Tanked resit

[Sandra2010]

DS has blown his english resit. I'm devastated. He's at college doing an Engineering course and his tutor says he's flying through it. He's planning to go on to specialise in renewable energy and they've accepted him straight onto that course on the strength of his tutor's recommendation. His other GCSEs last year were fine, all C and above or equivalent, but he's always struggled with english - he just doesn't do well at sitting down and studying and writing down what he's thinking and he's always been like that, every teacher has said the same thing. He'll have to resit, AGAIN, next year, but all the stats say if they fail their first resit they're highly unlikely to do better on their second. I'm going to find the money for extra private tuition for him, even if I have to sell a kidney, but does anyone have any more tips?

How badly tanked?
Can he do functional skills instead?

I was predicted a C in English "if you are lucky". Luck was obviously on my side, and I scraped my C, and have done well since. I hope he finds a way to complete his engineering qualification.

When I taught in FE only 25% of English students passed the resit. So he is not alone.
How much does he read? Can he mimic the writing style of a newspaper article?

Is he expanding his vocabulary?

Does he know which skills are needed for each question?

@RainOrSun He got a 3, which is what he got in his first. He needs a 4 for a C equivalent. @BelulahBlanca He's a bright kid, his vocabulary is good and he reads well. Doesn't read as much as I wish he did, but if I can find something to interest him I might be able to encourage that, although I've struggled so far. I find that difficult because I have always been a voracious reader. I think its his exam technique that's letting him down. He really struggles with applying himself to writing down what's in his head, and always has done. It's been a theme at parents evenings his whole school career. I just don't know how to help him and it's so frustrating, because he's definitely capable in terms of intelligence.

@Sandra. You could try looking at model responses and getting him to explain them to you, or planning a response together and then get him to record a response, listen back to it and then write a response.

Just a thought. How is he in other areas ? I have a very bright ds. Much younger than yours and very engineering minded. He has been diagnosed with ADHD despite being quiet diligent and hard working. He too struggles to get what is in his head down on paper because he finds it so hard to concentrate for long enough. Retrospectively so did I in all my exams. I knew it all but it was almost physically painful to sit there and write it.

My bright DD was diagnosed very late with dyslexia as she masked it-and did not present as an obvious case-

One of the things that pointed to her diagnosis was the gap between her oral and written work-would it help of he took test on laptop?

Because with a proper diagnosis he will get alternative support that may make the difference?

another vote for functional skills instead.
It is a different version of English, much easier, and a good score is equivalent to a GCSE.

Does he normally work on a computer and does he find it easier to communicate and track his ideas like that?
If so he should be able to use a computer in class and in the exams. The English Dept. will sort it for him.

Also, ask them what point score he got within the 3 grade boundary to find out how far off the 4 he was. They will have it on the spreadsheet they got yesterday morning. Quick phone call or email should do.

Let me know the number (will be between 56 -75) and I'll come up with some more ideas.

I’d also have a look at functional skills level 2 - it’s the equivalent to a GCSE grade c, but is presented in a different way that might be more accessible for him

Did he narrowly miss the grade ? Would it cost a lot of money to have it re-marked ?

which exam board was it?

There a are a lot a parents asking for remarks on the AQA English paper because the depending on who is marking there are differences like 14-21 and another was 26 - 40 difference.

some posters on the GCSE thread have reported DC getting 8s and 9s in all other subjects with predicted 7/8/9 in English yet the DC have got 5 or 6.

My DS's English seemed to be going backwards and after his spring exam where he got a 4 I got him a tutor. Once a fortnight and after about four or five sessions he was one mark off a 7 in his end of summer exams. He has just finished year 10. All through school his various English teachers have been frustrated with him and his non exam performance and it turns out that the answer appears to be a combination of using a laptop and his exam technique. The laptop (and touch typing course he did at school) enables him to get what is in his head down on paper as he always struggled with writing and simply couldn't write enough to pick up the marks. The tutor has given him one to one on technique. They said that was what he needed although why he wasn't getting that at school I don't know...
So perhaps just a few sessions with a one to one tutor will really help and talk to the college about using a laptop.

I would get him assessed for dyslexia. My son is dyslexic and yours sounds very similar to yours in finding it very difficult to get his ideas down on paper. Mine is also bright and a good reader but reluctant. We had the assessment done with the British Dyslexia Association. It is pricey but worth every penny.

Which exam board did he sit?