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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.

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hunibuni · 17/09/2015 19:31

It's just a matter of getting used to less parental involvement. Has your DS got the email address for the teacher? On my DSs course they have to email if they have any questions about the assignment and they can find the marking guides on their intranet. They are expected to self study using the material on it as a basis a day doing their own research. I think it's good for them to get used to how it is in uni.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 17/09/2015 19:45

thunder DD has been told that the work outside of lessons will be minimal for 3 weeks, until the first proper assessed assignments are set. I'm really pleased as it is giving her time to get used to the travel and the routine, plus she can give Spanish some extra focus.

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SugarPlumTree · 17/09/2015 19:51

DD has been told much the same as T&T's DD (not surprising as same College! )

They are having quite an intensive time during lessons getting to grips with new terminology etc and the teaching is quite a fast pace.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 18/09/2015 18:48

2 weeks in, how's it going?

DD is less tired this week than last, has got to know a few people, happy so far.

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sashh · 19/09/2015 10:32

He has been given his first assignment, but says they have been given limited information and he doesn't know what the marking criteria are

They are n the public domain, if he goes on the Pearson website and looks up the course and the unit it wii give him the grading criteria.

He may have already been given a copy of the unit spec, the grading criteria is in there too.

thunderbird69 · 19/09/2015 10:50

Thanks - I've got him the textbook now so hopefully that will help.

Kez100 · 19/09/2015 12:24

That's the criteria for the whole unit. Often many assignments make up a whole unit - this assignment might only cover one or two of them.

sashh · 20/09/2015 02:17

Kez

But the assignment should say which it covers, eg P1 and P2 or P1 and M1

SugarPlumTree · 21/09/2015 07:17

DD sat in a photography class as not enough computers in media and has decided she wants to swap. Should find out today apparently.

Kez100 · 21/09/2015 10:13

My DD did photography extended diploma - loved it. She and her peers have gone on to do : degrees in commercial photography, fine art photography, media, event management, fashion photography, something to do with psychology, photography with a year in Europe, one went abroad to work as an au pair with a family, a few went into general retail or office work and a few haven't done anything. (Well, that was what was on their end of course show artists statements!)

thunderbird69 · 22/09/2015 10:00

Oh dear, DS has now said he's not happy with doing his course as he doesn't understand any of it (sure that's not quite true). He has said that for his 1st assignment, they haven't covered what is required for the extra distinction part of it. He only has each tutor once a week so doesn't have any opportunity to ask them about it until it is due in. He's now got another 2 assignments set and I think he is starting to panic.
I have told him he needs to speak to someone at college if he is unhappy, he says he will try to but doesn't know who... Confused

eatyourveg · 22/09/2015 12:29

He definitely needs to talk to someone thunderbird - tell him to ask any of his teachers where the staff room for his course is and that he needs to talk to his course leader.

Can he email the course tutor? There may be a list of contacts in the course handbook if he was given one during induction. Does he have a pastoral tutor? They usually hang out around student services - that would be another place to ask as they will be able to tell him how best to get hold of his course tutor and talk through any issues he has with being in college.

At our college there are people in the library who read assignments through for students prior to submission. Might be worth popping in there to see if his college offer the same. Any of his teachers should be able to direct him to the course tutor or at least pass on a message

thunderbird69 · 22/09/2015 12:55

He hasn't been given any books or handouts or anything.
The college prospectus does say that students get a personal tutor but he hasn't been told who his is or where to find them! (it seems a bit of a shambles TBH)

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 23/09/2015 11:22

Hope your DS is getting something sorted thunder that all sounds quite disorganised from the college. DD has a tutor, a text book, and contact details for each teacher.

DD's assignments have now started coming in, 4 set now, one for each of 4 units, and she expects another to be set today for the 5th unit. She seems quite confident about what she has to do (but has been known to have misplaced confidence in the past).
I will be encouraging her to do a reasonable amount this w/e as she is too tired after college to do anything much at all, and I'd rather she had things ready early rather than any last minute panics. She seems to be getting stuff done during her 'free' periods though so that's good.
We need to work out whether she should do the assignments in sequence or parallel as there's pros and cons for each.
She's also got a Spanish vocab test today that I'm not sure she is properly prepared for - lack of technique rather than time spent I think. She will definitely need to sort that if she's to continue with the AS as well.

Late home yesterday due to flat battery on the bus which really didn't help.

OP posts:
Original poster
TeenAndTween · 23/09/2015 11:24

(NB we had to buy the text book. It was waved in front of DD in class as something they might find useful rather than must get. Luckily she is well enough trained to know that means must tell Mum and get it purchased!)

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SugarPlumTree · 23/09/2015 15:57

That is very encouraging Kez Smile

Thunderbird can hr talk to course tutor after a lesson? DD is meant to have a personal tutor but claims she hasn't. The course tutors habe been responsible for swapping her onto the other course .

She had to go on a waiting list but has swapped today. N9 lessons on a Friday but full day Wednesday. Is doing catch up on Tuesday and had to take photos of a pier - good thing we aren't too far from one. She says the class are nice which is good as she didn't like the media class.

I'm hoping as she did GCSE photography it won't be as hard to catch up as as could be. Assumably the assignments will appear very shortly. She is tired and I'm encouraging her to use her frees.

thunderbird69 · 23/09/2015 17:11

I did call the college yesterday to speak to someone to find out what is going on/who he should speak to. Took 3 attempts to get someone to answer the phone and then got put through to a voicemail where I left a message but still haven't been called back.

DS won't do anything about it unless nudged, I know him, he'll just stay quiet and carry on. He's still spending non-lesson time out with his friends,who are apparently all planning on quitting college as soon as they reach 18. Sad

thunderbird69 · 23/09/2015 17:12

sugarplumtree that sounds very positive. Photography sounds like a really interesting course - lucky you living near the sea too!

SugarPlumTree · 23/09/2015 17:21

That isn't good Thunderbird. There aren't any emails floating around you could try are there ? Hopefully he'll gradually make new friends fri his course. Friend saud it took time with her DS but it did gradually happen.

eatyourveg · 23/09/2015 17:56

Thunderbird In our college each student has a tutorial once a week - usually in a small group but with a rota for 1:1s afterwards. Is your ds likely to speak up if specifically asked if everything is ok or will he just say he's fine even if he isn't?

Kez100 · 23/09/2015 18:43

Sugarplum, my DD did hers at an art college but they gave term long briefs and each brief covered three whole assignments. So catching up was really easy, so long as you worked at max when you got back. I don't know if this way is common though or just dedicated to that college. It was scary having it marked though with so much at stake!

They also did icebreaker things for the first four weeks as students came and went and the cohort settled down.

Alonglongway · 23/09/2015 20:37

DD1 did an extended Btec in creative media, no A Levels and enrolled in university this week to study editing and post production.

She averaged around 3 days a week in college and did a fair amount of editing and research on the other days.

She had a pastoral tutor whom she didn't find much use and tended to avoid. Fantastic support from the subject teachers throughout. Btec was a brilliant option for her.

SugarPlumTree · 24/09/2015 07:04

This is all very encouraging to read. Not sure how assugnmemts are arranged but she has 3 double lessons on a Tuesday for 3 weeks as catchup, another boy is doing them too. They have lost a large amount of people since the start of term and are down to about 16.

She was on a high last night about it which is very different to first day of media where she loved the college but was very Luke warm about the class.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 26/09/2015 14:13

Sugar very pleased your DD is settling in well.

DD has just submitted her first assignment worth real marks. I am being really good and not looking at any of her work, leaving it to her. (Though I am schecking she has checked it against the criteria and stuff like that). This is massive for me after all the involvement I needed to have with GCSEs. However I hope this is showing that BTEC was the right route for her.

DD did yoga for the first time on Thursday and found it really relaxing which is great too.

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Kez100 · 27/09/2015 03:28

That's good news. Once they get into the swing of assignments the course really progress. Hope everyone else's DC s are getting on ok.

My DS has just passed his driving theory today - not an assignment but a big :)