Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
SugarPlumTree · 08/10/2015 18:48

Hi Stayathomegardener Smile My DD has gone from school 6th form and A Levels to college plus BTEC media and now onto BTEC photography this term. She does have a tendency to ge anxious but doing ok so far, finding the hour each way on the bus a bit of a shock . She has been a little vague on the assignments so reading your post I'm going to quiz her a bit.

SugarPlumTree · 08/10/2015 19:41

I'm a big more up to date now. Told DD she has to do the University talks next term.

She had 3 assignments (1 per tutor) to do in next 12 weeks. They're doing a lot of it during lessons. One is student life so around college which makes life easier on that one.

tothesideoftheirlives · 08/10/2015 20:01

Things seem to be going smoothly for my DD. She seems so much happier than at school and says the people on her course are lovely, a real mixture of ages, several people who have moved from A level to BTECs and others who are older and have decided that they want to do something they really love (her course is conservation and the environment) and have given up office-based jobs.

I was really confused about how the assignments are organised but she seems to be on top of it. Most does seem to be done in class, which is a relief as she is so tired when she gets home.

I've also got her a Tesco Hudl to do her notes on, which means she's finding note taking a lot easier than in school. DD has terrible handwriting and gets painful hands trying to write fast - it was a real problem at school and with some teachers. Now for the first time she has neat notes - hurrah!

Kez100 · 08/10/2015 20:44

My DD started looking at open days in June of year 1. It was worth doing as they stop for summer and it meant she had some visits done before September when she went to some more. She ended up knowing exactly where she wanted to go (thank goodness she nailed an unconditional!)

By the way - a lot of photography degrees include film these days.

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 08/10/2015 20:53

Sugar have PMed you.

OP posts:
stayathomegardener · 08/10/2015 21:16

Any recommendations Kez?
We have just booked to go down to Falmouth Uni at the end of the month.
Looking forward to fish and chips by the sea Smile

stayathomegardener · 08/10/2015 21:20

Hello Sugarplumtree, DD seems to think she can use some of her work for several different projects but in different forms. This would certainly be less work but am not convinced it would be allowed.

Kez100 · 08/10/2015 21:30

I'll pm you stay-at-home

SugarPlumTree · 08/10/2015 21:39

Could you PM me too Kez if you don't mind ?

FlowersFlowersFlowersT&T, you're a star, thank you so much. I'm now up to date and need to get onto the College email system.

Stayathomegardener, I'm going to ask DD if she has been told anything about that (once she has got over the trauma of finding I am now properly informed about what she is supposed to be up to Grin). I know one assignment is to do with camera techniques or something along those lines so guess there could be a bit of crossover there ? Pitfalls Ivan see is her leaving things to last minute then not being able to get what she needs as it's dark, or raining.

Kez100 · 08/10/2015 22:33

I'll send you a copy tomorrow, no problem

Work might crossover but make sure it fits the brief as strongly as possible . Overload of projects is par for the course in pretty much all arts and design, they might as well get used to it now. The one advantage though is most of them love it - so the hard work isn't as bad.

SugarPlumTree · 09/10/2015 06:42

Thank you Kez Smile

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 12/10/2015 14:54

I hate DD's dyspraxia. Angry

She has failed her first 2 assignments, due to insufficient detail. They want her to drop something to reduce workload. But we don't think it's the workload, it's DD not being able to write detail, especially when it's a new 'type' of writing which this is.

If she can't succeed with this BTEC, I have no idea what she can go and do.

She is going to be so depressed when she gets home, it will need all my energy to keep her motivated.

We have asked to go into college to discuss ...

OP posts:
SugarPlumTree · 12/10/2015 15:56

T&T I am so sorry FlowersFlowersFlowers

I suspect this might happen to DD. She got quite panicked whenI looked through two of them with her on Friday (she's lost the other)and said made a few comments about reading it properly so she fully understands what is being asked of her.She's still trying to Catch up as well. The 3 assignments aren't due in until December and I'm worried she won't know until then that she isn't doing what she needs to be.

I'm wondering if this type of writing will be easier with practice? Looking at the brief I can see why Kez and others were saying I is really important they understand what they need to do do each assignment. College have said the first term is the hardest and I think maybe that's to get to grips with writing to the marking scheme and this will come in time. Assumably they will have come across this before with Dyspraxia, hopefully once they fully get the issue they will be able to find a way to help her .

Really feel for you, it takes so much emotional energy dealing with things like this,

eatyourveg · 13/10/2015 10:58

T&T Would your dd benefit from a scribe to take more detailed notes in class - lots of dyspraxic students at our college use them or a laptop which we lend out. Can she talk detail? Would speech recognition software help her with assignments? We also have an open door policy for students to bring assignments to have them checked through just to make sure that they have got things in the right order and it flows and answers the questions in the brief. You should ask if your place does the same. I would suggest having a list of questions ready for your meeting - I assume it is with the learning support dept?

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 13/10/2015 13:12

The meeting is with the BTEC course leader and DD's 'progress leader', not learning support.

She can only talk detail when prompted. As in, if I ask her 'tell me more' or 'why' she can expand, but she doesn't seem to be able to do it herself.

I'm feeling really down and stressed about this, I really need to be focussing on DD2 who is in y6, and wanted DD1 to be able to manage college without me having to be sucked in to masses of helping all the time.

And I'm slightly cross that their first reaction seems to be dropping something rather than exploring ways to help her succeed. I will be compiling some questions, and will definitely ask what other assistance learning support can give.

OP posts:
SugarPlumTree · 13/10/2015 14:47

When is the meeting T&T ? Is it too late to ask if learning support could be present so that you can all discuss it with their input and find a way forward ?

I do feel for you FlowersWineCake

Kez100 · 13/10/2015 15:02

Oh, I am so sorry to hear this.

Obviously discuss the support they can bring in but also, if they suggest a move to level 2, don't immediately dismiss it out of hand. My DD was told if she did cope they would move her to Level 2 and she would do that for one year and then move onto the Level 3. She was always aware the move might be necessary and if it enables the student to find their feet with independent study I think it must be a good thing.

My DD had quite a few friends that did it that way. They had three years at college not two but so did many others - some have a problem with AS levels and move courses, or change their course choices, and they do three years as well. It seems pretty common from what I have seen.

eatyourveg · 13/10/2015 16:21

An appt with the learning support dept is a must I would say. Having a prompt available is common place so it should be something you could ask about. Giving up a subject is quite a big thing to do without having first explored every avenue of support for continuing on the existing pathway.

All students in our college have a review at half term to ensure they are on the right course at the right level and there is always a fair amount of movement across courses or between levels so please don't think that your dd has been targeted because she is having difficulties. As Kez says, having 3 years in the 6th form is very common and if that ultimately means that your dd will find it easier to succeed and get better grades then it should be one of the options to consider.

Good luck

Hepzibar · 14/10/2015 07:38

T&T colleges call their staff by all different titles and Progress Leader may well be part of Learning Support. The PL should have the overarching view of both curriculum and learning support. They should also have a good knowledge of the Assistive Technology available to support students with dyspraxia.

Does she have an EHCP?

Original poster
TeenAndTween · 14/10/2015 11:51

No, no EHCP.

This time a year ago we didn't even have dyspraxia formally recognised, so she had no specific support for it throughout secondary, only really from me at home.

Kez Interesting about the Level2 option, that might be worth considering, as presumably the work is 'easier' somehow.

DH is coming too as a sign of how seriously we're taking this. We don't see the point of dropping something without additional support being put in place as well, as it is not the workload that's the issue (at the moment, though if she has to keep redoing things then of course workload will go up).

I will ask about an assignment checking service.
I will ask whether she can do anything to be sure she's understood the briefs properly.

OP posts:
SugarPlumTree · 14/10/2015 13:33

If you have a looK at the online details for DD's course it says about the opportunity to resubmit pieces to get improved grades so I think there will be something in place from that ?

Will keep fingers crossed meeting goes well Flowers

eatyourveg · 14/10/2015 17:13

it was possible to resubmit but things are changing and NCF and QCF are running slightly differently. NCF courses iirc have exams now - for ds3's course he is in the college's last cohort of QCF and as of last year it changed to first submission only - hence the assignment workshops and the checking service. The NCF's may work differently though but I would check the college website is up to date

GasLIghtShining · 14/10/2015 21:22

T & T Check on the rules for re-submission. My DS is in his second year and it is first submission but get a second chance if the student has failed or the grade is close to the next grade up.

L2 is certainly an option. It may give her the confidence before progressing to L3.

I can't remember what you have put in previous posts. Are you limited in choices of colleges - is it an option to move to another college if this college are not helpful.

But above all do not let them fob you off. I made that mistake with my DD. The tutors kept telling me it would be ok. She had no SN but just did not settle which was combined with some wrong choices. I regret not pushing harder to get things sorted.

Hope the meeting goes well.

Kez100 · 14/10/2015 21:47

My sons college certainly has a level 2 business/travel and tourism course. I don't know the difference but it surely would act as a foundation to the level 3. Hopefully college would explain if that was an advisable option. It might not be - she might just need some support. Both Ds and DD have had peers with support in their BTEC classes. My DS received out of class dyslexia support last year and others went to essay writing help. So I do hope you find her college can help.

SugarPlumTree · 15/10/2015 07:46

Hmm,I'll be cross if they haven't updated the website. Can see the sense of doing L2 as a year to get to grips with the style of BTECs and know a couple of people doing that.

Hope you're ok T&T.

DD was a bit down yesterday, she struggles with the darkroom stuff, did at GCSE too.