Daughter only going to get 5E"s at G.C.S.E what can my Daughter do next year?

[morry1000]

DD really struggled at school and was very disruptive within the classroom and school have said she is not allowed back next term they also let all the local colleges know and they are refusing to allow DD on to any courses, i know a 16 and a half yr old girl will not be employed and i only can get 15 hrs work a week on just over £6 per hour so i need tax credits to feed DD i know most people on here want there kids to go to univirsity i just want my DD away from the streets at a job or on a college course . Can i appeal to the school to give DD another chance and what courses could you do with those grades.

Thank you Cream teas/Dame. We are in Northamptonshire. Cream teas i have checked out the website you told me about and it might work for DD. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOU ADVICE.

Morry 1000. Very sorry to hear about this,the school have let your DD down badly. These kinds of attitudes from the school are reminicensent of 30 years ago, and yet another example of Comprehensive Education letting down students,who are different from middle of the road and require a different approach.

The Princes trust may also be able to help. Your DD has been massively failed by the system, and I known the Prince's Trust do a lot of good work, do contact them. I hope they can suggest help in your area.

Hi OP.

I'm sorry to read about this. It sounds like a very difficult situation.

Sounds like your DD may not be ideally suited to staying in academic education. Have you no idea what sort of other things she might enjoy doing? Catering? Beauty? Horses? Whatever? I think the key would be to find something she's interested in, and then to try to give her an opportunity to learn more about it. Crushed confidence can take a long time to rebuild, but it can be done.

Good luck xx

I echo what DameEdnasBridesmaid said about going back into the college for guidance; are there any other FE colleges locally you could try? I work in an FE college myself, and where I work actually really prides itself on bringing out the best in students where the school simply couldn't or wouldn't help.

Also, how about an apprenticeship in something she enjoys?

Firstly want to say to how much it saddens (and angers) me to hear how a supposedly "outstanding" school has failed your daughter. Most good schools now acknowledge that some children benefit more from different types of learning in the later years of senior school. In answer to your question about whether you can get the school to re-consider taking your daughter back next year - please don't do this - its not the right environment for her and if she stays she will be constantly reminded of her unhappy education so far.
Other people's advice so far has been very sound - the Princes Trust are great and there are many other organisations who work with young people in a non-traditional education/training setting. The important thing is that she is doing "something", has a focus and a reason to get up in the morning - it may not be a course of study or training in a role she plans to do all her working life but its a start and will show future employers what she is capable of. Voluntary work placements are often included in training courses and these are also extremely valuable.
The great thing is that you are supporting her. I work with many young people in a similar position who are having to cope with this on their own for a number a reasons. I wish you and your daughter well!

As said by others, it is shameful how this school have treated your daughter, crushing her as a person, any ambition she had and her chances. I am really appalled and, as others have said, really hope you fight what has happened as it is so awful. (I work for Department of Education and am a teacher, and am really angry this has gone on- I know you would have a good case for a complaint to the LA, or even higher authorities)

Secondly, focusing on the situation and future for your DD. What is she into? Does she know what she wants to do? More and more emphasis is being put on apprenticeships and it is definitely a route to explore.
There are lots of Sixth Form college courses which are vocational and great building blocks to good careers. Can she get experience now to get her motivated?

Springtide/ Happymum. Thanks for your concern and advice. DD has said she would like to do some voluntary work and help out at the local food bank and likes helping people in need . DD as always had a way with animals and When she was a young girl she dreamed of being a vet. I believe if i could let her do some voluntary work at the food bank it could make her believe in herself and give her some much needed confidence. I am just very sad that DD will not be able to become a vet or a veterinary nurse. But i am hopeful with some care and good advice i can find a way forward for DD.

morry please check your FE Colleges. We do an Animal Care Care course that starts at Entry level (that's no GCSE's at all). We have had students start at this level and progress all the way up to Level 3.

This is what FE Colleges do very well - give students a second chance.

Colleges should have access courses specifically designed for yp leaving without enough qualifications for anything else they usually focus on life skills, tasters of courses and often a community project. Where in the country are you?

www.connexionslive.com/Libraries/Downloads_Getting_Into/I-Choose-environmental-and-animals.sflb.ashx

She CAN get to where she wants to be, there are options. We have a fab college here in surrey based in the countryside which does courses related to animals/landscaping/equestrian. Have a search, there may be similar near you. Students travel quite far for it and it even has accommodation. Incase you are vaguely near, it is Merrist Wood.
Your daughter can still do well, I paste the link below about Merrist Wood. It could be if you are vaguely near, or find a similar place, that she can still have a 'uni' type experience or even just get to where she wants to be job-wise via a college like this.
www.merristwood.ac.uk/TheCollege/Accommodation/AccommodationOptions.aspx

Many of these colleges allow negotiation on their admissions criteria. If she is not meeting it, but can show real passion, experience and commitment, then she still has a chance.

OP, you mentioned the possibility of work and voluntary work. These are both options worth exploring. Your daughter's age need not be a barrier. Am I right in thinking she has just finished Y11? There are few legal restrictions on the employment she can do. While she is under 18, the minimum wage is lower and while you might not think this is a good thing, it can influence prospective employers to take her on.

A young friend of mine recently started working part-time at a cafe and volunteering part-time at an animal sanctuary. She plans to work with animals, and is enjoying the feeling of being a productive member of society. She might or might not go to college to do a qualification later, but she doesn't want to just now.

I know that these days there is a lot of emphasis on training, and on avoiding "dead-end" jobs. However, at just 16 many of us had no idea what we were going to do with our lives. The main thing IMO is to get out there and try some different things, get some life experience, and improve her self-esteem. The rest can come later.

It's true that your dd is supposed to be in some form of education or training for another year. However, that doesn't have to be full-time. If she is working or volunteering at least 20 hours a week then the education can be part-time. If she can't find a suitable educational opportunity at this time, I think she'd be better off not bothering, rather than going onto some random crap course which isn't right for her and having her confidence knocked yet again. The government has said that for the time being at least, they won't criminalise young people who don't continue in education and training.

I second the animal care idea. Is there a college with an agricultural specialism near you? This could be an exciting time for your DD to prove herself.

OP: don't feel sad that your DD can't be a vet nurse (or anything else that she might want to be) at this point in her life. There is absolutely no reason to write her off just because her education so far has failed her. There are lots of different FE and other training options out there, and absolutely no reason why she couldn't go back to more formal education routes if she ever decides she wants to in the future. At a different point in her life and in a different educational environment, she could achieve anything she wants to. She's only 16 at the moment, who knows what she'll be doing when she's 46.

I second the suggestion to look at FE colleges. When I taught in FE I specialised in teaching students who had gained Es at GCSE. As a rule of thumb my classes consisted of roughly one third students who were recent immigrants without the necessary language skills yet to progress, one third students with special needs that had either been undiagnosed during school or who were borderline enough for the LAs to ignore them and one third students who were simply not interested/gang members/too aggressive for conventional classrooms. In that context, the classes were structured to consist of many short activities rather than prolonged periods of work and a student with ADHD was not anything out of the ordinary.

You will probably find your FE college is well aware of the sorts of issues your child has as so many of them are, like your DD, refused entry to their local schools after they are 16 and end up at the college instead. I strongly suggest you go and look at what is available and, if your DD has a statement, make sure this is flagged up. If you can manage it, it's worthwhile having a conversation with her prospective tutors and teachers so they know what to expect.

I've taught many students with ADHD. My normal tactic is to have a private conversation with them at the beginning of the year. During that time we decide of a signal we can use to flag up when the frustration levels are building to dangerous levels and what measures we can put in place to deal with these. This can, depending on the students, range from a 5 minute discrete time out at the desk, to a series of tasks they can jump between instead on concentrating on one for a length of time, to the right to leave the classroom for a short time without sanction or comment to calm down. Combine this with a course the student actually wants to be on and in a class with others at the same level and the results are very gratifying.

And it's worth mentioning, academia isn't for everyone. I (very briefly) taught a student who seemed incapable of sitting still and drove all his teachers bananas. He's doing very well for himself now

Am surprised the school have said this, its soon to be an Ofsted requirement that all students have a destination post yr 11, think its from this year due to raised participation age.

Have a look at local foundation learing courses, young people with no or few qualifications should be able to access them, they tend to be smaller groups and have tutors who are trained to deal with SEN. Most tend to be work focussed and can lead on to work placements or apprenticeships, also Functional Skills ( maths and english) can be taken. Speak to local connexions/ careers adviser re this.

Returning after a few days and delighted to see much positive talk about the future. Voluntary work anywhere would be valuable but how about an animal related organisation such as a dog rescue centre. Hoping you and your daughter are feeling a little better - do keep us updated on your progress!

Springtide and everyone. I am feeling so much better and hopeful for the future thanks to all the helpful and kind ideas the many posters have given me. DD is feeling more positive and will be doing 2 days voluntary work at the animal shelter next week so i feel 100 times better than last week.

Fantastic!! That is excellent news. Your daughter is starting an exciting new chapter in her life. Now she has the freedom to explore her role in society and make a meaningful contribution in a way she couldn't do before, when she was regarded as a child and was closely controlled. I hope she can put her past frustrations behind her now that she is out in a different world.

Slug. He is doing well.

OP
No advice but wanted to wish you and your DD good luck. It is great she has a caring Mum.

Fantastic news - well done to you both!

So glad to hear the update, OP - that is fantastic!

Well done to you for helping her get started on her new road to the future

UPdate .DD has been working part time at the Animal Shelter for 2 weeks now and is earning £40 pw for 8 hrs work she works 2 days a week and her confidence is growing by the day, i have also managed to find full time employment with a decent salary. The post i gave about DDs Grades are based on the worst case and what we can do should she get those Grades. Her English Teacher who is her favorite teacher proposed to DD that if she could get a D in English and History/Maths with all the extra hard work she put in in the last 6 weeks of lessons and can show some improvement, she would like to put forward that DD does yr11 again. She believes that if DD works hard and shows the maturity she as shown in the last 6 weeks she is capable of getting an A in English and her Maths/History Teachers think the same. They have always known that DD was bright. The problem has come from the outgoing SENCO/ Science Teacher who took a dislike for her. DDs English Teacher is taking over from the outgoing SENCO and as always stood in DDs corner with Discipline problems she thinks that DD should redo 6/7 GCSE next year and with the spare time on the timetable work in the library and learn all about Independent learning for AS Levels next year either at the School or an F.E College, Sorry for not being truly upfront but at the time i was very worried/still nervous but hopeful and delighted that her favorite Teacher is now the SENCO and has DDs best intrests at heart.

That sounds a really promising update. I really hope it all goes well.