Health and social care at GCSE?

[Misreadprob]

My dd13 has it in mind to do something like nursing/physio with children since a good experience after a bad accident.
She's probably about a c grade student, with some b's at a guess (in old terms ha).
Thing is health and social care is being promoted as a GCSE option at her (not brilliant) school. Sounds to me like a one way path to getting stuck in crappy low paid care work and I think she's smart enough to aim higher.
Am I being stupid to think this? Have things changed since I was at school, as in is this now a perfectly valid choice for kids who are ok academically?

Some students do take this with a view to Nursing.

Is the the BTEC equivalent to GCSEs? My friend's DD is doing that and the course sounds really good, very applied and some interesting content. DS
is doing a different BTEC and they've definitely improved since I was at school.

@crankysaurus yes it's a btec but done in GCSE year instead of actual GCSEs

As a 'C' grade student (so 4s&5s in new money) she's unlikely to go on to do A levels.

Doing a Level 2 BTEC at school could really help her (and you) understand how BTECs work. This will give her a flying start at college as assignments count from day 1 and if you spend half a term find your feet and only getting passes when you are capable of Merit / Distinctions it can impact your final grading.

Although I believe there are now exams for BTECs too, it will count for less as a good % will already have been done as coursework. Therefore the revision load and stress will be reduced, allowing more time for other subjects such as maths / science / English.

Doing 1 BTEC at GCSE is going to have no negative impact on her career.

I am dyslexic so was probably a c student too did some Highers then went to college to do an access course as nursing is what I wanted to do, I initially did a lower level then they changed the goalposts re access to nursing and I did the higher level then worked in care for a year gained experience then started uni I’d already got in to nursing when I got my job but had an operation so needed to defer uni for a while.

Now been nursing 16 years and love it, mostly. If your daughter is set on what she wants to do then nothing will stop her achieving her goal one way or another it just takes determination and hard work good luck to her I’m sure she’ll do amazing whatever route she chooses. The btec can likely lead on to other things, a clinical support worker in Scotland earns quite well and 2 of ours have just gone on, supported by our ward to complete their training so look into all her options

You wouldn't think that doing GCSE music would sentence her to a career in music. It's only one option. If she thinks she'd enjoy it, go for it. She'll be doing science as well, so she's not ruling anything out.

As others have said, if 3 A-levels might look like being a bit of a stretch, she might consider a level 3 BTEC (maybe alongside biology A-level), so no bad thing to have a taste of the BTEC style.

Hi OP, yes Teen has it as usual. BTECs can suit some students well as the work is assessed during the course rather than all at exam time. So that might be helpful for your dd.

I agree, if she is targeting 4/5 grades then she is unlikely to take A levels, so post 16 she may well be looking at some continously assessed qualification.

Doing a BTEC alongside 7-8 GCSEs will in no way harm her future prospects. It certainly won't lead her only to any job re (not that care work is crappy). If she is keen on HSC then that's a win too.

Ok firstly much respect to those who do care work! Important but thankless job it seems.

Good points to consider thank you will have to have a good chat with dd. And learn a fair bit.

@Iamkmackered1979 so glad to hear you're still enjoying nursing and that the money's not awful. Makes a lovely change from reading about disillusioned and burnt out NHS staff.

We run H&S BTEC and it’s a good choice for those thinking of nursing or physio. Leads nicely into college or sixth form. And yes it’s equivalent to a GCSE.

I think one or two BTECs at GCSE level (Level 2) is a good choice for most students - lightens the exam load at the end of year 11 and gives them experience of how the qualification works in case they choose to do them at Level 3/post 16.

Health and social care will give her a nice grounding in some of the key principles she’d need for that career path, whatever she does after GCSEs. I think it’s a good idea for her.

Are you serious? There are some great careers in the health and social care sector, not just “crappy, care work”. (Let’s hope you don’t ever need quality care in your lifetime). I mean don’t get dementia will you.

Anyhow, it’s a prerequisite for nursing, mental health nursing, learning disability nursing,
Occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, management roles in the NHS/private sector, social work and now also encompasses large sections of the charity sector.

Personally I think it’s a valuable GCSE to do.

Dc is doing 2 BTECs at gcse level. She has found out today she has level 2distinction for the written part of the exams, which she tells me is the top grade. The rest of her final grade will be made up of coursework. She has coped really well with the coursework parts of her courses and I am so glad she has had this option to take the pressure off a bit next month when the exams start.

I really hope you don’t end up with crappy carers in the future. It’s a really important job And unless it is recognised as such, and while people still have your crappy attitude, the standards of care will Never increase as they need too.

While visiting colleges and sixth forms for September, no one has asked what subjects dd has done at gcse. She is wanting a more vocational course but hadn’t decided what in at the open events, so we visited a few options. They all askEd what grades she is predicted and asked about maths and English predicted grades, but don’t seem too bothered if the gcses are in Traditional history/geography Or more vocational health and social care/catering or art/music type subjects.

My best advice is to keep out of the option choices and let them do what they are interested in unless they are really out there choices. If they are interested in the subject, they are more likely to want to do well and do the work in it. Dds bf was told to do business gcse By her parents as without it She wouldn’t get on in the future. She’s predicted a 3 in that one and her parents are despairing with her.

I have a MEd and do "crappy low paid care work". I absolutely adore my job, working with vulnerable children in residential care homes, so I wouldn't feel too upset, if I were you & had a daughter who studied GCSE Health and Social Care and went into a job like mine.

I'm 41 and did a GNVQ in health and social care at school alongside other GCSEs ( English, maths, science and RE).
I then studied health and social care advanced level at 6th form college before going on to study to be a nurse from age 19.
I've had a very successful career in nursing for 21 years now and the salary in my opinion is pretty good.

@milkysmum

This thread reminds me of my friend who always dreamed of being a nurse but her mother never let her. She settled into middle management job at a local university after doing a marketing degree.

I always tell her it’s never too late.

Personally I’m just happy to follow my kids leads and let them excel at what they want to do.

Anyhow, it’s a prerequisite for nursing, mental health nursing, learning disability nursing,
Occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, management roles in the NHS/private sector, social work and now also encompasses large sections of the charity sector

The Level 3 H&SC is accepted for university entry for some of those degrees ( not all), but isn't a prerequisite. By that I mean that it is one of several courses which is accepted for entry- not the only one

I also chose health and social care GCSE option at school, then did health and social care as A Levels, before going on to study a BA Social Work Degree at Uni. I became a qualified Social Worker within the children and families sector.

I saw it as a gateway to this sector.

@spotcheck

That’s good to know.

I think it’s a good all round GCSE to do.

If it's a level 2 qualification then it's the equivalent of a GCSE and counts towards college and uni entry etc

I can't comment on the course specifically but my kids have done other BTECs and I've been impressed. Instead of doing no work until the final exam, ds had to complete coursework and exams for the odd module etc so left with a good understanding of the subject and worked harder and consistently.

I know that BTECs have a bad reputation (I think BTEC is still used to mean "a bit crap" by teens in the way that adults sometimes use Poundland as an adjective) but I've totally changed my mind on this and would have no problems recommending them to my own kids- especially if they had a specific career in mind.