Bouncing back from poor GCSEs - in praise of BTEC (edited by MNHQ at request of OP)

[Passingthrough123]

I’m sharing this as a message of encouragement/hope for any parents with DC about to take GCSEs who are struggling academically and are worried about next steps and think A-Levels might be too much for them.

That was my DD16 this time last year. She had major anxiety (needed CAMHs referral for therapy in end) and her mock grades were low. We knew A-Levels might finish her off so after coming on MN for advice, we looked at a BTEC in animal management because ultimately she wants to work with animals.

Her GCSEs were even worse than we feared. She only passed 3 above grade 4 and the rest were 3. We were so upset for her but hid our disappointment and tried to stay positive - we knew how much she’d struggled sitting so many exams and a practical qualification in a subject she loved might be a better fit. But it was so hard seeing all her peers get decent grades and head off to sixth form. It was hard not to think that we had failed as parents too.

Then there was a slight setback on college enrolment day. Because she hadn’t got a science at grade 4, she’d have to start at Level 2, where she could learn animal biology. It would be a one-year course that, should she do well, would get her to Level 3.

Yesterday our girl came through the front door looking the happiest I’ve ever seen her coming home from a day’s learning. She’d sat a mock test last week and found out she got 98%! She hasn’t scored so highly since primary. She was also told she’s on track to pass her course with Distinction, meaning she’ll have the equivalent of four more GCSEs at grades 7/8 as far as employers are concerned. She loves the practical elements of BTEC, including sorting out her own work experience, and finds the written work more than manageable.

It’s like having a different child, frankly. And the stress and worry that we carried while she struggled at secondary school is finally ebbing away. So if you’re a parent reading this worrying that your DC isn’t going to do well enough to take A-levels, please know there is another path. I only found out about BTECs from coming on MN so this is me paying it forward.
(Edited by MNHQ at request of OP)

That is fantastic news

Just reviving this thread for any Y11 parents worried about their children's prospects post-GCSEs this summer, to show you there is hope! Plus I have an update about my own DD – yesterday she found out she's passed her first final exam with Distinction! She's got one more exam to sit after Easter but she's on course to get Distinction overall. She's so happy and we are over the moon for her.

She didn't find out until last night via email though, because she's been doing work experience all week in her chosen field, which she's absolutely loving. It's hard to believe this is the same child who in her final year at secondary school was so overwhelmed with anxiety she could barely think straight. Doing a BTEC really has saved her.

Good to hear - DS's 'year to go' to GCSE exams start in a few weeks, and they're supposed to guide his results for 6th form offers, but at this rate he'll not manage 3 of them at all (one of which will be English Language), and get 4 or 5s (on a good day) for the other 3. The way the school makes it out, you won't get an offer for A-levels from anywhere with those grades, although I presume it is different for other post-16 qualifications. I mean, I know thanks to this thread, he won't be left high and dry, but be good to know where we're talking.

We went to a meeting about it and the head of year mentioned to speak to him or DS's form tutor about post 16 options and I think we need to so we can assess the options

School sixth forms often expect students to attain strong grades in the subjects they want to study for A-Level, at least 6s. The criteria can be a little lower at sixth form colleges. Is it a case that if your DS knuckles down he could do better, or is it simply that, like so many children including my DD, he's just not academically minded and would do better taking a vocational course? If it's the latter, your local college and sixth forms that offer BTECs should be doing open days right about now – why not go along and see what's on offer and see if there's a subject that sparks some interest from him? My DD is doing a subject that she is passionate about and the difference in how she's learning and studying is incredible – because it's something she wants to do, she's really applying herself and getting great results.

Agree, it is amazing what a different learning style can do. My DD retained a lot from her animal care course because it was interesting but also backed up by practical sessions that put the learning to use. The same is currently happening on a horticulture work placement - she is coming home telling me stuff she learned - that never happened at school.

It's really hard to say - DH thinks he just isn't knuckling down, I think he has difficulty knuckling down because of how the inattentive ADHD affects him. He wants to put in the work but doesn't really know how, and we try but we're both working FT and there's only so much we can do. He's also not that mature for his age, as is common with ADHD so I think the really thinking/planning ahead/seeing consequences side is difficult. He's also August born, so won't even be 16 when he finishes GCSEs. He generally likes school and is disappointed by his outcomes, but 8 GCSEs (plus a BTech) is a lot for him to cope with cognitively.

Part of me feels that if he can just get past GCSEs, where has so much knowledge to keep hold of, including in subjects he's not that interested in, he could do much better at post 16, but he has to get there. I can imagine an access course being a good solution for him as he just might be more ready by then. He does really like the idea of animal care/management and one thing I've learned from this thread is that the best thing in these cases is to let them go where their interest leads them.

Is your DS my DD?! They are SO similar. She's also an August baby and was 15 when she sat her exams, she's ND (no ADHD diagnosis, but was under CAMHs for acute anxiety and has mild traits of inattentive) and is now finishing up her Level 2 BTEC in animal care before starting Level 3 in Sept!

One thing that changed our approach and thinking towards her not doing A-Levels, which might help your DH, was reading all the studies that say ND children are typically three years behind their peers in terms of emotional development. It helped us understand why DD was struggling with the sheer volume of learning for her GCSEs and why she still seems so young compared to some of her year-group peers who are at parties drinking every weekend. Gradually she's catching up – going to college (where they treat them as young adults rather than pupils), studying a subject she loves and doing work experience placements that she organised herself has seen her confidence soar and her maturity with it.

If your ds was sat in front of me at work then I’d be looking at BTECs or T levels or BTEC replacement.
At level 3 so A level equivalent.

I’ll be honest the GCSE English language could be an issue. Worse case scenario would be opting for a level 2. Which could work out well as it’s a comfortable level academically. Gives a chance to settle in. As well as pick up the English.
ime that year or so to mature can make a huge difference.

Or check out apprenticeship options. Then as you say return to education for Access.

Apply for a few options so your ds has a choice in results day.

Your ds has lots of options.

Thanks - this thread has helped me understand what's out there as I just have no experience of post 16 when results are not that great. I did work in education publishing but that was some time ago, so wasn't familiar with options now. I'll admit at the time the government said everyone had to get maths/English and stay in education until 18 I was skeptical and thought it seemed a bad idea, but in retrospect I think it's much better than just kicking kids out of the system at 16 and basically going 'Work something out'. Especially as some kids, neurodiversity/learning difficulties or no, I think just aren't mature enough to do 8-9 GCSEs in one go.

@Passingthrough123 I think a lot about the 2-3 years behind thing as I think that's maybe DS' main issue - he'll basically be like a 12-13yo sitting GCSEs and there's nothing to be ashamed of if he can't get strong results. I think I'll have to explain that bit when the dreaded day comes that my MIL ask how DS is likely to do.

The difficulty is what to say to him about it all. DH has made DS very anxious about achieving, and maybe I'm guilty of it too, though I've really tried not to. DS gets a bit upset talking about 'back-up plans' because it makes him feel like he's going to fail, but I think I do need to reframe it as he has opportunities to get to where he needs to be for what he wants to do and, you know, seeing as it's not PPE at Cambridge, I don't see any reason he can't get there.

Reframing is a good idea. It’s what I end up doing a lot of on results day. I encourage young people and parents to think of big picture regarding success. An employer doesn’t care whether you’re 19,22 or 26. It’s the package you offer.

And in preparation for results day - have aspirational
options as well as several back
ups. You can apply for more than one option.

Yeah, we'll have aspirational ones as well, I think we'll ask school where they would advise. Most kids transfer to one local 6th form but I've heard it's really for very motivated self-starters, less good for support and I think DS already accepts that's probably not one for him. He's not bothered about transferring with friends, as most of his closest mates are at other schools anyway.

Capel Manor probably the back up option, which is good as he likes the idea of it anyway. We're in North London, so lots of choices and he could travel more centrally (as oldest has)

My DP initially responded in the same way as your DH. He was a straight A* student himself and really struggled with the fact DD was getting such low grades, because she's a bright kid. Now he's 100% behind her not doing A-Levels, not going to uni (she wants an apprenticeship) and following her passion. Part of his coming round is all the news reports about AI gobbling jobs, graduate unemployment levels and the student loan scandal - he's now relieved she's on a path that should help her avoid that.

We never had to reframe it with her though, because she was the one who decided she didn't want to do A-Levels. I've just seen from your previous comment that you're in north London – so are we! My DD chose City College in Angel over Capel Manor because she wanted to go somewhere more central, and the college has great links with London Zoo. I'm sure she'd be happy to answer any questions your DS might have. Ultimately it needs to be his decision, but I reckon if you take him to the open days, he'll be won over. City has 60 species of animal on site – the second my daughter walked in to the animal centre and saw the boa constrictor she was in!

The way we handled people asking about her results was to tell people she got what she needed for her college course (which she had, even though she only passed three). Beyond that it's none of their business.

Yes, after reading your earlier posts we're definitely looking at City as well as its an easy commute!

The way we handled people asking about her results was to tell people she got what she needed for her college course (which she had, even though she only passed three). Beyond that it's none of their business.

This is excellent advice. We live in a bit of an Oxbridge bubble socially so having a DD who was bright but not academic (or motivated by anything except music) was a bit hard to come to terms with. However when she did her GCSEs I simply asked her to get what she needed to meet her offer at specialist music school and when she did that made "she got what she needed" as my mantra. It was rinse and repeat at the end of sixth form too.

Yep, it was our mantra on repeat too. Especially with the school parents whose kids got 8s and 9s and were patently just fishing for gossip!

We did 'got what she needed' too.

Ooh, 'got what he needed' is a great approach, I'll remember that. I'm sure he can 'get what he needs' to get a back up option I am sure.... providing DH doesn' in the meantime drive him to such anxiety that he ends up not sitting any exams 😕

You need to sit your DH down and tell him that his nagging is having a reverse effect and that he needs to celebrate his DS' strengths and support him.

DH is getting better. He kept off DS's back yesterday and was positive about DS revision attempts. The trouble is consistency because every now and then DH gets anxious and blows up again.

Hi, I’ve not read the whole thread but what counts as “poor results” according to mn? My dd is in the revision trenches at the moment.

imo 'poor results' means doing noticably below what was expected.

That doesn't help for this though, which may really imply 'poor results' means 'not good enough to do A levels'.

Some students shouldn't do A levels even if they get straight 9s if their heart isn't in it, or want something a lot more practical, or are better suited to more regualr assessments rather than terminal exams.

BTECs are for anyone. But realistically most likely done at Level 3 by those with grades averaging in the 4-6 range. Level 2 with grades a bit below that, especially if they need to resit maths and/or English Language.

Yeah, DS was lined up for 5s and some 6s based on classroom performance but at this rate might be headed for a couple of 5s, couple of 4s and maybe 2 or 3 3s.

In our experience, it was getting grades that were far lower than their predicted grades and not passing seven of them at all. But if your DC is predicted 9s and gets 7s, I wouldn't call that poor results – 7s are still a high grade. But if they're predicted 7s and 8s and get 4s, meaning it impacts their A-Level options, I would call that poor.

Our was the same. I think her school over-egged her predicted grades.

I think his classroom performance would probably suggest those grades... but he just might not be able to get that together when it comes to sitting 8 exams with multiple papers.