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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:
eatyourveg · 21/12/2015 09:00

Yes Gas he was hoping to find a performance analysis company in London that would take him on but nothing - Sky sports, British Olympic association, the FA and a zillion other small clubs all want over 18. He's already coaching with a sports development company and that isn't allowed to count. Thought as we are within commuting distance of London it would be easier but its not :(

GasLIghtShining · 21/12/2015 12:14

I was going suggest the FA actually as you can be a ref from 14 so I thought they would be more accommodating. Have you tried your County FA office - don't know how near you are to them but they might be more inclined than the national FA as they run the courses.

I expect the London firms will have students coming out of their ears and some are worried about insurance etc. I know my DH's place won't take anyone under 18 but where I work there is a constant stream of students.

Have you family in another part of the country that he could also look in that area too?

I do feel for you as my DS is a summer baby so he would be struggling too. Mine has to do volunteering. I was a bit shocked to find out that refereeing counts!

Will keep trying to think. Good luck

eatyourveg · 21/12/2015 15:09

ds sat the ref exams last year and passed but didn't get the 6 games in because he had an operation on his foot and was off the field for a few months. The county FA office is a killer to get to and would involve a bus a train and then two buses. Its only around half an hour by car but ds hasn't yet got a licence. db is in Yorkshire and did some work for the 2012 Olympics and then the LTA but his leads dried up. His school work experience was in a gym and they would take him back but he wants to do something other than answering phones for his mother's mate. Wink

GasLIghtShining · 22/12/2015 00:03

Presume this is during the Easter holidays so schools are out of the question?

What about shadowing a personal trainer who would also let him get involved in helping to develop training programmes.

As a last resort could he ask the gym to go back but say that the placement has to be more hands on as in shadow the trainers there.

By the tine my DS passes his driving test it will virtually be time for him to go off to uni!

eatyourveg · 22/12/2015 07:55

Yes it is the last week of the Easter holidays and first 2 weeks of summer term. He is working with 2 primary schools already as they outsource PE to the sports company he works for albeit after school hours. He would like to try a different area ie sports journalism, performance analysis etc

There is a sports injury clinic in the next town which I think is his next avenue. I think he will need to accept that he is not going to find anything glamorous until he is over 18

What is your ds going to be doing?

GasLIghtShining · 22/12/2015 21:09

A while back I asked DS if there was a work placement element to the course and he said they had to do some volunteering which is when he said that the refereeing counted. I have asked again but can't get much more than a grunt although I understood his job counts (sports centre). No point when he is in that mood!!

I don't blame your DS for wanting something more glamourous.

Could he contact some universities and ask about working with a PhD student?

What about contacting BASES and explaining his predicament and ask for advice?

Has he tried looking for job vacancies to check there aren't firms he has missed?

I am trying!

eatyourveg · 23/12/2015 07:48

Thanks Gas another swathe of emails went off yesterday including to BASES and to the local university

Work experience is unit 26, one of the optional ones so your ds's college may not be doing it. It does quite clearly state that the w/exp cannot be an extension of current work so coaching is out, although it may count if its with a different company I suppose Confused

Here it is the specification for it. Ds has had to do CVs, covering letters and interview techniques as part of it - no idea what the actual assignments that he has been set are though.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 03/01/2016 17:22

Happy New Year! All set for the new term?

DD has done 2.5 assignments over the holidays, and her new year's resolution is to prioritise work more over socialising (i.e. boyfriend) whilst at college. Please please please fingers crossed she sticks to it.

OP posts:
GasLIghtShining · 03/01/2016 20:28

Happy new year!

Fingers crossed for you Teen

Leeds2 · 03/01/2016 23:40

I hope that works, Teen.

SugarPlumTree · 07/01/2016 07:05

Good luck T&T, fingers crossed.

Not going well here. First assignment back and she has just scraped a pass.. Really struggling with the darkroom so finally let me have a look at her book and that is not good, doubt she would pass it at this rate. She seems incapable of following the brief. DH and I are having to step in and are going to have to micromanage her. She doesn't research things properly, just writes a sentence and there is no depth or organisation to anything .

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 07/01/2016 08:34

Sugar Sounds just like DD Sad . That's dyspraxia for you I think. AT least she got the pass.

Is your DD seeing learning support yet? They (and we) are checking that DD has at least met the brief for each assignment to sufficient depth.

With DD, once she realises for a specific assignment what kind of stuff she needs to write, she can do it. But every assignment has at least one false start where she is far too general and non specific.

So we are finding early intervention on each assignment helps a lot.

Can your DD be shown examples of others' work so she has a clearer idea of what she is aiming for?

OP posts:
SugarPlumTree · 07/01/2016 11:16

Yes at least she did pass it. She did see learning support and was due to have dyscalculia test today but themes see up the booking. I fired off an email not knowing she ended up having hour's talk with the guy. They are probably going to screen for dyslexia and suggested she sees GP for ADD screening as they don't do that and when she said how much she feels the symptoms she feels she has affect her, he said he thinks maybe she could do with some meds.

He's said she's going to get support to help her now so she's seeing him again next week. I hope that last night was crisis point for her and things improve. She firmly rejects her dyspraxia diagnosis and was asking last night for us to pay for ADD screen. We paid for DS as he is high achieving and I knew there was no way school would do it but feel with her we've paid load in past for SALT etc and
loads in tutoring so given she is significantly affected by whatever it is she has then I would like to use college facilities plus NHS, though will see review this stance if things don't happen.

Can totally relate to the too general and non specific bit. Good that learning support are helping your DD. Shame it has taken mine this long to get there but she is now. However she is still talking about leaving this summer so we'll have to see how it all pans out.

SugarPlumTree · 07/01/2016 13:29

Support guy emailed back, very helpful. Will be seeing her weekly to help with organisation of work plus contacting tutors to make sure they support. Agrees with her that she ticks more than enough boxes to fit ADD with mild dyslexia. Wants me to keep in touch so feel more positive.

DD sent pic of something she did earlier, much better than before so encouraging.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 07/01/2016 15:08

Glad she's getting some help, and that latest stuff is better.

Why does she reject the dyspraxia diagnosis so much but is open to ADD? Is it because she wants meds so it all just goes away? Do you think a different diagnosis will make a difference? There seems to be so much overlap between all these things, it's hard to get your head round it I think.

We are going overboard with phone reminders this term to help with the remembering. Also leaving phone on all the time in the week (change from previous policy, as have missed reminders by phone being off). Now I expect there will be issues with remembering to charge it ...

OP posts:
SugarPlumTree · 07/01/2016 17:55

Thanks T&T. Think the other people she knows with dyspraxia also have aspergers and she doesn't identify with them. A good frond has ADD so she sees that as a more positive diagnosis. I don't know if a different diagnosis would make a difference but remember the angst of being a teen and can sort of see why it matters to her so going with it.

Grin to the phone charging, it's a bit of a nightmare isn't it ?!

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 07/01/2016 18:34

I agree, good to investigate. It will put the questioning to rest. And nothing to say she can't have dyspraxia, dyscalculia and ADD I guess.

Either way our teens have to learn to cope with who they are, and take 'ownership' for working with / around their difficulties.

OP posts:
SugarPlumTree · 07/01/2016 18:38

Yes, flipping exhausting for us though!

GasLIghtShining · 07/01/2016 20:37

The new rules about only one submission being allowed has not helped. I sort of agree with it in that the likes of my DS should not be allowed numerous attempts if he is too bone idle to do it properly first time. Unfortunately I feel for students who through no fault of their own would benefit from another chance.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 08/01/2016 08:10

I agree gas

Plus also, my understanding from DD is that if you miss one merit criteria for a module then there is no point even attempting the rest of the merit criteria or the distinction ones as you have limited the marks you can get for the module to a basic pass.

It doesn't seem to have any flexibility in it at all.

(And even with GCSEs and A levels you can do rubbish in one part but great in another and come out with an OK grade)

OP posts:
GasLIghtShining · 08/01/2016 13:37

My DS did BTEC Sport at school instead of GCSE PE so this is his fourth year of BTEC and I am often still none the wiser!

Your DD is right in that if you miss one merit criteria you can't get a merit but not sure if that makes it no point in completing the rest. If you have a pass and are close to a merit grade then you are allowed to resubmit to try and get a merit so I am presuming that you must have completed most of the merit criteria to get close to a merit?

I will ask my DS how that bit works and let you know.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 08/01/2016 13:44

On one assignment for module X, DD didn't meet the merit criteria, e.g. M1

So now for further assignments for module X she says she has been told no point her even attempting merit / distinction criteria, e.g. M2, M3, D1

But for module Y she can.

If you can clarify, then that would be helpful, thank you.

OP posts:
yolofish · 08/01/2016 13:57

DD2 is doing double dance Btec for Y12 and 13... she says she can only get an A or C equivalent, there is no B level? is that right? so confusing. She and DD1 (Y14) both only got D's in their Nov maths retake, so that is dire news.
Poor DD2 is doing business and photography A level plus double dance Btec and resitting maths, she is snowed under. I want her to just do single dance (as she has decided dance career unlikely) but she much prefers her double dance group. aarrgh!

HSMMaCM · 09/01/2016 17:13

DD has mocks for a couple of AS levels this week and is using the spare time (no other lessons) to catch up on Btec work.

eatyourveg · 11/01/2016 17:20

So now for further assignments for module X she says she has been told no point her even attempting merit / distinction criteria, e.g. M2, M3, D1

Definitely do all the other cirteria - ds was told it was there would be an only one submission approach but at a recent parents evening his tutor said that he has the option at the end of the course to resubmit one piece.

If your DD passed the M2 M3 D1 criteria but only got P for one assignment, it would give her the chance to get the P up to an M and then her Ds would count too. (Does that make sense)