Sports BTEC - for child with no clue re future plans!

[jeebiesheebies]

DS is yr11. He’s not particularly academic but should pass all his GCSEs and (hopefully) get a smattering of 6s with the potential for a couple of 7s. He is open about that fact that he doesn’t enjoy learning, sadly, though enjoys school overall. He’s doing PE and business GCSE.
He’s always been incredibly sporty, plays competitively in a couple of sports plus extra in school, in addition he goes to the gym, runs etc.
He doesn’t want to do A Levels so is looking at doing an extended BTEC at college (3 A level equivalent).
Initially he was going to do business but now is gravitating more towards the sports and exercise one. He genuinely does not know what he wants to do next, so no great desire to be a PT, physio, PE teacher etc. He is keen to get some coaching qualifications so he can start to earn money. These would be taken alongside the BTEC. At the moment he’s adamant that he does not want to go to uni.

I’ve said I’ll support whatever choice he makes, with my only expectation being that he stays in full time education till 18. I think the sports BTEC makes sense because sport genuinely is his passion. But now a part of me is concerned about the “what next?” aspect. Will having the sports BTec disadvantage him if he decided to go down a non-sport route at 18? I’m hoping he’ll look for an apprenticeship at that stage. Would the fact that he’s got a level 3 qualification / 3 a level equivalent put him on a par with other kids who who have done three generic A levels? What I meen by that is, he’s never going to do science / maths / language a levels so be in a position to apply for things where they are essential such as engineering / medicine etc anyway.

Am I just overthinking this?

My son did the sport BTec, he thought he might want to be a pe teacher or something along those lines however he dropped the course at the end of year 1 - he lost interest and found it quite difficult when it started to focus on the biology & medical/injuries aspect

What did he do instead @TheFinePrintess? I need to make sure that DS is fully aware of the science content. I mean, he is to a point already, but just make sure he’s going in with his eyes open. He’s predicted 6:6 for science and the entry requirements are 4 so it should be academically manageable. It’s just whether he’s interested in that, I guess!

My DS is doing sports science BTEC (double not triple) and business studies AS (can extend to A level if he gets a merit) which I think is a good compromise between his wish to just do sports and my wish for him to widen his options.

@PumpkinTwistyWindTootswe’ve discussed this option but at the moment he’s adamant that he does not want to do A levels in any form / combination!

I guess my main question is: when he applies for an apprentice at 18 with A Random company, will his BTEC sport (hopefully with good grades) be viewed the same an his friend who’s taken PE, history and English a level?

Don't forget that he'll be in a class with other kids who do have an idea of what they are doing next - and staff who can signpost and support in where he can go with it.

He could find through being in that environment that there are things neither of you have thought about that interest him, and then could easily find something related after that.

Yes of course. That’s what I need to remember! A lot will change over the next couple of years including the people around around him who can help guide and steer him.
I need to remember he’s the one doing the course so it makes sense to study sport because he’s clearly enjoys it so much, even if right now he’s got no clue about what to do when he’s 18!

Check out the syllabus for the BTEC and look at entry criteria for apprenticeships, a wide variety of subjects - UCAS now have apprenticeship information. Then work backwards to ensure maximum choice at 18. Gain a full awareness of the course elements, plus try to talk to someone already on year two of the BTEC, but don't just listen to the 'sales' talk from the college. Demand for apprenticeships is increasing, which means that so too is the pool from which employers can choose, so think about what work experience/ additional experience he can also add at 18. Also start applying for apprenticeships at the end of Year 12, not as he finishes the course.

My DS did Sport BTech and Science BTech. TBH I think he took them because he wanted an easy life. He went on to do an Accountancy Apprenticeship and had bought his own house at 24 so it all worked out for him.

That’s good to hear. I don’t think DS wants an easy life as such. I don’t think A levels would play to his strengths, although a single one along side a BTec could be ok (though he’s saying no).

My son did an extended sports Btech. He was accepted by a Russell Group university for a subject he hadn’t studied since GCSE. This was partly due to his wider experiences, and on his UCAS personal statement he was able to demonstrate his commitment to the subject.
He had no idea at 16 what he wanted to do. We went with the idea that if he is studying something he is interested in he will do well, and that would help open doors at the next level, when he had a clearer view as to what he wanted to do next, and that appeared to work for him.

That’s really reassuring! Can I ask what his wider experiences were that helped?

Thanks! I just had a look at the apprenticeship section. It’s quite hard to dig down into it as many of the entry requirements just say “A level or equivalent”. If it really is just that, then it’s fine. Those that require specific maths / science quals wouldn’t be for DS anyway as he absolutely does not want to take maths or science at college. Other than the science components of the sports BTEC of course.

BTEC Level 3 and A Levels are equivalent and create the same UCAS points. Obviously, if he was going to uni and wanted to do something academic, it wouldn’t look as good as the a level history English etc. But if he wanted to go down the sports route, Or something related to that, It is the equivalent of a level and wouldn’t be looked down on. If he is certain he doesn’t want to do something academic at uni than it would be the better option for sure. The only other thing to consider is that it is quite limiting only having a qualification in the one subject.

FWIW a mate of DS2's who took sport Btec got in to Loughborough to study sports science – which as you may know is a very high bar. A Btec is accepted instead of A-levels by many universities (not all) – though I know you say he doesn't want to go to uni. But just to know not having A levels is only a barrier to unis like Oxford (and obvs any course where the subject doesn't fit).

He should know there is quite a bit of science in post-16 sport quals. DS took A level PE and A level biology and used to say heh was basically doing double biology. I don't know the Btec spec so well but it's worth looking into if he is not so keen on science. If his love is actual sport, what does he think he might do at 18? Might be worth looking at a few apprenticeship options just to see what kind of thing might be available.

@jeebiesheebieshe had played sport at county level, done lots of volunteer coaching at various levels including getting involved in a mentoring project. He managed to get some experience coaching alongside someone who coaches a national youth sport. All of this helped him to see he wanted to keep sport as a hobby, and not relevant for his chosen subject, but I think it helped demonstrate that when he’s interested in something he likes get involved in it!

Thanks. I’m not concerned about it being a BTEC v A levels. He’s not going to be applying to Oxbridge / Imperial if he does change his mind about uni. He’d be aiming for the type of universities that would accept a BTEC as an acceptable qualification! I guess it’s more about him doing a sport-focused level 3 course, but then applying to apprenticeships etc that are not sports related. I would hope that the BTEC is acceptable as it demonstrates that he is capable of level three study (hopefully with an excellent grade too) as much as three “random” a levels would.

He’d be aiming for the type of universities that would accept a BTEC as an acceptable qualification - tbf that's most universities, certainly many that are very well thought of, including plenty of RG unis and as I say, Loughborough for a course that has very high A level reqs.

Places like Warwick and Birmingham put in a number of caveats and do not accept Btec for every course – but that might be bc the relevant course is not available as a Btec (Eng lit for example).

As far as apprenticeships go, like I say, best to have a look at a few (not with a view to applying now obvs) to see what kinds of levels they accept. https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/

We are in a similar position... my slight reservation about the BTEC route is the grading .... As I understand it the distinction/merit/pass are broadly equivalent of A/ C/ E at a level. So where uni courses need eg 2 or 3 Bs i am thinking it means getting more Distinctions, which could be a struggle for my very non-academic but hardworking DS. It's hard to know whether that is a genuine concern without knowing where/what he may be applying for in 2 years time.

An extended diploma at level 3 is marked similar to the science dual award.

All the units individually get P, M or D. Then the points from all of them are added up and the final grade starts from DstarDstarDstar all the way through eg DDM, DMM, MMM, MMP to PPP.

@taffy
i found this online which is helpful?

I understand what you're saying OP and I think that there's some justification in your concerns. A lot of people have very poor understanding of what post 16 qualifications in sport/PE involve - there was a thread on here fairly recently about A level PE which demonstrated a broad range of misconceptions and prejudices. My DS did A level PE which attracted a fair amount of scorn from some quarters, though thankfully not from University admissions tutors. If I had a DC who was putting all their eggs in this particular basket I'd probably share your concerns though I'd be hoping that people involved in recruitment were somewhat better informed than the general public.
However, I also think that there is a lot to be said for young people playing to their strengths. If your DS is really interested and engaged in the course, puts the work in and gets a good grade I'd say that is a far more positive result than if he does something he is less interested in and just scrapes through.
I'm not familiar with the BTEC syllabus but I believe that on the whole the courses are more practically based than A levels in the same subject. He might have to think a little bit harder than some other candidates about how he "sells" the course and his experience if he applies for unrelated jobs or future study but I'm sure there will be loads of transferable skills involved. If he was in the position of choosing between 2 courses that he liked equally and was probably going to do equally well in I'd say choose the one with the broadest content, but if not, I'd pick what he has a passion for and is likely to do well in over something he feels he has to do because it's "sensible" but has no real interest in.

Thanks @MrsAvocetI remember that PE A level thread! I genuinely don’t think that people IRLsee things the same as that snapshot on MN. Otherwise everyone would be doing STEM A levels and going to a Russell Group uni!

DS is adamant that he doesn’t want to do A levels. He was leaning towards the business BTec but now is more inclined towards the sport one. Personally I think he’ll do better in the sports one as he loves sport. So better grades should make it easier to “sell” when the time comes. The content is really interesting and I think he would be able to demonstrate lots of transferable skills.

Spotted this thread and having similar discussions with my DC. How is your son finding PE GCSE? Is he comfortable with the science content? I had one DC do the lower level Sport BTEC (gcse equivalent) and the content was pretty dry. My second DC is doing GCSE PE which is tougher science wise with much more evidence of sporting ability required.
BTECs are great for the more practical elements and coursework versus the PE GCSE your son will be familiar with.

He’s enjoyed it but he’s not done as well as we’d hoped. He’s predicted a 5 after completing his mock. He’s done very well in the practical sport component but not as well on the exam. Biology is his least favourite science, sadly!
He’s now looking to do a combination of sport and business at 6th form.