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Secondary education

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

Original poster

BTECs starting 2015 - General support thread

692 replies

TeenAndTween · 26/08/2015 16:21

Is there anyone else around whose child is starting a BTEC rather than A levels? Should we stay on this board or move to Further Education?

My DD has enrolled for Travel & Tourism.

OP posts:
GasLIghtShining · 20/10/2015 13:29

Sugar I know it won't be easy but she does need to tell them. If my DS hands in a messy piece of work it is because he's a lazy little shit and quite rightly the tutor should not make allowances but this is not the case with your DD and if they don't know they just think she can't be arsed.

Is there anyone she will listen to? Another student who can say how much better it was once the staff knew. Even if it is from another college.

GasLIghtShining · 20/10/2015 13:31

Sugar Is she worried about being singled out by her fellow students if she tells the tutors? Sorry if you have already mentioned that in other posts.

SugarPlumTree · 20/10/2015 16:22

I think it is all to do with self identity and esteem. She has come a million miles from the little girl who was so shy and used to fall over everything and was bullied. She doesn't think it affects her now and sees it as the past but is very sensitive about it.

In a lot if ways it doesn't affect her but it does her presentation currently. She had a habit of really going for it with something until she can do it eg. Went from being unable to even jump to cart wheeling across stage in school play.

She's text to say 3rd tutor looked at her other booK and is pleased with how she is catching up.

Plan is to wait until Saturday. Friend she met abroad in summer coming to stay with us. He's older and was very helpful when she was making decision about switching to college at start of term so I'm hoping he might be of help. Also noticed she needs a bit of time to think on things once first suggested and then does come round - she actually went shopping for warm clothes recently, I nearly feinted !

She'a only got tomorrow then couple of lesson Thursday then on half term so I'm going to back off for now then gently resume. Did find some online blogs of people's work I sent her links to (thanks for that idea Kez)

eatyourveg · 22/10/2015 16:48

Can anyone tell me where to find a btec registration number? ds is waiting to send off his ucas application and the careers lady told him his tutor would have it. Tutor has been off sick and likely to be off for a while yet so he has asked his pastoral tutor who just gave him the course code which he has discovered isn't right as the ucas form wouldn't accept it and a message pops up to say it should be 2 letters and 4 digits or 8 digits and 1 letter.

Is it like an exam centre number in which case all the courses would have the same one so he could ask another course tutor or is it a number unique to ds?

GasLIghtShining · 22/10/2015 19:06

I have just been googling it. From what I can see DS may need to ask someone.

On student forums the people who are asking have already completed a course and the replies have been it is on the certificate. DS hasn't finished yet so won't have a certificate.

Could he ask the head of department?

Sorry I'm not being much help

GasLIghtShining · 22/10/2015 19:09

Sugar Hope her friend can help her.

Enjoy half term. I have the week off! Yeah! Think I am more exhausted than my DS.

Kez100 · 22/10/2015 20:14

My DD had hers added by the college when they added her reference.

eatyourveg · 22/10/2015 21:16

So he could press send with it left blank and it wouldn't bounce back as incomplete Kez100? The pastoral tutor emailed him this evening suggesting it might be his student ID number but that doesn't fit either. Someone at college other than the tutor who is off sick must know what it is. Suggested to ds he should print off the ucas guide to writing a reference so the man knows what to write in terms of contextual info when he does his bit seeing as there doesn't appear to be anyone who is ucas savvy in the dept at the moment but ds said that would be a bit insulting. Someone on one of the HE threads mentioned grinding their teeth with frustration, think I'll be biting through my nightguard soon!

Kez100 · 22/10/2015 21:54

Well my daughters didn't but hers went to am extremely well.organised group of lecturers! I hadn't quite realised how good her experience was (in many ways) until I got into this thread!

The BTEC number was definitely not something she had to hand. Her tutors collated them all and the reference, whilst written by one of the three, was also read by the other two to confirm their agreement. Then they submitted it to Ucas. This was a couple of years ago. Apart from the process taking a long time (hers went to Ucas in January) their system was very well organised. I think I would be advising taking control a bit more too in your case as they seem rather at sea with it currently.

My DS is also on BTEC year 2 but going to apply for apprenticeships or take a gap year, so Ucas isn't on his agenda. I'd get him to ask but he's finished now for half term.

SugarPlumTree · 23/10/2015 07:35

Sorry, absolutely no idea about BTEC number.

GasLight hope you can top up your batteries next week. I'm exhausted dealing with two teens let alone a class full !

Well this half term is over chez the House of Sugar. Not one I'd care to go through again but DD more positive. Tutors been handing out lined paper and 2 people asked to type in future (she wasn't) . Tutor who said the page he saw was unacceptable standard has been helping her try to get to grips with the dark room. He's looked at more of her book and has said it's ok. Incident on bus appears to have come to College's attention plus one boy has been suspended.

And her desire to be employable to get money to travel means no more funny colour hair.

T&T how is DD?

GasLIghtShining · 25/10/2015 19:39

Sugar Realized my post make it sound like I am a teacher which I am not. Since DS is still in education I still talk about terms especially at this time of the year as I have normally had the end of the summer holidays off and then half term (followed by Christmas off too). Been pretty full on at work so feeling the need of a break!

How did it go with your DD's friend. Was he able to help?

Hope she has a good week (and you) and good luck for her job search

Kez100 · 27/10/2015 03:37

Hope your DCs are all enjoying half term!

SugarPlumTree · 28/10/2015 07:40

Ah, I did think you worked in education GasLight! Can definitely relate to the need for a break. Haven't broached the Dyspraxia issue yet. I was thinking about it, now that a couple of people have been told to type things and she wasn't one of them I suspect nothing will persuade her to tell College.

The Tutor she struggled with a bit was giving her extra help with the dark room stuff so I think he gets she is trying.

DD definitely enjoying half term , might need a gentle word about doing a bit of work! Hope the other DC's (and parents) are too.

GasLIghtShining · 28/10/2015 15:28

Sugar You can't make her tell anyone and I wish I could think of one thing that would persuade her. Do you think she might be able to confide in the tutor who is giving the extra help.

SugarPlumTree · 28/10/2015 16:04

No, she hasn't really clicked with him. I think I'm going to sit back for now and watch what happens. Slightly comforted by fact she wasn't told to type as some were . All 3 tutors were on a bit of a mission over presentation by the sound of it by the time half term came around.

I nearly mentioned it in front of her friend yesterday as she opened a carton and milk shot out all over him ! But thought the better of it as think she'd be upset.

GasLIghtShining · 28/10/2015 16:45

That's a shame she hasn't.

Do the ones who have been asked to type just messy with presentation or are the tutors aware of the fact they need additional support?

Sit back for a bit and see what happens is exactly what I would do this term but at some point you may have to say to her enough is enough.

I say this (not sure if I have mentioned it on this thread or others) as a mum who regrets not being pushy enough when my DD had problems - no SENs but did not cope with the transition from school and the bad 'A' 'levels choices. Over the two years (I know I let it drag and drag) it just got steadily worse to the point where she got hysterical and refused to go into college for the mocks. I should have sorted it out after the first term but listened to DD and the tutors.

I know this is not exactly the same but DD was put off university and I know that's not the be all and end all but college affected her decisions.

Will be thinking of you both

SugarPlumTree · 28/10/2015 17:37

Thank you GasLight, I think it was just messy presentation. I'm thinking that as pretty much everything counts from now on I have a little time but not very much. Really sorry what you and your DD went through, not easy this parenting thing Flowers

HSMMaCM · 30/10/2015 08:10

DD has (as predicted) been doing loads of after school dance rehearsals, resulting in missed buses, but still enjoying college so far. I just hope she's done all the work she was supposed to do over half term.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 02/11/2015 11:39

BTECs and DD: Things I didn't know that I didn't know before DD started the course.

  • That there would be no ramp up or practice assignments to learn required skills.
  • That DD could possibly forget she has access to power-points that tell her exactly what she needs to cover in assignments (as opposed to the more generic task description).
  • That the requirements for passing are very tight, if you miss out one tiny bit that they need to see, you don't pass.
  • That DD wouldn't manage to make friends with anyone on the course, so she has no one to turn to in order to double check her understanding on things.

We got to Friday of half term, with me having been having to give guidance on e.g. how to write a recommendations document, before DD found a set of slides on her memory stick telling her what she needed to include. Luckily, I actually do know what I'm talking about (!) so what she had written did in fact meet requirements, I think.

OP posts:
HSMMaCM · 02/11/2015 18:42

T&T there's so much I didn't know. Notably that it's possible to get a pizza delivered during a free lesson!

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 02/11/2015 19:20
Grin
OP posts:
GasLIghtShining · 02/11/2015 21:13

T & T - I am absolutely clueless and as I have said before I am lucky that DS did L2 at school so has understood how it works.

Have you had a parents evening where you can discuss?

HSMMaCM Am chuckling at the pizza! College is in the centre so DS tends to go to Greggs (please don't judge!)

SugarPlumTree · 03/11/2015 16:40

Grin at pizza and Greggs.

Our household is finding it a steep learning curve T&T.DD doesn't feel she has really gelled much with the others on her course either.

GasLIghtShining · 05/11/2015 14:09

Sugar I feel for you and your DD. My DD never gelled with anyone. She was studying A levels so the fact there were quite often different students in different subjects made it harder

In fact the few she was friendly with was because of her part-time job rather than the fact they were at the same college.

SugarPlumTree · 06/11/2015 12:56

Thanks GasLight, sorry your DD didn't gel with anyone either. DD is lucky in that she has several friends from school she can meet up with between times.

Think she's still in the adjustment phase to how it all works. My kitchen table full of stuff currently but am happy so it means she's working on her day off!