What’s happening to Btech

[Panic71]

Can anyone explain to me the options available in the coming years for a student who wants to study btech style courses but needs ucas points to enter the military?
I’m so confused as 6th form offer btech courses of which you can do more than one but college offer btech at a high level but you can only do one.
I am so confused.

BTECs at level 3 (A level equiv, will give you UCAS points) come in 3 sizes, Certificate (1 A level), Diploma (2 A levels, Extended Diploma (3 Alevels equiv).

Places that do A levels often offer Certificates & Diplomas in selected subjects to be done alongside 2 or 1 A levels.
Vocational Colleges tend to offer the Extended Diplomas.

However Diplomas/Extended Diplomas are being phased out in favour of T-Levels (3 A level equiv) which seem to be slightly more academic than BTECs and thus some places are demanding slightly higher GCSEs as entry criteria.

There are also Level 2 BTECs which are GCSE equivalent so don't give UCAS points. These tend to be done by people with lower GCSEs as an extra year before doing the Extended BTEC/T-Level.

Huge thanks — that’s a super explanation.
Our school 6th form have suggest they are making changes to their btech courses so I need to understand what!

What year is your DC? I expect a 6th form to tweak on a regular basis dependent on teachers and uptake of previous courses.
Is your DC a GCSE 6+ grade on average or more a 4-5? 4-5 may be more suitable to T-Level/Extended Diploma in which case you may have to look outside your current school.

He’s a 5/6 which is annoying! Maybe a 7 in computer science

Do you think 3 btech at 6th form is far too much coursework? They think it might be, so suggested 1 Alevel and 2 btech.

The College course is only 2.5 days a week full time and a level 3 which my son thought sounded ace but I worry he will be bored and needs to be busy 5 days. It did sound less stressful than 3 courses at 6th form though

The Extended Diplomas can be compressed into 3 days as they are all on the same course so no need for free periods for timetabling purposes.
There will be considerable assignments to be done which will take some time outside of college.
It also however gives more flexibility for a part time job.

With one extended diploma you would hope there would be liaison on when assignments are due in. Doing 3 certificates things may be more bumpy.

However, given aspirations to join the military (is this at 18 or post uni?) I guess one consideration is what courses would best help with this aim?

He wants ucas points to join as an officer but also as a back up incase any problems occur with joining and he needs to look at the police or something else.
The college offer a Btech in uniformed services which sounds good.
I think he was hoping not to like college and have to leave his friends etc

My Foster Son is doing the extended diploma worth 3 A levels. He is in college 4 full days a week but on other day he has to WFH to keep up with constant coursework. He's studying Sport and he does have 3 hours practical Sport each week and will be doing coaching certificates too. Believe me if he does the extended diploma he may only be on college part time but it is a full time course and he'll need to be motivated to WFH to keep up with deadlines. My Foster Son has told us 3 students on his course are already behind and are supposed to be catching up over half term. You have to be very organised and disciplined to keep up.

Uniformed Public Services could be good.
Also Sport, or Outdoor pursuits?
or a PE A level, Computing BTEC and 1 other BTEC?

I am going to disagree with this there is a significant group of people who can do well at GCSE through sheer weight of hard work ( often spiky profile SPLN students), but just have the capacity to achieve the same at A-level due to the all or nothing nature. However, they can achieve triple D* at extended diploma.
My own daughter fell in to this category 6-8s and 2-9s at GCSE, but she was exhausted all the time. An OCR extended diploma triple D* the modular coursework based format really suited her. Now on a modular coursework based degree.

I don't think you are disagreeing as such , as my comment was more that grades 4-5 show unsuitability to A levels, rather than 6+ means they must do A levels.

Those who are capable of good GCSE grades could really shine on the right BTEC as the depth of thought / analysis for the top BTEC grades seems to me to be pretty high.

Would this requirement (a level 3 in two subjects) mean that a student opting for a btech extended diploma wouldn’t qualify?

@Panic71 Don't panic!
A BTEC Extended Diploma is 3 A level equivalent, so they would more than qualify.

But in 1 subject area.
I think it’s poorly worded - sounds like they want different subjects

thank you so much for your help with this

Oh I see what you mean. I suspect it is just badly worded, and they mean 2 A level equivalent, rather than 2 subjects, but yes sounds like you need to check.