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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 · 20/05/2016 22:30

ds's college has 24th June as the date by which they have to have passed the grades onto ucas and there is a mention of July 1st for having certificates. No idea if those are college set dates or national ones.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 21/05/2016 16:04

Gas I hope you are right about trouble makers not being there for the second year as DD is finding it very stressful.

After half term it is weird. Spanish is stopped for 2 weeks, then restarts with the A2 course. But the BTEC carries on for 2 weeks after half term, then stops. So for the last 2.5 weeks DD will be going in for precisely 4hrs of lessons a week, spread over 3 days!

Just looking forward to the Spanish being done on Tuesday now...

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GasLightShining · 23/05/2016 13:28

eatyourveg I asked DS and he doesn't know! I do know that when I asked about booking a holiday at the start of July the HOD said that would not be a problem. Once his assignments are marked he will know his final mark.

I have asked DS to ask about dates though

How is your DS getting on?

GasLightShining · 23/05/2016 13:30

T&T I hope I am right too for her sake!

Reduction in timetables is a pain when you have to travel.

DS has to go in on 7 June for his English GCSE

eatyourveg · 23/05/2016 16:21

Gas He's working furiously on finishing the last 2 units (psychology and sports massage) and has 3 or 4 assignments left I think. Just handed in the work experience one which he had to puff out quite considerably Wink He's been told they will keep going until the end of June as there is a fair bit left to cover on the sports massage unit as the teacher from last year left and wasn't replaced for a term so they missed a lot of work

Is your ds still undecided about uni? We are off up north for half term to familiarise ds with the city before the autumn as he is worried he won't take anything in during freshers week and its one less thing to have to negotiate in September

GasLightShining · 24/05/2016 13:44

Bet he is pleased to get the work experience out of the way. Shame about the sports massage but at least it is being covered

Son has business and sport (not sure the exact title) to complete. I can't remember what else although sport massage has either just finished or is due.

DS seems to be back on track and says he definitely wants to go to CMU so it the last bit of hard slog.

Good idea about visiting the uni town. Will suggest to DS we do that during the summer holidays.

SugarPlumTree · 24/05/2016 16:08

Has the Spanish gone ok T&T? That will be weird for her so few hours after half term.

Really glad the DS's on the thread are working and end in sight ! DD handed in project today, 2 left due straight after half term. Maths on Thursday.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 24/05/2016 20:38

Thanks for asking Sugar . Spanish OK-ish.

She said the listening was gobbledegook, but the reading was OK and the writing went better than expected (though was expected to be dire so that's not saying much).

Done now anyway. Smile

Hope the maths goes well, fingers crossed.

OP posts:
eatyourveg · 25/05/2016 09:19

What a relief Gas that CMU is back on the agenda

Hope all the btechers' exams/assessments go well over the next few weeks and they can all progress to where they want to be in September be it second year or uni or the world of work

GasLightShining · 26/05/2016 17:19

How did the maths go Sugar

T & T Just a waiting game now

Eatyourveg Very relieved!

eatyourveg · 26/05/2016 18:24

ds got his first pass today - very despondent Sad as apart from a merit last year he's had straight distinctions. Haven't worked it out yet but he's potentially lost the top scholarship at his first choice uni though the £1K award is hopefully still within reach. "Athletes lifestyle is just not my thing" - he says. Rather worrying as he's studying sport, I would have thought it fairly crucial! Confused

SugarPlumTree · 27/05/2016 07:41

Not too bad she thought T&T, thanks for asking.

Sorry to hear that Eatyourveg, I hope it doesn't make enough of a difference to lose him the scholarship . It is hard going with them at this age isn't it

GasLightShining · 28/05/2016 19:01

You would think wouldn't you eatyourveg! My DS would have made a comment like that to cover up the fact he was pissed off with the mark

I hope it doesn't affect teh scholarship

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 29/05/2016 20:54

Sorry about the pass EatYourVeg he can't resubmit can he? Am I right in thinking he needs something exceptional for the scholarship like 3 D*?

DD is working hard this half term on the final assessments for each of 3 units. 2 are OK, 1 looks very hard. She's trying for Merit in each of them to end up with overall Merit for the year, but the harder one might scupper her chances.

Fingers crossed for a pass in maths on 25th Aug Sugar

OP posts:
eatyourveg · 30/05/2016 09:19

Yes T&T its 3D for the £2K and >3D for the £1K no chance of resubmitting so best possible prob going to be 2D D depending on the remaining assignments.

Good luck for the maths and I hope your dd gets her overall merit

SugarPlumTree · 30/05/2016 14:24

Thank you both and fingers firmly crossed for the merits and D*s.

Draylon · 31/05/2016 16:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 31/05/2016 17:03

How much overlap is there between the 'Use of Maths' he has been doing and A level maths? If there is overlap and he does well in Use of Maths AS then maybe he has more chance of success?

Presumably no chance of getting him to do A level maths work between now and end August? With the purpose of 'If you show you are keen you can go to Brock and do A level maths too, otherwise it will need to be Eastleigh?' Have Brock confirmed they would even take him onto the A level maths given his GCSE grade?

I do think an Extended BTEC plus an A Level is potentially a lot of work, and if your DS needs pushing ...

OP posts:
Draylon · 31/05/2016 17:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SugarPlumTree · 31/05/2016 17:52

I don't know Eastleigh but what you do get in Brock is a reasonable push towards what happens next with a fair mix of people doing a variety of things plus some careers support.

The distance can be pain on occasions, it is 21 miles from here too. I have been impressed with the support DD has received. They have got her diagnosis of dyscalculia and extra time for her Maths resit. One of her lecturers has given her s number of one to one sessions due to situation with my Mother. Another has given her dictaphone to tape remaining work.

A level plus BTEC will be a lot but I don't think you should rule out him changing attitude, sometimes a change can do that, maybe not at first but after a bit. Friend's DS has done much much better at college rather than school.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 31/05/2016 18:09

Is he going to do taster days at both?

OP posts:
eatyourveg · 31/05/2016 19:23

Draylon Symonds do a btec in computing - is there a reason it hasn't made the short list? Am rather biased in favour of my alma mater but realise its not for everyone.

No idea what beastly Eastleigh is like these days but Brockenhurst always had the better reputation. I would go for the latter if PSC is out of the equation as at least there is the option for the A level. Your ds could start it and drop it if the workload gets too much but he could also thrive in the new environment and you would kick yourself if he was somewhere that didn't give him the option

Draylon · 31/05/2016 20:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HSMMaCM · 31/05/2016 22:25

I'm hoping DD can catch up with her btec dance work after half term. An injury during assessments is not good. She seems to be recovering now though.

SugarPlumTree · 31/05/2016 22:37

HSM really glad she's recovering and hope she can catch up pretty quickly, how stressful for both of you.

Draylon I wouldn't draw that line just yet, sometimes an extra year makes all the difference . It can be a difficult transition to Level 3 and he isn't the first who hasn't made a smooth transition and won't be the last. I'd be a bit open minded about next year for now abs see how he shapes up.

DD has been working this evening and I hope she is nearly finished . We've got a difficult few days ahead and she needs to put it to bed now ready to hand in next Monday. DH had a progress report from the boyfriend just now, she has got a lot done tonight. I was hoping the answer would be it's done .