BTEC vs GCSE?

[MrsBright]

Okay .... can someone guide me through BTEC vs GCSE?

DD is bright but finds written work difficult (very left-handed) so we are suggesting subjects more 'practical' as a good move. But how are BTECs actually regarded by employers etc? Are they seen as 'CSE' and therefore as only for the 'thick'?

hench - it may then not be the content of the BTEC maths that is the problem, but the difference in calibre of the BTEC/A level students.In fact many A level students thinking of going into engineering will have further maths too.

coco - no such thing as BTEC Maths. I would imagine anyone who has done BTEC Engineering and also A level Maths would be OK.

I agree with the poster who said it depends on the subject. We also offer BTEC Science for those who struggle at GCSE, but certain subjects - Engineering, Health & Social Care etc are better served by the BTEC format.

Greetings all,
It now turns out that the school are offering only 2 BTECs thjs year ...... in Child Development and in Business. They are of course claiming its because GCSEs are 'suited to more children' or 'the GCSE syllabus is actually better', even in subjects like Engineering. In reality its undoubtedly because they can no longer use BTECs to inflate their League Table scores......

MrsBright - schools do not use BTECs to "inflate" their league table places - statements like that make me really mad. And anyway, there is hypocrisy in your post because you're somehow implying that doing GCSEs is a bad thing, then also claiming that doing BTECs is a bad thing. You can't have it both ways!

BTECs no longer count towards the reported figures in the same way as they did, which is a shame IMO because I know that the students in my BTEC Performing Arts classes work just as hard as the students in my GCSE Performing Arts classes (and in both Yr 10 & Yr 11, my current BTEC groups are better) but the BTEC qualification is somehow seen as inferior.

DD was put in for BTEC music because she didn't have grades in a musical instrument. She told me today that she is on track for distinction and that NONE of the GCSE students are going to get an A.

Would it be rude to gloat?

Weird.
DS school doesn't really offer BTECs, the BTECs are available by going to 6th form colleges one day a week and using 2 options to do so. So would those still be added to the school's own league tables, given that the school isn't even the provider?

No, I have not displayed hypocrisy re. BTEC vs GCSE. I'm merely trying to find out which is best for MY child and match that up to what the School are offering.

I suggest that in future you don't judge anyone on the basis of simply a few brief chat-boards posts.

I just don't get your previous post - suggesting that the school is running GCSE rather than BTEC because of league table issues, and then saying that BTECs were done just to inflate league table places...

It was me who mentioned BTEC maths, I should have been more specific and said BTEC maths units - there are a couple in the engineering BTEC, more if you count mechanics as maths too (which I guess as there is much overlap with A level mechanics modules you should). Given that the maths in BTEC engineering covers much of A level maths (even some further maths A level topics) you shouldn't really need to do A level maths alongside, but in reality to get properly competent at the maths it seems that you do.

I've had a good look at the BTEC level 3 Diplomas and they look really interesting. If dd is getting distinction in her level 2s this may be the best way for her to work through level 3. I will discuss it with her teachers as I think coursework is going to be much more suitable for her than end of year exams.

Evil Twins - The school's reasoning for dropping several BTECs is not a reflection of my attitude towards BTECs - just an observation that the reason for the change probably has nothing to do with helping less obviously academic kids (like my DD) and more to do with future League Tables.

I used to work in secondary education once - I do know how schools 'work' these things.

The new spec BTECs are a lot more difficult at Level 2, (in fact the finance test UN Business is far more than any finance knowledge at GCSE) which seems to be the reason a lot of schools are no longer running them.

If the BTECs are harder does that mean that employers and universities prefer them? I have always felt that you can get GCSEs by 'fluke', by learning in class and not putting in much commitment along the way. I feel that BTECs are more thorough - so would employers see it that way too and prefer it?

IMO, BTECs still suffer from the stigma that they're not as academic and that it's easy to cheat on them. Until the implications that they are used by poor schools to inflate figures goes away once and for all, many employers will still think of them as substandard. The new generation L2 BTECs are only in their 2nd year, so unless employers have specifically researched them, they won't know.

What about the extended level 3s? I know someone that got into an RG university with one of them. At distinction they are worth 3xAs at A level.

Yes they are. Obviously depending on subject - you'd get nowhere doing an extended diploma in Health & Social care then applying to do medicine but I had a student do BTEC Sport & Exercise Science who was accepted for Physiotherapy, and another who did BTEC L3 Science who got accepted to do paramedics.