Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

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

Anyone else's dcs not passed English?

26 replies

FreakinScaryCaaw · 24/08/2017 09:59

Ds2 needed to pass English and maths to do his electrical engineering course. He failed English language but passed English literature. He's gutted.

He had a very difficult year. A friend died and he has been extremely low so this has affected his learning.

I'm so sad for him. He hasn't done that well at all. He's passed 5 subjects. Failed engineering which he was good at.

We're at the college today to enrol. He'll have to retake English no doubt?

OP posts:
Danglingmod · 24/08/2017 10:09

Well, according to the govt, a pass in either lit or lang now counts as passing English. Individual colleges may have different entry requirements, though. I'd say as the new exams require you to be able to write very well, his pass in lit should count. Let's hope the college agree.

Original poster
FreakinScaryCaaw · 24/08/2017 10:16

Thanks for that gives me hope.

OP posts:
Original poster
FreakinScaryCaaw · 24/08/2017 10:47

Poor ds2 has been crying Sad

OP posts:
MiladyThesaurus · 24/08/2017 10:47

If it makes you feel any better, mine has failed English for the 3rd time. I am very cross with his school (who were ofsteded in after he took the exams and it turns out that they're utterly useless at English - we'd thought it was just DS).

He's going to college to resit (and do a BTEC extended diploma) and they've booked him in for a dyslexia screening.

Original poster
FreakinScaryCaaw · 24/08/2017 10:51

That's a shame MT. Hope he does well at college.

Ds2 can take a test this afternoon at college which hopefully will go ok?

OP posts:
MiladyThesaurus · 24/08/2017 10:57

Hopefully the test will go OK for your DS2.

DS1 got a G in engineering. I don't think anyone in his school passed engineering.

Original poster
FreakinScaryCaaw · 24/08/2017 11:19

Ds2 got an E in engineering which we were shocked at. He did so well through the year.

He's been suicidal and self harming so really passing 5 has been good. Try telling him that though.

His confidence has been great since doing the ncs course. Hopefully once he knows what's happening with college he'll be back to being upbeat?

OP posts:
Danglingmod · 24/08/2017 11:35

Oh, good luck to your Ds, Freakin. In the circumstances, he's done brilliantly. My Ds had a breakdown in yr 10 but managed to keep it together in yr 11 . We're so proud.

Laska5772 · 24/08/2017 11:37

My son is dyslexic and didnt pass English GCSE (although got really good grades inmaths and sciences.. It did hold him back getting employment until he managed to get an engineering apprenticeship and went to college where as part of his training he did Functional Skills English level 2 and passed . (this counts as a grade C GCSE .. ). he found it much better than trying to do GCSE as it enabled him to use a computer etc.

He has now got a decent job in a Council..

I would look into it it is hard for people who dont get th e GCSE. He struggled for a few years even getting interviews despite being a science whizz because of no English GCSE , but has no problem now meetingthe criteria as most employers and colleges will accept it as an equivalent.

Laska5772 · 24/08/2017 11:40

Do ask the college about the functional skills english.. he should be able to take that in conjunction with his other course.. Good luck!

Original poster
FreakinScaryCaaw · 24/08/2017 11:49

Thanks.

I think he will do the functional skills English at his college?

OP posts:
Original poster
FreakinScaryCaaw · 24/08/2017 11:56

Thanks.

He will be doing the functional skills English at his college AFAIK?

OP posts:
Laska5772 · 24/08/2017 12:13

Great..,.just make sure with the college that he will be entered for level 2 and he will be ok then.

Do reassure him from mS that its really not the end of the world.. Once he has his engineering and FS2 Eng no employer will worry.. hope it goes well for him..

Laska5772 · 24/08/2017 12:14

reassure him from from me and DS... i meant..

Oliversmumsarmy · 24/08/2017 12:18

Ds will fail English next year. We are hoping that the course he wants to do at college doesn't change the criteria. ATM they don't require any GCSEs and have classes for those that fail English or Maths.

Original poster
FreakinScaryCaaw · 24/08/2017 15:21

Yay! Ds2 doesn't have to do the test. His literature is enough Smile His confidence is up again now.

Just waiting at college with him now to see what financial assistance he'll get. Not much as we earn over 30k. That's cut off. He might get a little?

Oliversmumsarmy I hope they don't change the criteria for your ds.

OP posts:
Danglingmod · 24/08/2017 15:23

Great news! I think that's the right thing - for colleges to accept either/or. The new language GCSE is very 'literary'; it's not letter writing or more 'real world' or functional than the lit exam, really, so it's good that they count either. (If that explanation made ANY sense at all!)

Laska5772 · 24/08/2017 15:36

freakin thats great news ! , but if he does have the opportunity to do the functional skills ( or GCSE eng Lang again) it would still be good for him to try and get it .

DS had English lit and although he could get into college he still found he needs English language grade C or FS2 English for job (or uni) applications. (still true for jobs he was going for as recently as this year) .

hedwig2001 · 24/08/2017 17:42

My DS just got Grade 4 in English lit and Maths, but Grade 3 in English Language. His college have accepted him onto a level 3 BTEC, but require him to resit the English.

Copperbeech33 · 24/08/2017 18:09

English literature is fine, it doesn't matter which English you pass, in most circumstances.

Laska5772 · 24/08/2017 18:30

It does when looking for jobs .e.. . employers want Grade C English Language or Functional skills Grade 2 English..

My clever Maths n' Science DS (now 27) struggled to find any employment at all until he finally had the chance to get FS English ..

Oliversmumsarmy · 25/08/2017 09:21

My issue with saying that you have to have English and Maths otherwise you can't get a job or a course at college is for some totally beyond them. Dp is one of only 5 people in the country who is qualified in 2 particular professions the first one he qualified in, 2 years younger than anyone else and the other which he qualified in was supposed to take 5 1/2 years to qualify and he did it without a tutor, just with the books whilst holding down a full time job in a year. He took English O level 4 times and got a U each time.
If he had to have an English GCSE then he would have been screwed before he had begun.

What provision is in place for those that are bright but an English or Maths GCSE is beyond them.

Laska5772 · 25/08/2017 11:23

Agree totally. I dont have Maths gcse and would never get it( but my job is statistics and research and i have degrees in those subjects) . At the time-1970s- i didnt need Maths to get unto uni or employment Sadly though it seems now that due to policy changes employers insist on maths and english grades A -C for most jobs. When i was threatened with redundancy recently the job centre staff they sent in said id find it virtually impossible to get any decent job without it. Despite my degreesand experience! Luckily i didnt have to find out , but as said above my dyslexic son was deemed pretty much unemployable until he finally managed to get into apprenticeship scheme and take the FS English..
It is really bad for people who cant get maths and english. But its govt policy thats changed things
Look at job adverts for shop work care staff etc ...

Laska5772 · 25/08/2017 11:24

The answer is no provision if my sons experience is anything to go by sadly

Original poster
FreakinScaryCaaw · 25/08/2017 15:36

I agree it'd be best if he does do English language again, either gcse or FS. I'm going to look into him doing this.

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread