BTECs starting 2015 - General support thread

[TeenAndTween]

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.

Fozzie ds also came from an independent - his eldest db stayed on to do A levels but it didn't do BTECs and was very small so we figured college would be a better fit but he too had a massive culture shock which I think he still hasn't got his head around - most of the students he says have no particular desire to get anything from their time there - the class disruption is rife despite his college being rated outstanding by ofsted. Just hope he doesn't become too disillusioned - think we'll have to mount a massive morale boosting assault over the next few weeks. Ho hum!

That is shocking eat. Very incompetent. The problem with colleges, as far as I can see, is that the funding is just not good enough and there seems to be a constant struggle to balance the books

Teen I hope DD is now appreciating the chance

DS tells me everything is under control but I may just send a quick e-mail to double check. The good news is that he passed his driving test yesterday so at least that is now out of the way. I am still sobbing at the increase on the car insurance!

The problem that you now have to be in education so colleges are full of students who don't want to be there.

Sounds like DS has had a good organised set of teachers (she says cringing as if this could be tempting fate!).

Goodness Eat, that is not good. So sorry that this has spoil the his last few weeks.

T&T I hope the tweaking pays off for her. How is she today?

Agree you have a lot of people there who don't want to be. DD found that a lot on the media BTEC she did before swapping. I was yesterday when I heard my friend's DD has passed her tractor driving test as part of her BTEC, how lovely!

Eat My DD stuck it out for 3 years and did really well, so I think if he keeps his head down and the course suits him, keep at it. She also had quite a lot of kids in her year who didn't want to be there, but luckily over the years a lot dropped out, moved courses or were thrown off. By the second year of Level 3 they had streamed them into groups and removed the time wasters which helped.

Draylon it is such a shame that this stupid law was brought in. Not only are the colleges having to take kids that are really not interested, but services like the canteen, library and other social areas are now swamped as they were not built to take so many students. The funding for the colleges is also being cut so a lot of colleges and sixth forms are having to cut courses.

Fozzie he will stick it out - he has an offer at a good university and won;t throw that away for anything but it means its a hard slog right every day right up to the end to get the work done (except today when he's at home having told them he was going to France for the football ) but he is on the computer for hours every evening trying to get it all done

The tweaking wasn't good enough. So that was 2hours of my driving for nothing. Oh well, at least she tried.

Sugar hope your DD's travel goes well.

Draylon DD says that 2 people were chucked off the course this week for not trying on the rework day (and most of the year as far as I can gather)

Really sorry T&T, it is good she tried though. How is her walking ?

Gutting as it is T & T she tried and they can't do anymore than that. How is she feeling?

Last lots of assignments must be handed in by 16:00 on Monday and that's it.

How are you all managing Sugar?

The end in sight then Gas, does it feel good? We're ok thanks. DD arrived safely and is off food shopping with her list she read to me on Skype!

DS has wangled an 24 hour extension. Honestly. I am worrying that he hasn't spent enough time on the assignments and his grades won't be as good as they could be. We will find out soon.

Hope DD has a good time.

Fingers crossed for him Gas. DD having a good time and had the results of one of her last projects, 2 distinctions so that's great. Only one more mark needed now.

It has really helped that they do 11 units and only need 9 as she took some time to get the hang of it and the first 4 units were passes. Once she got the hang of it things improved and according to my BTEC calculator app she should have a Distinction Merit which I will be very pleased with after such a difficult start and she has had a bad year losing two Granparents. Fingers crossed the app is accurate.

Hope last assignments gets in OK Gas
Glad your DD is having fun and well done on latest marks.

DD's legs recovered after 4 days solid rest. She's at college so I just hope she is being sensible. I think she'll have ended up with Merit for the year, as she has PPPMMD which is just good enough.

Her next target is to find out about next years courses so she can make an informed decision over the summer (also very much dependent on AS result) on what to do next year. (BTEC&A2, or BTEC&Extra Units)

Thats It! ds has decided not to bother going in today or for the rest of the week - 1 assignment left to do which is submitted online - about 5 to get marked and no opportunity to tweak so he says there is no point in going in to sit and do the work there when he can focus much better here

So 2 years of college is up - just like that. So very different to school where there was prize giving, leavers events with the opportunity to meet all his teachers to say thank you. I still think he benefited by going to college, his marks so far mean he has already met his university offers and he has certainly had his eyes opened as to the realities of the society in which we live.

Had school run his course, I would have encouraged him to stay put but looking back now, if I was in that position again, I would be encouraging him to leave and go to college. (Warts and all) College is very different to school -and imo/e working in an FE college (not the same one ds attends) and having one ds who stayed on at school and one ds who went to college - it is the college student who is much better prepared for life beyond the classroom.

Hope everyone's grades are as they hope - I'll check in again when the final results come out - in the meantime there is an 18th birthday to arrange!

Is that a decision Draylon ? (or just a 'that's the way we're thinking today').
Did you get anywhere uncovering whether there was any significant difference in the courses?
DD came home yesterday quite animated about the A2 Spanish, but she does need to have passed her AS, and that is not definite by any means, and she may find in the next couple of weeks that it all seems too hard.

Draylon It's not uncommon at colleges to find students who are starting a course after having already completed a year of another course.

Depending on timetables you could find that DS ends up with a day off and possible half days as well. My DS certainly had at least a day and a half off a week (obviously supposed to be studying)

I'm not sure what others think but as far as disruptive students are concerned you will no doubt have them at both colleges.

Remember he can apply to both colleges and make a decision later.

T & T Your DD has done well and hope AS goes well

Eat It is all a bit of an anti climax isn't it? Still has one assignment to complete. I have had a go as he needs to get it all signed off by next Friday as we go on holiday. He just keeps telling me to chill!

I hope he enjoys his 18th. Still have another two months to go and he doesn't know how he wants to celebrate.

Off to an open day with DD on Tuesday. It is DS's insurance choice so at least I have know where it is!

Draylon certainly some disruptive kids on DD's course, some at least are not coming back for the second year.

DD has a series of talks at college one day next week on 'progression day'. Various things about university (which she isn't going to), but also work related such as apprenticeships, job hunting and gap years. She didn't want to go to the 'motivational' talk though (oh the irony). I hope she gains something from them.

Car hunting with Dad today (!) as she is going to need an automatic to practice in and we don't have one. (Clear the roads).

Sugar Is the house seeming quiet?

I understand your point about about low entry requirement - 5 GCSEs incl math and english although in reality they can still get on the course with out english or maths as they run those subjects alongside the timetable. There's was probably some disruption even before the new rules came in as I expect there were students who were only there because their parents said they had to. I am worrying how much it has increased.

On the positive side it has given the likes of my DS the chance to get on.

I can't tell you it will be alright but I was like you two years ago so I understand the worry. Your DS may surprise you.

I am not sure how practical it would be but if you can't get the information from the colleges could he do half a day at each college

Hello everyone I've just found this thread and wanted to offer some words of encouragement to anyone whose DS or DD haven't had the best of years this year. Last year my DS was doing A level Geography, Statistics, BTEC Applied Physics and BTEC Environmental Sustainability. He found the move to college quite a challenge - he's far from being a party boy but just didn't get how much work he needed - combined with some very poor teaching and admin by the physics tutor who left at Easter. So he ended up with passes at both BTEC and a D in Geography and u in stats. At one point we didn't think uni would be an option - in fact this time last year college were threatening not to let him come back! I am so proud that he has worked his socks off this year - achieving a Distinctions in both BTEC and hoping for a B in Geography (dropped stats!). He has a Uni place for September which he was deferring to earn some money - but is now going to reapply as with the equivalent of AAB he wants to aim higher and is choosing a different course. Despite our issues with the course admin I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the btec - in fact our DS2 is also doing a combination...just make sure you don't leave them to it and keep up communication with the college - in my experience unless students specifically withdraw permission colleges are usually happy to deal with parents in the same way as schools.