Going to college a year early?

[Lanbury]

I’m just wondering if anyone has experience of this? My DS is 14 (not 15 until summer hols) but taking GCSEs this summer, so has effectively been accelerated. I’m having conflicting conversations with our local authority. He would like to go on to do a course at a college next September (mechanical engineering) whilst recognising his skills, they are saying he should be enrolled at school for another year, the school can only offer repeating the year (??!!!) or treading water in sixth the form with no relevant courses available. Has anyone any idea where I can look for ways to move him forward without literally wasting time?

Why has he been accelerated without a plan? Has his current school not got any sort of plan?

Sorry, cut short! My husband was accelerated many years ago but went into 6th form early, and ended up at uni a year early (which was not such a disaster as he was 17).
Can he not go into 6th form and do A levels? or an AS in one year of he wants to pursue college

What relevant courses are not available? Do they not do maths or physics or design technology?

Why has he been accelerated if he's not a straight A/Astar student (level 9)?
He should go into sixth form and start A'levels in Maths (Further Maths) and Physics at least if he wants to do Mechanical Engineering. But I would expect anyone who is accelerated to be academic and going on to do A'levels anyway. But if he insists on going on to do a BTec or other qualification he will find having studied Maths and Physics to at least AS will only help him on his new course.

I think you need to consider the practical and social difficulties that might arise if he's a year younger than everyone else, especially in a couple of years time.

Suppose there are elements of the course for which for H&S or other reasons he needs to be 16, for example?

I was a year ahead throughout my school days. I had to take a gap year because I had to be 18 to apply for the training I wanted.

Socially back then it wasn't a problem because a 16/17 yr old had no difficulty getting served in a pub if they looked as if they might be 18. Nowadays it's more difficult.

(We weren't all out getting drunk, we'd just socialise in the pub over a couple of shandies.)

I agree that he should spend his time doing a course that will be relevant, such as maths or physics.

What grades is he predicted for his GCSES? If not all high 9s, does he really have to take them this year?

If the sixth form offers maths and physics A-levels, then these would be both relevant and useful for mechanical engineering.

At what point in your son's education was the decision made to put him up a year? And what was the plan for when he reached the end of Y11?
My father went through education a year ahead and took his A-levels aged 17.5. But he then did 7th term exams, so he was 18 by the time he started university.

If the college course he wants to do is the Level 3 extended BTEC diploma, then doing a year of Maths & Physics AS (until the college will admit him) would also be beneficial.

What are his predicted grades?
I have a G&T child the same age, there is no way he'd do his GCSEs early even though he's already getting 9s in his mocks, what are they going to do to fill the year when they are too young for college or 6th form?

He has to remain in 'compulsory education' legally until the academic year of his 16th birthday. Colleges are Further education not compulsory, this will probably be from were the LA are coming from.

Options:
home ed for yr 11,
Let him progress to 6th form and pick up a 1yr course, this could be AS level plus EPQ, both hold UCAS points
Resit subjects which he doesn't do as well with.

You need to have a conversation with head of 6th to see what they will offer.

He should take courses that will be useful Maths, Physics, Computing, Material Science or something interesting like Design or Drama.

Husband is an engineer. You need physics, maths and further maths at A-Level.