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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 · 29/06/2016 22:04

Which taster day did he go for Draylon? How did it go?

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 30/06/2016 06:44

Echoing Gas . How was it Draylon ?
(assuming he got out of bed to go to one of them of course)

OP posts:
SugarPlumTree · 30/06/2016 06:51

I hope you're ok Draylon. I read about your DH's job on another thread, I am so sorry Flowers

eatyourveg · 04/07/2016 16:28

Results out today D D D ! 400 ucas points so he got the £2K uni scholarship! Grin

SugarPlumTree · 04/07/2016 16:37

That Eatyourveg is the best news I have heard in a long time Grin Huge congratulations to him.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 04/07/2016 16:55

Brilliant eat ! Nice to have some good news on here for a change.
(and you wrote the grades so you didn't get accidental bolds!)

OP posts:
HSMMaCM · 04/07/2016 17:44

Brilliant eat.

DD's college had their open day and she had to go and prance around in the dance department from 12-9. She thought it was a great day. Grin

Draylon · 05/07/2016 15:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

eatyourveg · 06/07/2016 07:29

Thanks chaps - exciting times for some of our dc - glad to hear HSM dd enjoyed the dancing (9 hrs!!) Shock hope her ankle survived. Draylon I expect you are relived that ds has made a decision and hope the units don't change. T&T hope the Spanish AS is a pass. Next hurdle here is the driving test - ds is hell bent on passing it by the end of the summer holiday and he's out of the country for half of it so not sure how thats going to happen Wink

HSMMaCM · 06/07/2016 08:28

Eat - thanks for remembering her ankle. She had her ankle well strapped and it seemed to hold up, so I think it's nearly there.

The who who was a friend is now predictably a boyfriend.

She was supposed to be writing an essay last night, "accidentally fell asleep " Grin

HSMMaCM · 06/07/2016 08:29

Who who = boy who

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 15/07/2016 21:37

Throughout school we have always supported our DDs to go on trips to support their education. DD1 did 3 overseas trips in secondary, plus 3 weeks in Spain after GCSEs.

However I think we have reached our limit. Close on to £1000 (before spending money) for a 4 day travel and tourism trip to New York. Letter came today.

It had been discussed as one of 3 options earlier in the year, but to be honest I presumed they would throw it out as parents wouldn't pay (or would most 17yos have sufficient saved to pay for themselves?). Option 2 was way better for DD as it was Spain (and she is/was doing Spanish A level, so it would have killed 2 birds with one stone).

We have said all along we would say no to a New York trip as just not good value for money, even though we can afford it. They will do an alternate trip for those not going (assuming they get sufficient to agree to go), but it will be a weekend in London or something like that.

It is reasonable to say no, isn't it?

OP posts:
eatyourveg · 16/07/2016 10:26

I would be asking for a breakdown of the costings - it seems excessive unless the accommodation is very very good. I asked for a breakdown of costings once for a Y11 theatre trip to London - got a much better deal and said I would pay for ds to go independently - he met his class there though was marked down as being absent from school as opposed to being on a school trip Hmm

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 16/07/2016 14:52

Even if the accommodation is very good, I still don't think £1000 for 4 days is a good use of money though. Plus it's not very 'green' to fly such a long distance for such a short amount of time ...

OP posts:
GasLightShining · 16/07/2016 20:15

Back of our hols now but my it was stressful in the run up. My little s*t of a son lied when he told me there was only one assignment left. There were quite a few and he missed the extended deadline. They extended it again and again he didn't complete them all. The final deadline was the day before we were flying. It's all done now and he has to go in tomorrow to have everything signed off. We reckon he should come out with a D D D is enough for his first choice uni. I know it is a very good score but part of me is pissed off with him as if he hadn't handed the assignments in late it would have been better. The more important problem is that it is highly unlikely if not impossible that he will qualify for the academic scholarship/grant which is £2,000.

I am very very slowly (and not without worry) getting used to him being out and about in the car. He took three of his mates shopping almost two hours away. They all came back in one piece. The car will not be going to uni with him.

Teen totally reasonable to say no. Is you DD alright about it? Are the majority of parents approving the trip?

I paid £1,000 a few years back for DD to go skiing for a week in Europe. Although it seemed pricey it was something we would never do as a family and she wanted to try it. The £1.000 included flights, all meals and hire of equipment. I would have said a big fat no to NY.

Looked forward to updates next month as results come. Off to go through which open days DD wants to book for.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 17/07/2016 10:50

Gas Sorry about your son lieing to you. It is so frustrating when they do that isn't it? Especially when it is bound to come out in the end. And very sorry about the £2000.

Given that DD hasn't (bothered to try to) made friends with others on her course I have no idea how many parents will agree to the trip. But we have been clear from when it was first mentioned it would be a no. (And due to stress she continues to cause I am not feeling generous).

Sugar If you are still here, how is the Skandie trip going?

OP posts:
SugarPlumTree · 18/07/2016 16:17

Gas I would have been very annoyed with him. I hope it didn't spoil the holiday for you and i'm glad the driving is going ok.

TandT I wouldn't be paying for the trip either. One of the ones DD could have gone on was expensive and I worked out we could get flights for all four of us with some left over for accommodation for the cost.

DD is doing well thank you, it's a month today she went. She's coming back in October for a week or so and sent me a text today asking if I would like her to do some of the cooking when she is back to make things easier for me. I was very pleasantly surprised at that one and I think she is getting what we did for her.

She had friends to stay and was saying she did a lot of cooking. I said something along the lines of it can be tiring catering fur guests. Response was that was ok, it was when they used the kitchen it was a disaster as the made such a mess. DH and I were Grin when we heard that.

She's missing Tesco apparently and Chicken Tikka Masala but a Jamie Oliver recipe sent over has sorted that and she went out to buy a slow cooker and has beef stew on the go. She seems to be coping well and we have a lot of contact so all good here. That makes a pleasant change Smile

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