What to do if your child is likely to be in the percentage who don't pass GCSEs

[thesendiaries]

Her mocks were horrendous before the summer.
Mostly 1 and 2s and one level 3.
She does have learning difficulties but is more than capable of getting level 5s but for involved with a bad friendship group and basically has peed about for the last two years doing less and less work.

She has decided she is going to fail and so what's the point.

What on earth do I do.
She wants to be a dentist, a dental nurse or a medic in the army (she won't get in the army for other reasons but won't accept that) but doesn't realise she can't be that if she doesn't work for it.

Please help.

If she doesn't get 5 standard passes she will have to do a level 2 course at college, whilst retaking, if necessary English and Maths.
If she does very poorly she can do entry level (level 1) courses.

With the level 2s, you can then progress to level 3s provided you get your English and Maths.

These weren't real mocks as only end y10. She has time to turn it around.

Check requirements for dental nursing at college / apprenticeships (might need to start with Health & Social Care). Do they require Science GCSE as well as Maths & English? Knowing the end goal will help motivate I would think.

Pick key GCSEs to concentrate on. Better to have 6 at grade 4 than 9 at grade 3 imo.

It isn't too late, but may require your input to help with revision and motivation.

Colleges will be having open evenings this term. Go and see them.

Well dentistry is out, it's an incredibly competitive degree course, she'd need all 7/8/9 grades at gcse (better all 8 &9), then A and A* at a-level, plus relevant work exp and then have to ace the assessment interviews - multiple different tasks testing a whole load of key skills. (I used to teach in a school that had a lot of hopeful medics and dentists in the 6th form, all were ticking all of the entry requirements but by no means all were offered places.)

Not sure about dental nursing. Worth sitting down with her and going through the stages she'd have to go through - eg., GCSEs you'd need this, then you'd be able to get onto this course, then you'd need to do this course, etc.

Sometimes kids need a sharp shock - if the mock results themselves haven't done it, the realisation of being on a crappy college course with very few future options might.