BTEC/T level/other vocational 25/26 - part 2

[BTECnewbie]

New thread for those of us with DC doing vocational courses (and for those with DC looking for an alternative to A levels next year and looking for advice).

My DC is currently doing a level 3 extended diploma. He struggled academically at school and was pretty miserable in year 11. With a lot of hard work he got the grades needed for the level 3 BTEC and is now thriving at college.

Retakes are tough. I have a friend going through exactly this, except her DS is at a college where he can't progress to Level 3 without passing it, so they are considering other colleges now. Her DS seems to be a "what will be will be" kind of guy, very lovely, but not ideal to push through exams!
Basically, you are not alone.

I wonder if it helps your DS to know he can retake it, just so it's not too important in the scheme of things? Will there be other things he achieved this year that you can focus on, if he doesn't pass it? I think it's important to feel further along, even if not everything goes to plan.

Good luck this week, you can hopefully sleep on Thursday night!

@SisublondieHonestly? I'm really annoyed with dds college.
Both 1st and 2nd years have their deadline for friday.
Dds year group has been told 2nd years get preference on machines etc.
Last week, dd was working on one of her pieces and went to the loo... a 2nd year then moved all her work and took over the machine!
😡
Dd says she'll raise it with the student reps.
She's in today dropping that bloody dress off finally...what a nightmare that's been!
I will be glad when its friday and everything is done (assuming she can get on a machine!)
Shes been told she working at distinction on this project ☺️

@Raven08OMG, WHAT?!?! That is ridiculous, any preference being given in that way! I thought it was just DS’s place- last Thursday his English lesson was cancelled due to room being needed for Maths GCSE. Fine, can’t he helped, I thought. Clearly will be online instead, too. Nope. No reason given… just hold to sit in on a random English class in the afternoon. But, he wasn’t allowed to skip his course class as “ the 1st years had to help the 2nd years with an overdue “thing”. I was livid! So, my point is, I absolutely know what you mean! Hence, the “ rule” for your DD in place alone is fury inducing, but! For that to happen?! Poor girl! I am rubbish in conflict (!), and end up tearing up. I’m so sorry she had to go through that. Oh, totally to raise it with student reps. That is just NOT OK behaviour!!! ( who are these entitled ( narcissists!) people who behave in such a way??!

But!! On a positive…… Hallelujah for dropping the bloody dress 👗 off, indeed!!! Whooo- Hooooooo!!!!!! And, 🤩🌟🤩🌟🤩 to distinction……!!!!! Oh, how amazing!!!!!!!

So. Provided the Machine Thieves sod off, what is left to do……? x

@Sisublondie
Problem is, I am very good at confrontation 😬😀 so I'm sitting on hands and letting dd deal with it!
She's having a rest day now - allegedly - so just some updates to her folder and finish the 2nd piece (which would be much easier on the industrial machines!)
Older dd quite unwell (laryngitis) so off work.
I'm sorry to hear your ds's college are similar...not helpful!

@LarkspurLane

Thank you SO much for saying that !! I know it’s a cliche, but it really is true “problem shared…” or, whatever the relevant one is! The feeling that you’re bit alone! Your friends son sounds so similar! He’s very much like that. I overheard him talking the other day, saying his big regret in life is “ dating someone during my GCSE’s and wasting a bunch of time “….. It really upset me to hear. It was a fleeting “ met online” then in person with, girl, who frankly, well, she had zero motivation, was quite rude to me, was home schooled, wasn’t taking any GCSE’s ( nor planned to) and awful timing to come across my easily distracted ND DS.

Maybe there is something in the knowledge he can retake. I have a friend whose son isovsky, but, again, not the best academic (but is fabulous as his hobby!), and he had a nightmare in his Maths resit in November. Went down to a 2. He’s pretty much “ Yeh, whatevs” this time round. I do fear for my DS as he was “ only” 9 points off last time. He got results from a past Q5 today., got 22/40 ( I think that’s a good 5, maybe 6?) which is amazing for him, so I hope that’s given him a boost! He was told list marks on punctuation and “ needed more people in the story !”.

That is a really good point you make! He has been getting good results in his assignments and is student rep ( I think it’s more that everyone refused, but he did “ take one for the team”!), and, more importantly is out of his bullying school, so that is an achievement in itself!!!

Anyway, what date is yours?! How is everything else? 😻

Oooooohhhhh noooooooo, as to laryngitis!!! That so grim! I hope she improves soon! But, how are you?! Are you feeling any better? What day do you see Doc?

😈😹 as to confrontation!! You just be proud that she is sorting it out! 🤞🍀🤞 to her!

Ok, so the second piece, and then, that is it?! Oh, how fab! So. Is this Half Term essentially End of Term for a lot of them?! Does DD know what is planned after the holiday?

….( which reminds me…. HOLIDAY!! HOW excited are you?! Is it City or Beach-y?! 🏖️?!)..

I've no clue wrt whats happening after half term and neither does dd 🤷‍♀️
She doesn't seem bothered so I'm taking a leaf out of her book.
I still feel grotty but drs on Thursday.
The weather here is mad atm...so far it's been sun, clouds, rain and now hail 😬

We have same crazy weather! The hail has sometimes been dangerous if it starts when you are driving! Visibility gone 🙀!

I dare not ask about after half term….. I think if he ( we!) can get through Paper One tomorrow, then that will be a result!

I hope you got ( sorry, DD!) got her second part submitted! And, good luck at the Docs tomorrow! 🤞🍀😻

Very best of luck vibes being sent your ds's way for tomorrow @Sisublondie 🍀 and to all doing resists 💙
Dd said earlier that next term will be "relaxed" 🤔
It's about bloody time 🤣
I've started packing whilst drinking wine 🍷
This may mean loads of knickers and no trousers....we shall see! 😬
Older dd still not 100% but has had some good news re: work today.
Hoping dd gets on a machine tomorrow to finish her final piece 🤞
Have a good half term folks x

@Raven08……. “ relaxed”….?! Oookkkkkkkkkkk, guessing that’s a wait and see as to what that means!! 🤞🍀 for her kicking the 2nd years off the machines tomorrow!

Fab news on older DD getting good news at work… she deserves something positive after a crappy 💔 year to date!

Oooooh!!, I love drinking wine 🍷 whilst packing! One of the best bits!, where the holiday really starts.. But, yes, I usually then have to redo it in the morning! (But, hey, who needs trousers on holiday!)

Thank you for the 🍀 for DS… he’s quietly asleep…. Thank God… I’m just hoping and praying that he reads the questions properly… but, for him, most importantly, USE THE BLOODY EXTRA TIME!!!!! (He hardly did at all last year………..🙄🙀🤯💥!)…. So, yup, Round Two! Let’s hope it’s not Third Times a Charm!

Well! HAPPY HOLIDAYING HALF TERM!!!! 🌞 x

@Sisublondie
Thanks!
If it makes you feel any better...when I've invigilated gcses, hardly any kids used their extra time 🤷‍♀️

Good luck to anyone doing English today, at least you can rest a bit after today - before Paper 2.
And at least you're not having to do 8 other subjects as well and keep on top of all of them.

😹😹😹…. Good point!!!!

Well! He said it “ went ok”! Q4 the “ debate” wasn’t great, but he wrote a lot in Q5 on the “ unusual house”! And , “ bloody hell! YES! I used punctuation”!!!

How did the quacks go?!

Thank you!!! You’ve made me even happier…! Because nothing would make me go through that hell again!
He seems ok….., so……. 🤞. Just a breather before Paper 2!

How’s it all with you?!

All the best to those doing exams, hope they are not too stressful. Last year was such a slog with so many subjects.

I have discovered what they are working on after handing in their projects, this week DD has been working on her personal statement! Seems very early to be thinking about it but good to get ahead I guess. She has done one uni open day but she needs to visit some others at some point.

I was thinking we would have a quiet half term but we have booked a last minute mini break in Europe so hopefully that will be good. Hope you all have a lovely half term. Can't believe how warm the weather is forecast to be over this bank holiday weekend.

@QWC...
I thought personal statements were no longer needed?
Have a good break

@Sisublondie
It was cancelled...our gp surgery is beyond awful 😡

@Raven08 I think they just changed the format so there are now three questions to answer.

Ah, I see.

Hi All - hope everyone is enjoying the weather and heading towards end of 1st year.

Question... has anyone else encountered this?

DD's college seems to structure the year so that teaching ends at Easter, and then the 3rd term is spent chasing all the kids who haven't done the assignments and dragging them though them, and making those who did do them do them again to either pass or get a higher grade.

DD did all hers on time and got top grade for everything... so she has had nothing to do all term but sit on her own in a practice room, or sit at the back of the classroom and amuse herself quietly.

The existence of deadlines seems to be nothing more than a minor suggestion. In the major assignment for the year, only 3/48 students even passed. The majority have yet to do the weekly homework. This was a selective entry course.

DD is now bored, demoralised and asking what the point is. ADHD and being expected to sit quietly with nothing to do is also proving an issue.

I've contacted college to discuss but every email I send is just completely ignored. I suspect because I am asking difficult questions.

Just trying to work out if my expectations are way out of line.

I thi k its similar at dds college tbh
I know that some kid's havent handed their pieces in by deadline so are capped at a pass grade (it's pass, merit, distinction +)

Here it's not even capped. It just seems to be the system that they expect nobody to have done the work or passed.
They seem to think DD is some kind of unicorn and genuinely don't know what to do with her. But want 90% minimum attendance.

Thats very poor, I'm not surprised you are concerned.
How is dd?
Is she still keen on the course?

Utterly miserable and fed up. Feels what is the point and doesn't want to go back.

I'm pretty cross as she's gone from being super keen and engaged to being incredibly cynical and disengaged. She's also arguing with one of the teachers who decided to set her more essays... she's very severely dyslexic, so getting the original assignments done was a serious ask. Now she feels like she's being punished and frankly teacher is being an authoritarian twat and winding her up - and that is not going to end well.

Said could she leave and just get a job in a cafe or something next year. But she's a summer birthday so 18 is a looooong way off for her. And I want her to stay and get the qualification.

25% of the course have already dropped out.

@OhCrumbsWhereNow
Oh, thats so rubbish, I feel for her - and you x
Any other courses or the same course available ay another provision?
Sorry if you've already told me - I'm away atm and its TOO HOT and my brain is mush 😵‍💫