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.

Really pleased for you @TeenToTwenties :)

We had DD's parents evening online last night and the teacher was very positive. Said she is doing really well and working at a high level (no grades yet as the way the course works they don't get a grade until the final project in each year).

I mentioned that DD had been finding the once a week compulsory maths lessons boring (she did very well at GCSE so not the resit class) and he said it is a government requirement to continue to teach English and Maths so they do it just to check the box but they try to get through it as quick as possible so they can get back to doing the course. Do other colleges do this?

@OWCAAgentP I mentioned that DD had been finding the once a week compulsory maths lessons boring (she did very well at GCSE so not the resit class) and he said it is a government requirement to continue to teach English and Maths so they do it just to check the box but they try to get through it as quick as possible so they can get back to doing the course. Do other colleges do this?

As far as I am aware maths and English are only mandatory at college for those who don't yet have their level 2. This link seems to agree 2025 to 2026 academic year: 16 to 19 funding: maths and English condition of funding - GOV.UK
I know there was talk about making maths mandatory post 16 for all, but i don't remember it coming in - after all there aren't enough maths teachers as it is ...

Unless you aren't in England as other areas may have different rules?

Will be interested too to hear if other colleges are doing this.

Our college definitely isn’t. Those without a 4 or above in maths have to resit maths but otherwise there are no compulsory maths classes. DS has enough work with all his assignments. I don’t think he’d cope if they threw in extra maths as well.

Never heard of that tbh

DS is doing core maths as part of his course, it's separate class he has to attend. Anyone who got a 4 in maths is doing this, the others are retaking GCSE. He will sit an exam in core maths in May and it's a useful thing to have.

Is your DD getting a qualification out of it or is it just to tick a box?

Sadly no qualification at the end of it as far as I know, he said it was for Ofsted but it seems kind of pointless. On their website it says that students continue to "develop skills in maths and english". It's a shame as DD would love to be doing core maths or some other qualification (actually Maths A level was top of her list if she had not gone for the vocational route). Sigh, I suppose she will just have to put up with it.

No Maths or English here as far as I can see.

There are some writing bits for assignments which I suspect tick an English box, but maths... hmm. Maybe in music industry if they teach them about royalties and split sheets but that's basically it.

Assignment deadlines coming up fast, so DD playing catch up all weekend after being away filming for last couple of weeks. Hopefully she's done what's needed as music is really NOT my thing. I wouldn't even be hired to play the triangle...

I have been giving her a hand with things like laying it out nicely... same font, making sure titles are same size, checking spelling and grammar and helping correct some very clunky sentences etc. Basically a walking, talking spell check programme.

No maths or English at my daughters college for anyone who got 4 or above.

Hey all, sorry been quiet. Back up North at the hospital with Mum, never on my own to catch up.

The Maths and Eng Thing! Yes. DS’s college does it, and it has what I guess they consider a “ catchy phrase” for it! ( I SO cannot remember! I’ll find out when I go home)! I found out about it on sign up day, students were given a slip to go round the hall and sign up, so I saw that. My DS thankfully passed Maths (4), was only 9 off a 4, so has to retake English ( classes of which he thankfully does not whine about!, miracle, I was fully expecting full- on moaning… nope! Little things).. One lecturer told me ALL students are expected to study English and Maths, even if have a 4 upwards. I hadn’t heard about further qualification in Core Maths, tho. I can see why your DC would be disappointed to not receive a further qualification for attending extra classes!

Sorry to hear about your mum @Sisublondie 💙
Hope she feels better soon x

@swampwitch0

Is her PC mended, yet?! That sounded pretty nightmarish!
How is her group work going, now? A case of other group members not pulling their weight must be utterly infuriating !! ( I spoke to DS19 yesterday, he was paired with a classmate who apparently did sod all work for a joint presentation… DS19 did all the PowerPoint etc etc.. literally all the prep, research, citations, etc he got 68% and was furious as feels if his study partner hadn’t been hungover and dodging his calls all the time, he’d have got a First for that assignment ..🤷‍♀️😤)! Anyway!

… so, HOW amazing that she has spoken up and asked to be moved?! 🌟Having the courage to do so truly is progress, indeed! How are things going in this regard? 🤞 hopefully well!

I hope your physio is working ….. how is it feeling at the moment? And is DH fully recovered from his op? And, older DD?, how are things going for her?

Yes, I think it’s been a case of missing his Big Bro! ( or, perhaps, missing my “ later than his Dad will agree to” M-Uber Pick Ups from college town, as my car is still poorly! 😈🙄🤷‍♀️🙄😹!)…

But, indeed!! Almost 🎄🎁💕🎄🌟!!

Thank you…. Had MRI brain scan yesterday, Bone scan first thing tomorrow….. 😼💕…x

Wow! Hope the filming went well! And, good luck finishing the assignments.. 🤞.

I'll be thinking of you both tomorrow @Sisublondie x
Dds PC is ok, it was the monitor (phew)
So we got a better one in the black friday sales
I'm proud of her for speaking up - even though the teacher said she has to stay in the group 🙄 so she spent friday evening delegating all the jobs, which seems to have worked 😊
My back is not great, but I'm keeping moving and chugging paracetamol.
Any of you had dcs gcse certificates yet?

She had an amazing time (so did I 😂) and seems to have managed not to descend into post-fun blues which is a relief. It's a lot more hard work and exhausting than you would ever imagine from the outside, very early starts and long days but a lovely crew/cast/director and she learned a huge amount from it. Hopefully she'll come across well in the final cut... but we have a very long wait for that!

The assignments are insane. A mix of deeply dull 'busy' work that is very box ticky and long winded, and then some that are very complicated and thinky. I would prefer her to have more of the latter and less of the former.

I can see a conversation with their SEN team in the near future. DD is fine if things are chunked, properly explained about 10 times (the first 5 go in one ear and out the other) and a clear mark scheme, list of criteria and preferably some sample answers provided so you can see quantity and quality that is expected for Pass/Merit/Fail.

I fear we are in a school type situation where they haven't yet realised that she has no clue how to ask for help, is likely to say she understands when she doesn't and comes across as clued up and clever which means teachers naturally assume everything is great... until they suddenly realise we actually have a big problem.

My attempts to extract documentation from school's SEND in order to help the college understand have been a total failure so they don't even have that. I am just praying that they're easier to deal with and have a few more resources/time to help her.

Oh god, I really think group projects need to be restructured so they don't penalise students that put the work in. It's so unfair.

@swampwitch0 yes my DD picked up her GCSE certificates last week, they emailed with a date for everyone to go and pick them up.

@Sisublondie hope scans etc go well. Glad to hear DD is not at the only college that does the extra stuff. It's only once a week and it seems to be mainly maths, I guess the english is mostly covered by writing up the projects.

@OhCrumbsWhereNow I'm surprised the school have not passed on SEN stuff to the college, sounds like that should be a regular thing and there should be a system in place. When my DS moved from school to sixth form there was definitely some sort of hand over.

@OWCAAgentP
You would think it was simple wouldn't you!

However, the previous SEND and I have a long and unhappy relationship and after being told everything was sent (incredible given they didn't actually know where they needed to send it), and ultimately saying I would be forced to do an SAR, they handed over what they said they had... which was almost entirely the reports that Primary and I had provided them with back in Y6, a copy of her CAT4 scores and the AA form.

To say I was appalled was an understatement but it does go some way to explain the lack of support over the previous 5 years.

The AA form is not even correct - but I imagine the argument would be that she got AA even if it wasn't for the correct reasons that she should have done so why am I moaning. I did make it very clear to school what I thought of that department (which was also sad as with that exception, DD was extremely happy there and almost everything else was better than we could have hoped for).

Thankful I a) have a lot of Ed Psych reports from Primary and b) DD is very obviously at the severe end of dyslexic so I don't have to prove anything but I feel slightly weak at the thought of having to have the conversations.

Dd is NOT enjoying the group work!

Evening all, how is everyone?!

Back home from my Mum’s again. Waiting game for her results, so catching up!

Well, we finally heard that DS ‘s Certificate ready to be collected. Not told him yet as he is in a good mood, and I don’t want to rock the boat over the weekend! They can collect from student services, or at Speech Night ( which he is not going to!).

So, he’s got his next assignment due in on 15/12, and he’s on top of it, I think. I’m not overly cheer as to his holiday dates, there have been quite a few days cancelled due to “ staff shortages” since I’ve been up and down from up north.

How’s everyone doing? Anyone got their 🎄up, yet?!

😸

ps- yes. I absolutely agree as to group work! @swampwitch0… HOW is your DD doing with hers, now?! 🤞🙄

@Sisublondie
Dd picked her gcse certificates up last week, but the school haven't sent out an email so if I hadn't contacted them we wouldn't have known they were available 🤷‍♀️
She is really annoyed at her college work group who are simply not working - I've told her its not work that is being graded, so to do her part and let the others sort themselves out.
My back is a bit better, but shoulder still very sore.
Older dd is complaining of a sore throat and looks very pale...she tends to get tonsillitis around Christmas every year ☹️
Hoping its "just" a virus 🙏
Dh is recovering from his minor op.
It all feels a bit "meh" atm 😐

@swampwitch0Oh no to older DD’s possible tonsillitis! 🤒.. that would be horrid! What is the current “ protocol” of getting the nasty things removed?? It was super common when I was at school, I’m sure? For some inexplicable reason, I was 22, I think, when I had my tonsillectomy- which was pretty grim. (I remember the ENT ward being full and I was shoved on the Geriatric Psych ward in a big Liverpool hospital… woke from my anaesthetic to having a tall, skinny, but extremely strong women sat on my bed, slapping my legs and screaming “ Y’allrriighhtttt giirrrrrlllllllllll?!”, and a nurse asking if I wanted morphine and the woman wrestling the drugs from her. Woke from that haze to find my parents had paid £6 for me to be moved to some empty 4 bed ward where I was forgotten about, not in a good way!). I digress! Have any doctors recommended a tonsillectomy? Or, as I said, is it not current protocol? Oh, I do so hope (!) it’s “ just” (!) a virus! 🤞 🦠

Good that DH is still on the mend.. and your back.. I’m so sorry to hear that your shoulder is still very sore…. Is there any plan / further investigation in place? Any chance of Pilates?🧘‍♀️, that could hopefully help mobility wise, but possibly more going forward, so as to avoid further injury/ pain? ( I’m lucky in that my village hall is less than a minute walk, and so hard to excuse not popping there 🙄😹).

Good you got the certificates!! That’s so shabby not being given a heads up! I think the tone of ours was similar, they they had been getting chased, or that former students were turning up demanding them!! ( prob having discovered on “ socials” that others had them!! )!

Good advice on the work group! Plus, I’m sure the teaching staff are savvy enough to recognise the layabout ones, who aren’t pulling their weight!

Im really sorry that’s it’s all still a bit meh…… Have you got any plans over Christmas that you are looking forward to: or can make, to put a little spring in your step? 🤞🙏💕.. sending big 🤗 x

I chased DD's certificates with college last week, they are working through them apparently.
Still waiting on final placement info.
Breaks up Thur 18th so only 5 more days in college this year, then a balance between resting and not getting too bored over the break.

That's the thing, isn't it?
Dds mh took a nosedive over the Christmas/NY break last year, so I'm a bit anxious about it ☹️