What post 16 options are there without GCSE English

[AlexanderHamilton]

Ds is in Year 10 & it’s becoming increasingly clear he is not going to pass English. He is an excellent reader, his spelling and punctuation are excellent but he just can’t/won’t write. He has a tutor and they have great conversations about the texts but he is unable to answer written questions in enough detail or doesn’t understand what the question is asking.

His target was Grade 6 but school are predicting Grade 2. In his other subjects he is predicted 8 in maths 7/8 in music, 5/6 in science and 4/5 in food tech. I’m not sure about computers & business studies.

He is interested in studying music/drama/performing arts & maths but he won’t get onto a course without English. There is a level 2 accountancy diploma available.

What else would be suggested for a child like this?

He does use a laptop.

Both lit and language? A 4 at either is currently enough. Does he have access arrangements in place? Even if he gets below a 4 he may be able to resit gcse or take a level 2 equivalent and start a level 3 course/apprenticeship at the same time.

Both lit and language? A 4 at either is currently enough. Does he have access arrangements in place? Even if he gets below a 4 he may be able to resit gcse or take a level 2 equivalent and start a level 3 course/apprenticeship at the same time.

Do a level 2 functional skills

I think he’s slightly better at Lit than language. Nowhere near heading towards a 4 though. It’s like he hasn’t progressed at all since year 6.

He got into a private selective school aged 11 based on cognitive testing but then didn’t write a thing all year. He did better in Year 8, was on track for a B apparently (igcse) but we asked to remove him at the end of the year.

He has autism.

He’s desperate not to spend a year doing something he doesn’t want to. If he could do the functional skills alongside a course that would be great but it doesn’t seem to be an option at level 3, only level 2.

How much writing is there in the proposed courses?

DD1 has dyspraxia and she struggled with her Level 3 BTEC with the written requirements - in her case never adding enough detail.

I presume a scribe won't help?

He’s been offered a scribe. They stress him out and he freezes.

In an ideal world he’d do a level maths & music or a btec in performing arts but neither course would accept him without English. If he stayed on at school the re-sit column clashes with music.

Would dropping weaker subjects allow him time to improve his English sufficiently? A scribe might be better if he were willing to try one. You will need to check with each college as to what they might allow if he needs to continue English in y12. Some may be more flexible than others.

4 options: GCSE is level 2, so functional skills level 2 should be sufficient - maybe an evening class at FE college at the same time so it's a backup plan. Or he could go elsewhere for A levels if he doesn't get grade 4 and resit English alongside A level/ BTEc/ whatever. Or if he can verbalise ok which you said he can, can he try dictation software? Or persevere with the scribe, but obviously the scribe needs to be someone he is comfortable with.

Some kids at his school do extra numeracy & literacy instead of a gcse option but he’s in top set maths heading for grade 8 so that wouldn’t be appropriate for him.

It appears titchy the local colleges only run re sit courses alongside level 2 diplomas not alongside a levels or level 3 courses.

My son is having to resit language where he got a 3, even though he got a 5 in the literature paper, and he is only able to do a level 2 btec until he passes then can do level 3. It will delay him going to uni by a year so it hasn't stopped his choices as such but he had a levels he'd rather have done than the course he's on. He'll just access uni in a different way slightly later than his friends.

It's not about extra time or a laptop. It's about autism as a communication difficulty and about having to undertake an unseen literature paper. It's about analysing, structuring and organising information at speed. It's discriminatory for many autists, my son included, who just scraped a 3 and is now on a trajectory to who knows what. Meanwhile he has just written a research piece for physics that I barely understood, talking about exoplanets, the TRAPPIST-1 system and the Fermi paradox.

To say he doesn't have the ability to go on to further study is a bloody travesty and I don't know how to change it.

It's discriminatory and I wonder if there'll be a test case using the Equality Act. It might even be us!

...and suggesting he needs to do a level 2 course is a bloody insult.

It's not about literacy.
It's a communication problem.
If you are reading this, education bigwigs, please understand that not everyone who can't pass English has poor literacy skills.

He has another 2 years yet, he can make enormous proress in that time!iI think its a bit soon to be writing him off!
one of my DS's was forecast E & D at this stage for his 2 English GCSEs and ended up with 2 As. Boys often don't tend to put in the effort until it is something that counts towards real qualification grades.

Hi alexander. I have always followed your educationla postings with interest. I would say many boys come into their own in year 11 so don't despair. he should in theory be 1 -2 grades off his final garde at the start of year 10.

Out of interest, what does his tutor say about what outcome he things your DS might achieve?

thinKs!! Not things....

Really sorry about typos. Just as well I don't use a laptop for writing really....

His tutor says he doesn’t seem like a bottom set grade 2 child. He is articulate, a talented actor & can pick things out of texts when she asks him. But she doesn’t really do writing with him as she feels that parents are not paying for her to sit doing nothing whilst their child writes. She doesn’t believe in giving homework as they have enough at school (except Ds gets virtually none in English)

They didn’t have an end of year test last year as they hadn’t covered enough. There are only about 6/7 kids in his set.

His first year 9 report said predicted Grade 1 then at the end of the year it said predicted Grade 2. He’s dropped essay type subjects such as history & geography who predicted him a 3. Although he’s oredicted 5 in science that was based on year 9 combined. I expect it to be very different now he’s do My single as he has been moved into top set for physics & chemistry.

Oldbirdy - it’s frustrating isn’t it.

Ironically Dd just got a Grade 9 for Lang & 8 for Lit. She’s autistic too but just has a knack with words.

If performing arts are a realistic path for him, what about a performing arts college where entry is by audition and many of them require no GCSEs at all.

OK, so I think his tutor should be doing writing and should be focusing on the English Language exam : lit may be more interesting but it shouldn't be the main goal, much as it pains me to say this. Children with autism often do better in the Language exams as they are formulaic and the tutor could be teaching DS what hoops to jump through and focusing on basic things like how many marks a question is worth and how to break down timings.

I dodn't want to appear to be criticsing your tutor but loads of my charges have tutors and they nearly all get a weekly task to do...

Another exam concession is a prompt which ASD and ADHD kids find very useful.

she doesn’t really do writing with him

DD2 does writing with her English tutor. He prompts her - what could you say next? Is there some imagery you could use etc.

With DD1 (major panic feb-june y11) we ended up more or less doing 'English language by numbers'
0) what is overall feeling of the piece

1. underline all the imagery / devices
2. write what type of device
3. for each underlined bit write what it is and quote it. Then say how / why it contributes to the overall feeling.

(more detailed than that but you get the idea).