GCSEs 2018 (13) Untwisting our knickers, lucky for some!

[Stickerrocks]

Thread 12 Link to the thread with our potted histories. Now the end is in sight.

Kingscote maybe the opposition are not taking further maths!

The sixth form threads are usually on this board (there’s a Y12 thread going at the minute). Rightly or wrongly I think people assume that the further ed board is post-18.

I have had to know the difference for DS2. His EHCP is valid up until age 25 if he stays in further education. Further just means not secondary school and before higher. Colleges of further education are generally vocational subjects (and sometimes A levels) at level 1, (entry level, pre GCSE) level 2, equivalent to GCSE, or level 3, equivalent to A level.

Higher education starts at level 4, HNC, or maybe foundation level or first year at uni. Level 5 is HND and level 6 is degree. I lose track after that.

DS2 is staying at college but moving from a level 3 BTEC to an HNC, so his EHCP is ending and getting him the required support is a minefield.

The 6th form thread for DS2's year is on Further Ed. Y13...

Further education is anything Level 3 (A level Btec etc).

Higher Education is Level 5 & 6 (HND/degree/L6 Diploma)

I’ve had to know for funding reasons. Level 3 means you can get child benefit etc. Then there are housing benefit rules. Dd doing bothconcurrently is a minefield.

Not quite, Alexander

Level 4 is higher. Level 2 can be further, for those staying in education who didn't achieve the 4 or 5 GCSE passes at C or 4 and above needed to access level 3 courses.

Yes sorry Level 4 is Higher but those courses wernt on our radar but I know it affects 1st year of HND.

Ha, first year of HND is HNC at DS2's college. You do the HNC for a year to get on to the HND for the second year!

ds2 has an EHCP and very good support in school has enabled him to get good qualifications. I often think the LA are going to save a fortune long term because if he continues to A level or Level 3, he will then be able to go to uni (if he wants to) at which point their funding will cease, and the DSA (if he applies) will take over. Therefore LAs are very shortsighted when they don't give extra help to students who might otherwise access higher education, and are on EHCPs (our LA didn't want to give the school extra money and the school had to fight for it despite EHCP) becuase it saves them so much money in the long run (as well as benefiting some students, although there of course some students that don't want to follow the uni path)

I am right in thinking LAs don't fund LSA aren't I?
None of the stuff ds2 gets now would have been available if he didn't have that hard fought for EHCP, and he would not have been able to get good grades at GSCE (well at least I hope they are going to be "good")

We've just been choosing a Prom jacket. It turns out ds2 wants the Moss Bros one with brocade and parrots. He said he cannot decide with me in the shop as I don't understand his "vision" of what he is trying to achieve (I think I was after a sophisticated dark suit look) he wants zany fun. He was really in a sulk, it is like shopping with dd all over again, delayed by about 3 years (she was like this at 13)

The levels are a bit blurry in FE because there are colleges that can offer certain vocational degrees.
The one I work at spans everything from entry level through to level 3, which includes BTEC and Access to higher education diplomas - equivalent to A level for university entrance but taken in one year and mostly coursework graded rather exams. Access is for age 19+.

The support thread for those in DS1's year has been on the FE board since they started Y12. Some of them are at college (rather than at sixth forms attached to schools) and there are some doing A-levels and some doing BTEC, so the FE board feels like the most inclusive option.

You’re right Ellen. DD’s Y13 one was too. Don’t know where my head is...

nettle the funding formulae vary from LA to LA. Ours funds support after the first 10 hours a week. The school/college funds the first 10 hours from its SEN budget and if the EHCP required more the LA fund the extra.

With LAs is all very short term thinking. No long term cost saving, no forward planning that support now will mean less needed long term. Like all politicians really, only looking at the next budget or next election.

The problem with higher education is that in England, low level support like 'note takers' as student finance describes in class support are not funded by DSA. Universities and colleges are supposed to provide systems to negate the need for 'note takers' like lecture capture and DSA will provide software to help with writing notes. They don't seem to have thought about the sort of help my DS needs, prompting him to get on with work and helping him to avoid anxiety etc. They'll fund a higher level 'mentor' for a couple of hours a week outside of lessons to help students gain skills to become more independent. As if we haven't been trying that for years!

But nettle if It's the one I've looked up, It's half price & will make a change from the endless blue suit & brown brogue combos which young accountants seem to wear these days.

Speaking of child benefit, do we have to do anything to keep getting it from September? One friend received a letter a few months ago, but I didn't receive anything.

I got a letter just after Christmas with a form to fill in to confirm dd would be staying in full time education.

You have to send back the form and write the putative destination even if it changes later. I found that really irritating tbh, made my hackles rise. How do we know where they are going or what they will do next until after the GSCE results?? [grrr] the same must be true of a lot of parents filling in the form.

that's interesting, so Access to higher education, post 19 might be funded under an EHCP. I'll remember that. (although he wants to do A levels now - he could of course switch to a different access course later if they don't work out so well)

We will need a new thread soon. Any name suggestions?
My suggestion is GCSEs 2018 (14) Here comes summer
Or GCSEs 2018 (14) proms etc. ...

The one with prom or something similar.

Prom Night Special?

(It’s a reference from Everyone’s Talking about Jamie).

Incidentally Dd hyper ventilated in the restaurant last night when we have her the tickets to go see it in the West End.