloody one mark to get 4. Fuming! Oh well!

I hope DD is ok for the week ahead. DS has classes on Monday and Tuesday cancelled for staff absence again!

Get good rest for the

Hi @Sisublondie
Cackling away at "Amish way of life"! 🤣🤣
A car got submerged here in the flood waters!
Hoping they've reduced by Thursday 😬
My shoulder is very sore and I'm fed up of it ☹️ I'm a very poor patient
I think my comment about Spring was both my honest view and a desperate plea to the universe! 🙏
Dd has had a busy social weekend which isn't always great tbh...lots of social anxiety ☹️
Dh can drive again now, so hoping I can chill out a bit this week
Hope you have a good week x

Hope everyone is ok? Just bumping the thread as it slipped right down my list.
Seem to be in a rhythm and a routine.
Only attending four days means no one is as hanging tired as we were (me certainly!) during the school years. Still, not keen on this term with its cold and darkness and not really much in the way of Christmas cheer/nativity plays to look forward to.
Just over three weeks to go!

DD has hopefully got a placement for her Supported Internship, apparently the paperwork is being done, but I won't fully believe it until I see it.

Hi 👋
Dds pc has broken 😢🙄
Other than that she seems ok...not long to go until christmas 🎄break!

Helllllloooooo, how are we all?! I’ve been busy on nursing duty ooop north ( with even crapper WiFi than I have at home!), and back home for a few days before I head back up at the weekend.

DS is now into his third week of being really “off” with me. I don’t know whether it’s because I’m not doing almost nightly late pick ups from his college town, and a- he’s having to get his home or b- he’s having problems and won’t talk about them, or c- almost anything else! I know he perks up when I mention his bro calling from Uni, so maybe he’s really missing him.. I don’t know! He briefly barked out that he’d finished his outstanding assignments, and had previously mentioned he has two college visits on Thursday/ Friday this week to course related venues, but at the moment I’m too scared to even bright and breezily go “ Hey! So! Are you all excited for……”?! 🤷‍♀️..

Anywsy! I’m just going to play catch up, and see how everyone is…….! 😸

Ooooohhhhh nooooooooo!!! What the hell happened?! That is a serious drama…..🙄🙀!

And, how are you?? How is your shoulder doing? Physio helping? I so hope it’s even a tad better…… 🤞 🙏💕x..

Yes, a month today!! 🎄 🌟😻

What EXCELLENT NEWS!! Oh, congratulations!!!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟! Oh, I truly hope that the paperwork is getting done and dusted… what an amazing relief that will be!! 😸

@Sisublondie
No idea...it just won't work 😬
Had physio today, so it's a bit sore 😩
Dd seems ok...it's a lot of work and she's not enjoying the group work 😕
But, she has started to speak up wrt group partners and is going to ask to be moved (usual stuff...dd is the only one doing anything..)
It's progress..she absolutely would not have spoken up even 6 months ago
Sorry to hear about ds...perhaps he is missing his brother, as you say?
Almost 🎄🎁😀💙