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.

100% this.

Really worth getting your head round the calculations.

And for things like the D*, you basically have to have a D in every module.

Some courses will be reasonably easy to download the spec from the awarding body website - others are more complicated.

I do know that I was tearing my hair out with one of DD's L2 modules trying to actually understand what they wanted them to include. For some the teacher gave them 'example' versions of components that scored top grades so they could see the kind of thing required - that was very helpful.

With DD i found looking at the unit spec with her (when we remembered) really gave her pointers on what to include.

If we had done it consistently she maybe would have ended up with a D overall instead of M on her level1 theory based course.

Also if they ask for 7 bits of info on each of 3 examples, she really did have to include all 21 to get the grade. 20 was not 'sufficient '.

Well.
She's enrolled.
But very, very anxious.
I'm afraid I'm rather losing my patience

What on earth do I say?
She was so adamant she wanted a new start and a new place.
Now its happening and she looks like the walls have crumbled in.
Sigh

When my DD's anxiety soars about trying something new, we try to set a deadline for a debrief. So, she has to give it a week, then we'll have a chat and to see how she's feeling. Sometimes she feels better, other times she doesn't. But usually she'll agree to another deadline and we just keep trudging on until eventually she says she doesn't need a debrief any more.

I also don't blame you for losing your patience. My tongue has been bitten so many times there's hardly anything left of it!

@SuperTrooper1111
I'm gritting my teeth so hard I've given myself a headache! 😫
I've suggested a dry run of the journey which she's keen on.
2 days induction next week then a 3 day week thereafter (timetable tbc)
I think she just wants to start now

Oh no?! What happened?! What has upset her?
I’m so sorry it didn’t all go swimmingly! What has rocked her? Sending a massive 🤗 x

@Sisublondie
Just nerves/anxiety.
This isn't unusual for her but I've found it difficult to deal with today for some reason...
She got great gcse results (much better than her mocks..)
She met the entry requirements easily.
It's a large college in a big city...exactly what she wants.
I dunno.
I'm very irritated by her today 😒

Dd is a bit confused as he English grade on their system was a grade higher than she got...🤷‍♀️
Anyway, it's done.
Hopefully, after the induction days she'll feel better.

I hope its ok for me to join here.

Welcome 👋

Both my ds did btech , one went to uni ( granted he only did year 1 as not for him) other ds is now doing apprenticeship in engineering. Too much pressure of kids to work out career path at 16/17

My DD has so far done (animal care)
. Level 1 work based city&guilds
. Level 1 theory c&g
. Year out (passed english functional skills)
. Level 2 work based c&g & passed maths gcse
About to start a Supported Internship under her EHCP.

I agree.
And despite us never putting pressure on dd, its come from somewhere...peers, school, social media...

Ahhhhhh…I see what you mean.😪 ….It all sounds incredibly overwhelming today….. Maybe the “ drama” ( in that of the unknown and stress ) of last week, coupled with the happiness and relief of her results, has resulted in “ reality biting” today, when she saw her new college and perhaps is having an internal meltdown and panic….
Is her old school of a large size? I’m guessing you’re currently not also in a city? Is she used to travelling to the new city? I know you mentioned suggesting a “ dry run” for her?, do you think that may be adding to her anxiety today?

You must be truly at your wits end. You are absolutely entitled to be so 🤗. x I’d be screaming in my head …”Help me out here!! I genuinely do not know what more I can do!!!”…… It is so hard, as you have had months and months of abject stress about her GCSE revision, then her exams, and then the wait…… and then, when her results were SO much better than her mocks, it should follow that it’s “YAY!!! Sorted!!!! Excellent!!” But, it’s not and it must be maddening..as your DD changed her mind ( which you were fully supportive of) and wanted to do the BTec, had got the grades, got into the college she wanted to do it, and in the city, and, then……. 🤔🤷‍♀️🤔…… it must be absolutely confusing and, horribly, infuriating… I’m so very sorry it’s been so confusing and upsetting today, I can only imagine. I would be feeling exactly the same . I wish I could wave a magic wand,🪄 but sadly I can’t, and all I can suggest is what I have learnt to do with my DS. I would say goodnight to him, let him sleep on it… he knows he can wake me at stupid o clock if he wants to chat, most probably he’d sleep, and I’d go to bed myself. Even if I couldn’t sleep straight away, I’d just distract myself reading or watching something.

So, I think if you can try and get as much rest as you can. But, most importantly, please do not beat yourself up for feeling, frankly, a bit let down/deflated/mentally exhausted and pi&sed off tonight. You must be utterly drained.

I hope you manage to get some sleep 💤 tonight…. and, tomorrow is a whole fresh new day..💓. Sending a huge hug 🤗 x

.. well, the computer never lies…🤷‍♀️😈😹….

@Sisublondie
Thank you so much 💕 That's exactly how I feel. You've summed up my frustrations very well!
It's not about me, but bloody hell, I'm SO irritated by her attitude 😒
She's asked for one of her anti anxiety tablets this evening so I know she's feeling very anxious.
I'll be up until stupid o'clock, no doubt...I don't sleep well when I know she's upset/struggling.
Hoping we can avoid a full blown panic attack 🙏

We live in a village.
Her school has 500 pupils (so very small for a Secondary school)
The FE college is in a big city, which means public transport 😬

Hello! 👋

@swampwitch0
Well, I had an unexpected CT scan at hospital on my (fractured) wrist today and luckily my propranolol were happily in my bag 😹….

Seriously, though, I really hope it helped- as we have said, it’s reassuring the knowledge of them being there, so having asked for one tonight, at least shows she is aware that she is feeling very wobbly tonight.. 🤞💕🤞..it worked…

I do know what you mean about not being able to sleep when you know your DD is struggling . DS’ bedroom is next door, and I can hear when he’s awake. Can hear the tone of his voice, able to ascertain if down, sad, upset.. (. “Is he crying on the phone?? How do I go in without him thinking I’m eavesdropping??)… but, then finally able to try to sleep if I then hear him laugh. I understand, it is so hard, as even when he goes quiet, I then overthink, wanting to check he is safely asleep……. bloody children! 🙄

I hope you do manage to get some rest, even if it’s just lying still with your eyes closed, trying to sleep 🤞 💤 💕

Ditto! Well, the DS primary school is in next village along ( about 45 children in total), their secondary school is in the nearest town, about ten minutes away, about 1450 students, so massive change.

Your DD school is teeny tiny at 500!! I can see why she is excited ( yet nervous?) about big change to Big City .. I’m sure it’s going to work out really well… 🤞🙏🤞..deep breaths.. x

@Lndnmummy

Welcome! Happy for you to join the party 🥳!

My foster son has just completed this course. He got DDM. His cricket improved a lot as well as had county coaches coaching him. He's off in September to study an Integrated Masters on Sports Coaching (Cricket) and Management at Worcester Uni. It's a 4 year course and you get to study in Australia, New Zealand or Shi Lanka in third year. The BTEC taught him time discipline in submitting assignments to deadlines set, great independent research skills, referencing, and he had to do an independent project using research and statistics and write it up as a dissertation. It gave him lots of confidence, he had fun doing it and loved going into college each day, he made new friends and he matured over the 2 years. He did his course at Edgbaston.

Hi everyone,

My DD has just enrolled yesterday at college to do a UAL level 3 course equivalent to 3 A Levels. This is all new to us as my DS did A levels at a sixth form college. She is quite excited about starting next week. I'm quite proud she is not following the crowd, some in her school were very snotty about her college, her form tutor even questioned her choices on her application form (in front of the whole class!) Her GCSE grades were good enough for A levels but she has hated all the pressure of the last two years and revision and final exams so hopefully the applied course will suit her better.

Same here!
I don't have any experience of btecs as I did A levels.
Dh dis btecs, though.
I've printed off the spec and good old chatgpt had come up with a 6 week plan/tips and advice.