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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Withdrawing my yr 11 for an apprenticeship

16 replies

abouttodrop · 27/02/2017 16:17

Hi lovely ladies,
My son received U's and 2's in his ppe's Is unlikely to turn it round and is very unhappy at school. I've found an apprenticeship that would be brilliant for him and I'd really like to withdraw him from his timetable to begin his new career. Obviously he would have to go back for his exams. School has not worked for him and is damaging his confidence which is devastating to watch, he would blossom in an apprenticeship. Does anyone have any experience of this? School are making it really difficult for me as "it's better for the academy if he stays"
Any advice/help greatly received.

OP posts:

MargotsDevil · 27/02/2017 16:27

I think the important question is how does your son feel? As a teacher parents finding jobs/apprenticeships FOR their children doesn't always end well... Of course it may just be how you've worded this but at this stage your son needs to be making decisions for his future.

AtiaoftheJulii · 27/02/2017 16:30

Are you in England/Wales? "You can leave school on the last Friday in June if you'll be 16 by the end of the summer holidays."

"In Scotland, when you can leave school depends on when you'll turn 16. If you turn 16: between 1 March and 30 September – you can leave school after the 31 May of that year. between 1 October and the last day of February – you can leave at the start of the Christmas holidays in that school year."

So it's not up to the school or open to negotiation really. Surely an apprenticeship wouldn't take on someone below school-leaving age? When you say you've found a really good apprenticeship, have you just seen it advertised, or has he been offered it?

unfortunateevents · 27/02/2017 16:39

What is your son's opinion on this? You seem to have found the apprenticeship and you say he would blossom but what are his feelings?

titchy · 27/02/2017 17:46

Any employer willing to take on an under age kid as an apprentice should not be touched with a very long barge pole.

Your kid needs to grit his teeth and study study study. Concentrate on Maths, English and one other if he's really struggling/disengaged.

Original poster

abouttodrop · 28/02/2017 10:25

Thanks all,
My son, can't wait to leave and is doing anything at the moment (including behaving badly) to avoid having to draw attention to the fact that he can't do it.
My son is 16 already so he can apply for apprenticeships at any point from now.
I'm waiting for a call from school but the bottom line is that they can make it difficult for us if they want.
Grit his teeth he must!

OP posts:

wobblywonderwoman · 28/02/2017 10:29

I think an apprenticeship will do him good. But only if he really wants it and works for it.. So if you are sure of that, go for it. Best of luck to him

titchy · 28/02/2017 12:09

My son is 16 already so he can apply for apprenticeships at any point from now.

No he can''t. He may be 16 but he has not yet reached school leaving age. No employer would take him, unless they intend to exploit his arse off, pay £1.00 an hour and not provide any training (no training provider would take him anyway until September).

Does he realise that if he doesn't get grade 4+ in maths and English this summer he'll have to continue with those subjects at college?

cricketballs · 28/02/2017 16:49

What trade is the apprenticeship in? Some trades require maths & English at a 4/5 for the college course they will also have to complete.

Agree with PP that although 16 he is required to stay in education till the summer

AtiaoftheJulii · 28/02/2017 20:08

From the govt apprenticeship website:

You can apply for an apprenticeship while you’re still at school. To start one, you’ll need to be:
16 or over
living in England
not in full-time education

So yes, he can apply now, but he can't start one until the end of when he can legally leave full time education. As said above, he might need the core qualifications, and also he might need a reference from school, so if that's what he wants to do, then he probably needs to grow up a bit and do what's needed.

AtiaoftheJulii · 28/02/2017 20:09

(End of June!)

Itmustbemyage · 28/02/2017 20:17

Lots of horror stories here about apprenticeships, for some young people they are a great alternative. We are in Scotland and my son started his apprenticeship in the July when he was sixteen in the August. He had sat his exams but school wasn't really working for him and he had started skipping school. He got recommended by a family friend who already worked for the firm, the firm has given him a lot of support and he is now half way through his second year and doing well. The firm pays well over the minimum wage set for apprenticeships and in no way is he being exploited. His apprenticeship is 3 years long and he will be qualified by the time he is 19. There are many mature students on his course, some who have done degrees but have been unable to secure employment.

Original poster

abouttodrop · 01/03/2017 12:59

Thanks again all,
We are in discussions with his school.

OP posts:

Amanda123123 · 01/03/2017 15:24

Not sure if I've got any good advice .I think I'm going to look into apprenticeship for my son as he's not going to school now since Xmas has been handful of times .its to late for the EWO to take me to court now as in year 11.how do you make someone who's 6;1inc go to school you can't make them like you can with a little child.tired every thing from buy you a game if you go for two whole weeks .had money cut off .even said we would pay him to go .he just will not go and such bad atmosphere in the house every time you say the word school .and says there nothing going on at school its making him more miserable and he doesn't go out anywhere and has low self-esteem. What to I do???pls someone help me with some ideas .I tried taking him to doctors he won't go ...I just really don't know what to do and everyone's going on at me all the time about it ..when they can't get him to go school themselves...

Amanda123123 · 01/03/2017 15:33

My son won't even fill out a college app so does this mean he's just not going to do his exams or even go to college. What if he thinks he can just stay at home every day doing f all.I just about had it with him don't know what to do about it nothing is working ...he just doesn't care about anything to do with school exams or college..

Amanda123123 · 01/03/2017 15:40

Plus I've told him that you will repeat doing English and maths if it not a certain grade. And he doesn't seem to care its funny how his friend is doing the same thing which I found out what if he doesn't go college or try to get a job for years how long is he going to be like this for ..

Itmustbemyage · 01/03/2017 17:18

Amanda most decent apprenticeships will require the young person tpo have a basic qualification in Maths and English as well as a "technical subject".
Part of an apprenticeship is going to a training college either in blocks or one day a week. There are some written tests that must be passed,
so there is a requirement for studying as well as being able to do the hands on stuff.
My son does better at the training college than he did at school as he sees the relevance of the study, but they are very strict on attendance, falling below a certain percentage of attendance would see someone put off the course (and lose their apprenticeship). Apprenticeships are increasingly sought after, so your son would have to really want to apply for one and be prepared to work hard.

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