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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

BTEC sports ? really = 4 GCSE's?

44 replies

raspberryroop · 19/12/2011 00:44

Complicated situation Ds13 with ASD high IQ but also very dyslexic being put through maths and sciences early(1-2-1 tuition) hopefully will then be able to go back to school into, sixth form as smaller, better behaved classes he will be able to cope with. He is also however being offered to do a BTEC in sports which I have been told is equivalent to 4 GCSE's - and what I need to know is it really seen as 4 GCSC's on university applications? I think what I'm trying to say as a maths/science geek with poor reading skills would it be seen as a cop out from more traditional History/ language courses or seen favourably as having broad interests ?

OP posts:

Original poster

raspberryroop · 19/12/2011 22:55

Not sure I/he will (necessarily) be that bothered about it being a RG uni - more a course that he will love and one that will be supportive of his disabilities and appreciative of his out of the box creativity, but that may be because I'm out of touch - How big a deal is which Uni you go to in engineering/design ?
We have talked and he wants to take the BTech any way as it will be based on outdoor pursuits ie cannoing/mountain biking/ hiking/climbing rather than team based sports

OP posts:

cricketballs · 19/12/2011 22:59

there is a big change happening that the full details are not being released until next year. In general, instead of module tests, exams taken during the course it will revert back (think to the old O level!) end of course exams. It is mainly affecting the headline figure qualifications, e.g. equivalent courses only being counted as 1 GCSE for the school figures and schools can only claim 2 vocational qualifications within their figures

The issue regarding current year 9 students is if they have started a vocational course which does have a external examination then these can be counted towards the 2014 headline figures if these courses are 120 GLH in length (120 guided learning hours). The BTEC Certificate is only 90 GLH, so if a student is currently in year 9 and completing a BTEC Certificate of old spec OCR Level 2 ICT then whilst the student will still gain the qualification, it will not count towards the schools league table results.

I would also like to point out that I have had students who have achieved a distinction * at BTEC undertake a AS unit with only 2 revision sessions and gained a C grade with no further learning

amerryscot · 19/12/2011 23:00

Milly,

If he is not doing exams now, that is fine, although the specifications are still subject to change. We won't have the new draughts until February earliest.

I have decided, on speaking to Edexcel and taking their advice, not to start my Y9 triple scientists on their GCSEs until there is more clarity. They will probably end up having to do the extra modules after school and at lunchtimes, as we don't timetable to do the complete triple course in Y10/11, which would mean the students losing one of their options and their portfolio lacking breadth.

Edexcel admitted that it was a mess for Year 9, and not much better for Year 10 (the guinea pig year). They also shared concerns that schools did not understand the structure of the assessment and the 40% rule for Year 10, and the linear move for Year 9. Given that the QCA (as was) has a stranglehold on these qualifications, I imagine the situation is the same for AQA and OCR.

cricketballs · 19/12/2011 23:01

sorry should have read does not have an external examination

amerryscot · 19/12/2011 23:02

It depends what you mean by Engineering, raspberry.

If it is one of the traditional four branches, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil and Chemical, then the university is very important. Most top employers for these disciplines only look as far as Russell Group unless there is some sentimentality towards a local university.

cricketballs · 19/12/2011 23:08

amerry - whilst I do not agree with your opinion on vocational qualification and the merits of them I do agree with your statement that it is a mess for year 9 students.

I have had to re-do my options booklet page without knowing what is happening in my subject and despite my protests to SLT to hold off the options procedure and the curriculum mapping for this year group until we have a clear picture it is like the blind leading the blind as they are intent on starting the process asap.

The only advice I can give year 9 parents is to take a very close look at the statements coming from the DfE in terms of the changes happening and ensure that their school is focusing on their students needs rather than the headline figures...

saggarmakersbottomknocker · 19/12/2011 23:11

My dd did a BTEC PE or Sports or something. I didn't take much notice because she has a complex heart disease, a dodgy leg and sport isn't even on her radar.
She got a Distinction. Go figure

MillyR · 19/12/2011 23:12

Thanks. DS will be doing WJEC. There would have been 3 exams - one in June year 10, one in January year 10 and one in June year 11. Will they now all be done in June of year 11?

I assumed the course content would not change that much, but it seems from posts on here that is not the case.

Original poster

raspberryroop · 19/12/2011 23:14

To be honest amerry - I have no idea what he will go into except it will be making or designing something. If he wasn't so bright I would have said a carpenter or builder if that makes sense. Product design is what springs to mind but only because that is what I'm familiar with as a skills fit. He has strong ITC skills (can hack parental conrtolls with ease !) as well so I suppose that opens up lots of different fields ''these days ''

OP posts:

amerryscot · 19/12/2011 23:16

He will do all his exams in June of Year 11, in addition to controlled assessments.

We simply do not know who the specifications will change. I am not risking starting my Year 9s until there is clarity. I am doing a hybrid KS3/KS4 course at the moment - the learning objectives for KS3, using material and extension from KS4.

cricketballs · 19/12/2011 23:17

sagger; the point of BTEC is applying knowledge to actually vocational situations rather than being sports fanatic.

MillyR · 19/12/2011 23:21

Thank you very much for explaining all of this. I am not concerned about DS doing linear GCSEs. I think it will suit him better. If the curriculum did change so much that DS had to drop another subject, it wouldn't bother me because he will be doing a lot of GCSEs anyway (13) which I think is too stressful.

The school are going to have a meeting in March to explain what is going on, but it is nice to have some understanding of it now.

sashh · 20/12/2011 03:56

amerryscot how could a qualification that predates GCSE be designed to bump up GCSE results?

amerryscot · 20/12/2011 08:17

It's not the course itself - it's saying that they are magically equivalent to multiple GCSEs.

circular · 20/12/2011 09:09

AmerryScott - re Sciences

DD is in yr10 doing OCR triple science.
School have messed up slightly in putting their whole year group in for the first core modules (PI,C1,B1) last year. They were supposed to sit P2,C2,B2 in January 2012, but the school have since realised that OCR will not award 4 science GCSE's so have scrapped this for those taking triple.

As the work so far war on the old syllabus, they are now having to rush through the first units again in the new syllabus. As far as i know they will be taking units 1 to 3 in May, with the remainder in year 11. As they have 7 hours of science a week, this is doable (triple science did mean losing another option though).

DD says the double science students are in more of a mess as it is unclear whether they can have Core in the old syllabus and Additional in the new.

circular · 20/12/2011 13:07

Also meant to add re the BTEC sport - at DD's school, that or BTEC Dance is compulsory for all the current year 10's. So the top academic pathway are typically doing that on top of 9 GCSEs (6 core, 3 options) and OCR ICT.

The BTEC Sport or Dance is covered in the 2 hout core PE time. They have been told it is worth between 1 and 4 GCSE's.

Loshad · 20/12/2011 19:51

no idea what you teach cricketbalss, but it certainly ain't science
We don't allow students who have btec to do AS sciences, and there is no way on earth they would be able to get a C without doing any lessons. sounds very odd to me (wonders does cricketball actually work for edexcel setting btecs and so wants to big them up)

cricketballs · 20/12/2011 21:18

sorry, but can't remember when I said you can get a C without doing any lessons...

I don't teach science (thank god!) and the colleges around here do accept students onto AS sciences if they have a Distinction in the BTEC Science. But there is a place for BTECs along side traditional GCSEs

I would also like to add I have never worked for Edexcel but I am someone who has seen the benefits of having BTECs and as I have delivered BTECs, GNVQs (showing my age!), GCSE, AS, A2 I am in a position to appreciate the amount of work involved and the higher order skills that needs to be demonstrated in order to achieve the high grades in the Diploma. As such I get annoyed when BTECs are just treated with utter contempt after seeing the effort that my students put in to achieve

sashh · 21/12/2011 05:09

amerryscot

Was that to me? There is nothing magical about it, GCSEs are the best known Level 2 qualification and other level 2 qualificaions are often described as being equivelant to GCSEs because that is something everyone understands.

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