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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:
Original poster
TeenAndTween · 25/04/2016 17:22

Oh no HSM how does that work with assessments then?

OP posts:
HSMMaCM · 25/04/2016 17:26

No assessments imminently, but it is affecting rehearsals.

SugarPlumTree · 26/04/2016 19:05

Oh no HSM Sad

GasLightShining · 26/04/2016 22:48

HSMMaCM Oh no. Hoping she has a speedy recovery

HSMMaCM · 29/04/2016 06:29

I have to contact school. DD has torn ligaments in her ankle and has assessments week after next. Does anyone know what happens if she can't do the assessment?

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 29/04/2016 10:07

HSM Shock
No idea, but surely they must have a system for the physical based BTECs in case of injury?

OP posts:
HSMMaCM · 29/04/2016 14:31

The dance teacher has come back with a long and complicated email about group work and year 13s and year 12s and previous assessments and changing dates and ........

I need to read it again about 4 times and make it into bullet points I think before I understand it.

Anyway, I hope everyone else is having a stress free approach to the summer. At least doing a BTec has cut down on some of the exam hype we had last year.

GasLightShining · 01/05/2016 22:18

No good here. It was a shock to get a call from the course tutor telling me that he has handed a number of assignments in late and his grades have slipped.

He only has about 4 weeks left. He won't talk to me - apparently I don't understand. He has a meeting with the head of department on Tuesday and he will speak to me then.

Asked he if still wants to go to university and he said he doesn't know.

HSMMaCM · 01/05/2016 22:49

Oh dear gas light. It's so hard for them at just the wrong age I think.

SugarPlumTree · 02/05/2016 12:38

Oh GasLight, I'm sorry Flowers. So hard in these situation. I try and flip things back on DD in situations like these and ask her to think about how she would like to move the situation forward and what it is she actually wants. Half the time it's clear she doesn't know but it puts the focus on her again. Guess it depends a lot on personality type though.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 02/05/2016 17:26

Oh gaslight .
It seems to be one thing after another with our BTEC kids doesn't it?

I always feel that DD is teetering on the edge of a cliff. It all seems so precarious.

OP posts:
SugarPlumTree · 02/05/2016 17:44

It certainly does T&T. It seems to vary from morning to evening on some days here. DD has a count down to the end on her phone.

GasLightShining · 04/05/2016 17:17

I just can't believe that we are so close to the end and he has started this.

I haven't told DH as he is so stressed at the moment. He will flipped and am literally scared that he will make himself ill. Consequently I haven't been able to talk properly to DS. He has a meeting with head of department so think I will suggest going out for lunch tomorrow so we can chat in peace

I try and flip things back on DD in situations like these and ask her to think about how she would like to move the situation forward and what it is she actually wants. Sugar - think I will go down that route

HSMMaCM · 04/05/2016 17:38

Oh gas light it's so hard. Try and keep the bigger picture in your mind. When DD had a bad time last year, I kept reminding myself she's alive, she's still attending school, she's physically healthy, etc etc.

eatyourveg · 04/05/2016 17:54

Gas so sorry your ds is struggling - have you put the grades he has got so far into the grade calculator to see where he stands re the uni grade requirements? It may be that if the remaining assignments only need to be passes, he could still make it and knowing this could boost his confidence and he might change his mind about wanting to go.

There again - do you know his grades? it might be an idea for you to do it withuot him knowing and then use the result as a means to shape the conversation one way or another and devise a plan B if need be

Your ds's firm choice have had courses in his subject in clearing most years so they may look favourably if he ends up dropping a grade.

SugarPlumTree · 04/05/2016 18:14

It is hard, I am sorry Gas. I have a friend whose DD has gone completely off the rails, drugs, pregnancy plus left home so have told myself things could be a lot worse when things have been hard.

I would be incredibly pissed off in your shoes but I think if you can hide it and try and be as neutral about it as possible it can help. Think sometimes they are looking for a rise out of you and don't even know why they are, probably something to do with the whole leaving the nest thing.

DD announced yesterday that she's fine speaking to me 3 or 4 times a week when she goes but not all the time. I asked how many times I contact her during the day now (pretty much never) and she said she has friends whose parents didn't contact them then when they left home their Mums started contacting them a lot.

She then said 'I've Googled, it's an actual thing, Empty Nest Syndrome' . No doubt she'll start telling me shut the menopause soon just to rub it in further. Think there's some projection going on and a bit of underlying nagging worries about leaving on her part.

HSMMaCM · 05/05/2016 08:59

Ok, so DD is missing the Jazz element of her btec dance due to her sprained ankle. This cannot be delayed as it is a shared dance with year 13s. The other element that was to be examined next week was choreography, but as that is only year 12s, they are moving it to a later date.

Her teacher said they have 6 assessed elements, but take 8 and dismiss the lowest 2. This simply means DD will only have 7 elements and drop the lowest 1.

She just needs to make sure she gets good results for the others and she'll be fine.

Thanks for all the advice. She was panicking about failing the whole course.

SugarPlumTree · 05/05/2016 10:44

That's very good news Smile Not surprised she was panicking poor thing.

Found DD curled up on floor outside my room this morning with a stomach migraine. We nuked it with meds and she's better so gearing up for long drive to College and back as she has a studio booked today and needs to get in.

GasLightShining · 05/05/2016 13:50

Lunch didn't happen as he is in lesson during my lunch break but will try again! On top of other things going on I feel absolutely shattered and this shouldn't be happening. At least with my DD we knew it was shit throughout - this has just come totally out of the blue

eatyourveg I need him to log in to show me. He will be happy to do this. On top of the overall grades he needs a minimum of 12 distinctions so I need to check how close he is to this. He was on target for DDD* so anything less is not good enough as far as I am concerned if he is not working at 100%. I have always said to my DC that I don't care if they fail something if they have put the effort in but he isn't.

There is also the added problem that it is unlikely to be able apply for the academic scholarship/grant with anything less than top grades as it is only the top 10 student from each uni department.

Plan B is his insurance choice

Sugar It could be a hell of a lot worse. Your poor friend must be beside herself. Pregnancy on top of everything else. I have a DD and I do worry about that. I am being very calm but I know his dad wouldn't be!

I love your DD's comments. They just know everything don't they. I look forward to reading your post when she comes home with some stuff from the health food store for women going through the menopause!

Hope your DD is feeling better

HSMMaCM Good news. So pleased

GasLightShining · 05/05/2016 13:51

DDD - that should be D D D

SugarPlumTree · 05/05/2016 14:42

I think it has been very very hard for her, especially as she knew she was pregnant but not supposed to know. Think her DD might be turning a corner now, fingers crossed.

DD is fine now and I had a nice drive through the sun shining on the New Forest. I can just see her turning up with a leaflet on the menopause!

Do feel for you GasLight. Out of the blue is very hard to deal with. How happy would you be with the insurance option?

GasLightShining · 05/05/2016 16:07

I am jealous - I am stuck in a hot office

As a campus I think his insurance option is great and is about half the distance from home than his firm so it would maybe possible for him to keep his part time job here but his first choice is better.

It might not be as bad as I am thinking. I am hoping to finish work early enough to speak to him before dad gets home. Saying that I have gone past my going home time!

SugarPlumTree · 05/05/2016 16:44

I find it really hard to know how it is going with these BTECs. Good luck, hope it is indeed better than you think Wine

HSMMaCM · 06/05/2016 21:50

Had years this evening. DD can't take her ballet exam, can't do her btec dance assessment and to add insult to injury, they had a fabulous dance workshop today that she could t take part in. I can't wait for her ankle to heal.

HSMMaCM · 06/05/2016 21:50

Tears not years