Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

BTECs and university

35 replies

bendmeoverbackwards · 29/03/2022 13:03

My youngest dd is currently in Year 10. She has had some problems recently - she's on the autistic spectrum and her school attendance has been erratic since before Christmas. She's very bright and capable of getting very good grades but with all this missed school her grades have been dropping.

She also doesn't seem to be that interested in schoolwork, none of her subjects really jump out at her. Looking ahead to next year, I want to consider options other than A Levels.

She is a very keen dancer although probably not good enough for an auditioned course. However some local colleges off a BTEC in Performing Arts and this might suit her.

I've heard you can get into decent universities with a BTEC. She might not want to to go university but I just want her to keep her options open.

OP posts:

catndogslife · 29/03/2022 13:38

BTECs are due to be phased out and replaced by T levels. Some current BTECs may not be available as T levels and it looks as if that could include Performing Arts.
The changes to the system have been delayed due to covid, but are very likely to affect a dc currently in Y10.

Original poster

bendmeoverbackwards · 29/03/2022 13:41

Oh dear, that's not good news.

OP posts:

ExMachinaDeus · 29/03/2022 14:08

Yes, speaking as a tutor at an RG university which takes BTECs in some degree programmes, it's a real pity they're phasing them out. We take BTECs but they need to get Distinctions. Some of our applicants come with a BTEC plus a related A level. In the First year (and sometimes throughout the degree) they struggle with written work at the highest level, but they have other abilities. They may graduate with a 2, ii, but they've usually had a mind-expanding time!

thing47 · 29/03/2022 14:52

I don't know anything about Performing Arts, but in general the answer to your question is 'yes'. The eldest DC of an old friend of ours went to Durham on a BTEC, and got a First in Business. This was very recently, and he's now doing a Masters in a specialised area of business at another university.

Comefromaway · 29/03/2022 15:56

Performing arts Btecs are one of the very few to be kept following the public consultation and representations from leading drama schools etc.

My son is in his final year of Btec Music. There were a handful of places that would not accept his Btec, Oxbridge of course, Manchester, Birmingham, and a couple of others (although some would accept it alongside A levels). But many reputable universities are happy to accept it.

cricketballs3 · 29/03/2022 18:17

I am a 6th form tutor and I have yr13 students who have the following offers

Oxford with L2&3 BTEC Business (English Literature)
Cambridge with L2 BTEC Business, L3 BTEC Law (Social Science)
Birmingham with L2 BTEC Business (medicine)
Durham with L2&3 Business (Business management)
Exeter with L2&3 Business (Business Management)
Liverpool with L2&3 Business (maths and finance)
York with L2&3 Business (International Relations)

And finally student completing BTEC Dance and a BTEC Business qualification has offers from all universities she has applied to for dance/teaching

titchy · 29/03/2022 18:25

@cricketballs3

I am a 6th form tutor and I have yr13 students who have the following offers

And finally student completing BTEC Dance and a BTEC Business qualification has offers from all universities she has applied to for dance/teaching

None of those are for the L3 Extended Diploma though which is what OP's dd wants to take.

OP is university going to be the right option for her? To do what if so? As others have said the range of BTECs offered will be much much smaller than now, with most replaced by T levels (an absolute travesty 😡).

titchy · 29/03/2022 18:28

Sorry I see you just want to keep her options open. Unfortunately it's children like your dd that will be failed by the Government's proposed (as yet, the Lords haven't agreed) defunding of the majority of BTECs.

lightisnotwhite · 29/03/2022 18:40

T Levels aren’t being accepted by as many Uni’s though whilst BTEC’s do seem to be ( which surprised me).

For the bright but not super academic they are a great 2 year option. Why take three A levels that don’t really grab you when you could do a course you love for two years.

lightisnotwhite · 29/03/2022 18:44

Performing Arts is a great area to get into. Sound, lightning, stage management etc pay well and offer lots of scope to travel. You don’t just have to do Panto and cruise ships.

titchy · 29/03/2022 19:08

@lightisnotwhite

T Levels aren’t being accepted by as many Uni’s though whilst BTEC’s do seem to be ( which surprised me).

For the bright but not super academic they are a great 2 year option. Why take three A levels that don’t really grab you when you could do a course you love for two years.

The first T level cohort only start uni this September - give them a chance! If you look at uni web pages for 23/4 they are beginning to be accepted eg https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/entry-requirements-qualifications/uk-qualifications/t-level-technical-qualifications/

lightisnotwhite · 29/03/2022 19:49

Maybe! I was just looking at entry for DS courses and most specifically said no to T levels. It is early days though.

NoNotHimTheOtherOne · 29/03/2022 21:29

Birmingham with L2 BTEC Business (medicine)

The following is from the University of Birmingham's 2022 entry requirements for medicine:

BTEC, Access Courses and Foundation Programmes
We do not consider any of these qualifications.

Having a L2 BTEC instead of one or more GCSEs is very different from having a L3 BTEC instead of A-Levels, which is what the OP's question was about.

opoponax · 29/03/2022 22:30

@NoNotHimTheOtherOne my DD did a L3 BTEC in Sports Science alongside her full complement of GCSEs last year and got a Distinction Star for it. She did this purely out of interest as an intending Medicine student. She is now doing the A Levels required for Medicine entry and is on track for top predictions for those. Although she didn't do the BTEC for any academic points, does this mean it is totally disregarded by medical schools like Birmingham? I guess it is still a good talking point at interview regardless.

Comefromaway · 30/03/2022 00:00

[quote opoponax]@NoNotHimTheOtherOne my DD did a L3 BTEC in Sports Science alongside her full complement of GCSEs last year and got a Distinction Star for it. She did this purely out of interest as an intending Medicine student. She is now doing the A Levels required for Medicine entry and is on track for top predictions for those. Although she didn't do the BTEC for any academic points, does this mean it is totally disregarded by medical schools like Birmingham? I guess it is still a good talking point at interview regardless.[/quote]
I imagine it would be treated as an extra curricular in the same way as music or drama exams would be.

bruffin · 30/03/2022 00:11

Dd got into Cardiff with 3x Distinction * Btec Health and Social care . She got a first in Occupational Therapy but it's

TheTeenageYears · 30/03/2022 00:27

To keep options open go for an extended diploma which is equivalent to 3 A levels. DS is at uni having got the equivalent of AAA at A level which would never have happened had he studied A levels but his Btec was perfect for him and he's found the transition to his uni course (unrelated subject) absolutely fine because the learning style is more similar.

Ellmau · 30/03/2022 01:13

There are also A levels in Dance and Drama.

NoNotHimTheOtherOne · 30/03/2022 07:14

@opoponax - Its's pretty difficult to imagine how someone's level-2 BTEC in sport & exercise science would come up in a medical school interview. It might be looked at in assessing whether someone meets GCSE requirements, but this kind of check is labour-intensive and many medical schools would try to avoid it, and some of the more self-regarding ones would consider non-GCSE level-2 qualifications infra dig. If someone has done it because they enjoyed it, and they will meet standard entry requirements, of course it will have been a good thing to do for its own sake. If they actually learned something from it, it might also help them with some of the stuff they have to learn at university.

Comefromaway · 30/03/2022 09:30

opoponax said it was a L3 Btec (I'm assuming a certificate or extended certificate) which would be a bit unusual but akin to talented pupils taking Level 3 dance or music exams at the same age.

NoNotHimTheOtherOne · 30/03/2022 11:35

Sorry, I saw that it was done alongside GCSEs and forgot it said level 3. Either way, it is very unlikely to come up in an interview unless they've done some significant coaching as part of it.

gogohm · 30/03/2022 11:47

It won't exclude her but will limit the options if she wants to do an unrelated course. It's more important though that she finds a course that she will study hard on and enjoy, don't worry about university because there are foundation years these days which will allow her onto most degree programmes (an extra year basically). I would stress though not to push her towards university straight from 6th form. My dd did one year out then went, then dropped out, she's now back at university living away and doing well but she needed 4 more years of growing up to cope basically

opoponax · 30/03/2022 11:52

@Comefromaway it was a Level 3 certificate. DD did sport at a high level and has wanted to do Medicine since starting secondary school. Her school suggested the L3 BTEC in sport science as an extra challenge alongside her GCSEs. She really enjoyed it, the written assignments were more demanding than her GCSEs and she got a distinction star for the BTEC as well as top grades in all her GCSEs. It was a good experience.

@NoNotHimTheOtherOne DD doesn't need it for medical school entry as she is predicted A stars in all her A levels. My interview reference was simply that her taking on the extra subject evidenced her ability to manage and balance workload pressure, especially with demanding sport, sports coaching and music commitments outside school.

cricketballs3 · 30/03/2022 12:22

Birmingham, York, Exeter and one of the Durham offers are all students completing the Extended Diploma

cricketballs3 · 30/03/2022 12:25

@NoNotHimTheOtherOne

Birmingham with L2 BTEC Business (medicine)

The following is from the University of Birmingham's 2022 entry requirements for medicine:

BTEC, Access Courses and Foundation Programmes
We do not consider any of these qualifications.

Having a L2 BTEC instead of one or more GCSEs is very different from having a L3 BTEC instead of A-Levels, which is what the OP's question was about.

I was pointing out another common misconception on MN that having a vocational qualification at L2 means a future is doomed

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread