Veterinary medicine - redo year 10 at new school or are there alternative routes?

[Tryingmyveryverybest]

Just after some general opinion and a bit of advice. (Or possibly what I’m really after is some reassurance that it’s ok to take the leap and redo year 10 in a new school).

Since January I’ve been fostering a year 10 child. They have remained at their current school and their GCSE options were limited as, due to many reasons causing under performance, they were told they would have to choose a vocational pathway and chose the sports vocational pathway. They were also given no advice over subject options/future careers.
Over the last few months, with a bit of stability, this young person has really come out of their shell, settled down and school work is improving rapidly.
Academically, they are capable of a lot more and have ambitions to be a vet. Unfortunately, due to missing out on quite a bit of school over year 9 and the start of year 10 (not to mention the covid years) this young person is stuck in the foundation only sets for the core subjects due to the pathway. The young person raised the question, after we looked at what was required for being a vet, “can I move to another school and start GCSEs again?”

I think this would be a positive move and would provide a bit of a fresh start and some time to catch up on the missed year 10 content. It would also allow them to choose more GCSE option subjects, would be doing English x2, and wouldn’t be restricted to the foundation only sets therefore being able to meet the GCSE requirements for vet school.
They are currently doing:
English Language, Maths, Science x2, Geography, BTEC Sport Science and BTEC Sport Studies with the highest GCSE grade possible being a 5.

However, are there other/alternative routes into veterinary medicine which would be achievable from the GCSE pathway they are currently on? Or would this be too much effort/it’s worth taking a step back at starting GCSEs again?

Do you know what the funding situation would be when this young person turns 19 and is still in year 13? And would there be issues with finding a college place in year 12 if they're a "year out"?

You can do 3 years in 6th form if needed.

How flexible is the current school towards the idea of moving sets for maths & science?
Say you got your FC a tutor would they be able to move out of foundation sets into higher tier ones, or are they constrained by their 'pathway'?

Is your FC young in year or old in year? If they are summer born it might be easier to restart y10.

The LA 'virtual school' person might be a place to start to discuss this with.

Funding would be there for when they are 19/year 13. Funding is available for education up to and including the school year in which they turn 19. This is for every child. So from that point of view, funding isn’t an issue.

All the alternative schools have a sixth form so shouldn’t be an issue. I know a couple of the sixth forms have allowed a pupil to redo year 12 because they have chose the wrong subjects so I can’t see this as an issue. Something to bare in mind though and I ask a couple of schools about it. Based on wanting veterinary medicine, the local college won’t be able to offer anything post-16. But thinking further ahead in case being a vet doesn’t work out, the local college really won’t care. They don’t offer A levels, it’s all vocational and they take anyone.

Current school very inflexible. All vocational pathways are restricted to foundation. Madness, I know, but it isn’t the best school. It’s not one I would have chosen.

Good shout about ages and LA Teen.

I've bumped into Virtual Schools by virtue of being an adopter.

I don’t know anything about what’s needed to be a vet, but based on what you’ve said, start again.
Everyone needs a fresh start every now and then.
Only get one chance at school, if you have a school willing to take a current year 10 into year 10 next year and isn’t restricting them on choices like the current school then go for it. May as well try and get it right for what they want now than back fitting later on.
Your FC clearly wants to move so just go for it. Just a theory, but, you might find they are asking you for a fresh start completely now they have settled with you and know you are going to stick by them. It might not just be about school.

I agree, start again. But also you could contact the RVC for advice on routes / requirements etc - they are big on outreach / underrepresented groups so will definitely want to help / advise for a looked after child or possible.

*if possible

I would be asking for careers guidance interview first to explore other routes. They could do access to HE programme at 19. Don't forget as well that they will be moving age 18, it's a big adjustment so how will they cope with this and academic studies.

Their current subjects aren’t stopping them from doing the relevant science and maths a levels - there isn’t much carried over content from the extra that gcse students cover if they do triple. It might be better to get ghem
moved to the higher triple and get extra tuition.

This might be of interest- https://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/201205/veterinary-bioscience-with-access-to-veterinary-medicine

I think your options are:
Change schools starting y10 again;
Argue with current school to be put into higher tier at least for Maths and science (is science still tiered?) - can you access extra tuition to plug gaps?
Take a vocational qual in sixth form - BTEC extended diploma in science may be accepted for entry, particularly for a care experienced applicant;
Retake GCSEs in y12, then A levels.

You shouldn't need to think about Access courses yet, but at 19+ that could be a back up option.

I stress that I wouldn't normally recommend anything other than A levels for Vet sci, but unis do recognise when a young person has the odds stacked against them and may make more allowances than usual. She would still need the usual work experience though. And of course may change her mind!

The bar is so , so high to get onto vet courses, so I wouldn’t re-do for this purpose alone as its sounds unlikely they will reach this academic level but if you feel the child would benefit from a fresh start and a chance to broaden their options ,including perhaps getting some relevant animal care work experience in year 10/11 then fair enough….a child having aspirations can be a fantastic driver .

I shall have a look into RVC. Thanks dinmin.

The problem isn’t necessarily about triple science Handpickled. There is no guarantee a new school would put my FC in a triple science group. The problem is the current ‘sports vocational pathway’ restricts to foundation only in the core subjects. This means a grade 6+ is unachievable. I have asked the school about this. I got some waffle about how it’s to do with how they timetable the vocational pathways so there are no lessons running at the same time that would allow access to the higher paper content. They went on to say, everyone on vocational pathways only goes into apprenticeships or vocational courses at college so they put everyone on foundation so they can get the best grades possible. - tearing my hair out at this! The school is so un-aspirational it’s just unbelievable.

We’ve also hit another problem with what fyn pointed out. Although that’s was very interesting, thank you for sharing that. The requirements are 6 GCSEs at grade 4+. My FC is only doing 5 GCSEs and 2 vocational subjects. Although, I might get in touch and ask whether they accept equivalents. Another thing is, to do A Levels, most of the sixth forms are wanting 6s in the subjects to be studies eg. Need a GCSE grade 6-6 in combined science to do biology or chemistry.

My FC does not necessarily have to leave at 18. There is such a thing as a staying put arrangement. If they want to stay they can. They just won’t be classed as a looked after child any more. A staying put arrangement can be in place until aged 21. Sometimes longer depending on circumstances.

Yea titchy science is still tiered. I’ll have a look at some entry requirements and ask a few questions about whether BTEC would be accepted. It may also be an option to resit English, maths and science and do the higher papers in y12. I will explore this. I’ll also explore some extra funding and whether we can top up the foundation papers and my FC can sit the higher papers even if they have to stay in their foundation class. Some good options to think about there. Thank you.

holaholoday thank you for the heads up about how re sitting might look. I’m really pleased this young person has an aspiration, and no matter what happens, or whether they change their mind, I want to be able to help them at least try and achieve what they would like to. You’ve touched on a similar thing chimpanzees was saying, my FC was the one to ask for a change so maybe they are asking for a fresh start overall? Very good points made.

caddie, careers advice at current school is appalling. Although I will see what other careers advice I can get for them. Being a LAC they will get some automatically at 16, but if we can get some earlier then that’s a good idea.

@Tryingmyveryverybest she would qualify for all the foundation programmes. So a 6 year degree. Extenuating circumstances would need to be requested. However, NO school should have set in stone what sets year 10 are in yet, so could you have a meeting, explain her ambitions and see if they'll change her sets. It is v possible to go from a 5 to a 7 in a year.

@Tryingmyveryverybest and I'd get the LA fostering dept in side too. They have a duty to support - push, push and be a right pain until school listen. I'm a teacher - I'd do it for my student.

I'm pretty sure doing foundation level GCSEs will mean they won't be able to take the sciences at a-level. You usually need a high gcse grade to be allowed to continue them into a-levels

@gogogoji depends. In this students circumstances we would allow them to take A levels if get 5-5. With loads of extra support. Kids in care deserve every minute of our time.

www.bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/2023/vet-science/bvsc-gateway-to-veterinary-science/

Bristol also except level 3 BTEC applied science for the 5 year course.

Similar requirements for other Unis too.

Veterinary Medicine is ferociously competitive even for A* science A level students. It is a very demanding, highly academic course in addition to the vocational aspects.
This young person has a big challenge ahead to even get onto the required A level courses (chemistry is always required, plus two of biology physics & maths), never mind get into vet school. Have they considered Vet nursing as a possibly more realistic & attainable career?

Vet nursing is just as competitive! Not a plan B at all!

DO NOT let anyone tell them they can't do it. You don't need all A stars. You do need work experience though. PM me if want sone ideas.
Yes it's competitive. But care leavers will be given so much support. Quite rightly.

I can understand that timetabling can prevent there being a set to move across to doing higher tier.
6th forms would be highly highly unlikely to let someone do maths or sciences A levels if they had just done foundation papers. they wouldn't have shown they are capable and in the case of maths just wouldn't have enough base knowledge.

I think people here shouldn't get too fixated on Vet Med as such, but the entry criteria to doing any science A levels is excluded by doing foundation tiers.

Restarting year 10 somewhere doing: Eng lang, Eng Lit, 2 Science, Maths, Geography , GCSE PE + 1 or 2 more would work and would leverage on previous subjects if you could get it agreed.

I go into schools to give motivational talks, with the main thrust being set goals and don’t let anyone say you can’t do it. However, veterinary medicine is a very, very tough goal indeed. I would gently suggest that your FC’s ambition is brilliant but to have a Plan B. I would definitely do what you can to get her out of the low sets, and others here seem to be much more knowledgeable on how to go about that. But really look into what is required to get into vet school and see if you think it is achievable. As well as a full set of A*s, considerable experience in a range of animal care settings over several years is needed. The course is very competitive to get onto. Once in the career it has one of the highest suicide rates of any job, due to a range of reasons but mainly emotional drain from things like euthanasia, financial issues (vets don’t earn as much as people think they do) and easy access to the drugs. So a good degree of mental robustness from the outset is essential.

There are a lot of alternative careers - all, as others have alluded to, equally as competitive but possibly a bit more accessible to get into - such as pet physio, animal behaviourist, equine dentist, farriery, veterinary nursing, etc that all involve care of animals.

Aiming for veterinary medicine is a high bar to set. I did not have a back up plan, so it took me some years to regroup myself when I did not get into vet school. I have a fabulous career now (not animal related in any way) that allows me time to compete for my country in my equestrian sport - I get my animal fix that way.) A back up plan is essential, but definitely get her into sets where she can achieve decent exam results if that is what she is striving for.