BTEC or A Levels???

[GrumpyMuleFan]

Would really appreciate some help on this. DS has a sixth form college interview on Thursday and isn't sure what he wants to do options wise. He can talk around his choices (ad nauseam), but it has got me really thinking about what is the best path for him.

He is bright but very dyslexic, with poor working memory and traditionally exams have been a slog for him. He tends to perform well in class, but recall is an issue. He is doing a limited number of GCSE but is doing well. His grades are drifting up and he is now looking at 6s with a few 7s. Maths is a strength, but probably not enough for A Level. He wants to study finance, fintech, accounting or management at university.

Ideally he would study BTEC Business, BTEC Sport and either Economics or Computer Science A Level and Core Maths. He is very keen on Economics, but it is essay based. Also Computer Science, but doesn't have the GCSE. Geography is another option and is his strongest GCSE subject.

The college he hopes to go to doesn't do that, so he has two options:

• BTEC Business and a double BTEC Sport + Core Maths
• BTEC Business, and two A Levels from PE, Economics, Computer Science or Geography + Core Maths

Should he do what will give him the highest grades? I know he will get better marks, more easily on BTEC as it suits his assessment style. Or given what he wants to study - is he better off doing the relevant A Levels? I am thinking of securing university place and how he will find the course (hoping he gets there).

If he wants to go to Uni just check how many UCAS points the Btecs would give him against what the Uni courses would require.

We worked backwards in a similar scenario looked at what dc would need if went to university. Also other options. In the end dc did btec, did well decided to take a year working in field to see if liked it before uni and save money etc after 6 months was asked to apply for an apprenticeship scheme (gets payed £21000 plus gets all uni fees payed) it's obviously hard working and uni but dc prefers the more hands on approach.
So definitely look at different options dc is dyslexic as well as other issues and has said he would gave struggled with the assessment process in alevels.

I think he should do what he is going to enjoy the most.

My DD submitted her application in December for her A Levels but school offered them support in what may be their best option.

Bear in mind that he can probably change his mind after results day. The problem with boys particularly is that they change quite a lot over these years, so it's very difficult to predict what will suit them. Look at the actual modules offered in the BTEC Sport as there's lots of choices for colleges and they may not have chosen ones your ds would be interested in (a friend's ds had this problem and eventually gave up).

A Level PE will need a sport at a highish level - does he have one? Geography has coursework - possibly 25% but I might be wrong - which can be good if exams are a struggle.

My dd did two btechs and an A Level as like your son she is dyslexic and thought it would suit her better. She actually got a higher mark in her A Level.

There was just so much extended writing in the btechs and it was a continuous slog.

'The college he hopes to go to'

Are there other college options?

My understanding is he doesn't need the CS GCSE to do it at A level.

I don't see the 'point' of double BTEC sport if he isn't going to continue in something related.

So BTEC Business, Computing and/or Economics A levels and core Maths.
Is there another single BTEC instead of doing 2 A levels?
Or is there a suitable T-level offered anywhere?

My DD was doing A levels, Biology, Maths & Psychology, with a view to doing nursing. After a few days she told us she planned to take Btec Health & Social instead of Biology. She did. By February half-term of her A level year she had her Distinction star in the bag (equivalent to A star), giving her a much easier time to prepare for her summer exams (final results, A and B). Definitely worked for her.

It's also worth pointing out that most RG universities accept at least one Btec.

Mind you, DD laughs at the suggestion that her Distinction star is remotely equivalent to an A star.

I did A levels first, did rubbish in the exams. Changed to a BTEC and got 3 distinctions, it does limit your future choices re Uni, but so does rubbish A level results. Other options for uni if he hits a snag with BTEC level 3s is to do an Access course or a year of an OU degree and transfer.

My foster son also has memory issues and so does better on continuous coursework than exams he is doing the extended BTEC Sport worth 3 x A levels but he performs at a county level in cricket and coaches cricket too also swims for his town and black belt in karate. He's good at other sports too. He is in his final year and doing well. He wants to go on to Uni to do Sports Performance and analysis.

Ask about the units in the BTECs and also how are they taught.

BTEC gives the teachers a lot of leeway in how it is taught and assessed.

I taught health and social care BTEC, most students go in to nursing or allied professions.

So on the health and safety unit there are things you have to cover like the law. But one assignment students have to identify hazards in a health or care setting.

I'm dyslexic myself and I like to make things as similar to the work place as possible so when I have had the facilities I create a disaster zone. Put the resuscitation doll on a bed with an oxygen mask, they also have a fake cigarette in their mouth. There is a plastic poo on the floor. The oxygen tube trails across the floor, dirty bed linen on a chair - you get the idea.

Anyway students come in to the room one at a time and identify hazards that I then tick off.

Now other places might ask you to do a risk assessment on the work placement or they might ask for a report or essay.

Thank you so much for all your replies - I really appreciate hearing so many different perspectives. I've just read through them all with DS and it prompted a really good conversation.

He's now veering towards BTEC Business and A Levels in PE and Computer Science + Core Maths. Both of the A Levels have coursework elements - PE (30%) and CS (20%) which takes some of the pressure off the exams.

Then, if GCSE don't go so well, a back up plan of BTEC Business and BTEC Sport x 2 + Core Maths.

It's great to have a plan. Super kind of you all to help. 🙏🙏

@Januarythroughtojuly that is really interesting about your daughter. We certainly won't rule out any other options. You must be really proud of her.

@crazycrofter he is good at sport and has two which he competes in at club level - one team and one individual. That's a good point about changing mind after results.

@immoreexcitedthanthekids (great username) your comment about the slog of coursework def made us both pause and maybe a mix of assessment styles gives better balance and prep for uni.

@TeenToTwenties Unfortunately there are no other options for us. We live rural and the other BTECs on offer don't suit. I totally agree about what is the point of doing double BTEC Sport - it's treading water and I wonder if he would loose interest / motivation.

@Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies I love hearing stories like this - well done to your daughter. Good point also about being finished earlier on the BTEC subject.

@sashh thank you - we had a good look at the units and it made us realise that it's not exactly what he wants.

@caringcarer your FS sounds like an incredible athlete. I think the BTEC is a great prep if you want a sports career.

@HPandthelastwish good for you! Lots off people would have given up after the A Levels. You are spot on, as either way poor results or BTECS limit your choices. Good luck with what you do next.

@HPandthelastwishmanaged to tag myself instead of @GrumpyMuleFan

Thank you, that was a few decades ago, I did an apprenticeship then uni both related to my BTec worked in FE in a support role related to my degree/BTec. Then years later did a science degree via the OU, while being a TA then Science teacher and now working in Environmental science. So a couple of years sorting out my A levels / BTec stuff really didn't hold me back.

For DS's Comp Sci A-level he had to do an NEA. He loved it but he was a keen programmer, his was nearly 150 pages long not including the full code which was another 50 pages long when printed out. I think over 100 pages is expected. I think this could be a struggle for someone who hasn't done GCSE Comp Sci unless they are a keen programmer in their spare time. If he doesn't have strong programming skills and Geography is his strongest GCSE I'd consider going for that instead.

Honestly, if he’s not bright enough to consider maths A level, then Economics will be difficult. I would suggest A level or BTEC Biz.

Honestly what a nasty comment! Having dyslexia doesn´t mean that he is not bright enough! And there is a massive gap in between Maths A level and Economics A level. Maths is way more difficult.

Check which BTEC is being offered for sport. It’s worth bearing in mind that BTEC sport and Exercise Science has two exam papers. Anatomy is 75 minutes and there is a huge amount of factual recall. Psychology is 3 hours and consists of three essay based questions. Together they account for about two thirds of the total mark - so not that dissimilar from A level.

Similar to the advice above- start with what he needs after A-Levels and work backwards. If he has a very clear picture of what he wants (e.g., Degree in Computer Science or Degree Apprenticeship in Data Engineering), then you need to look at any specifics they want him to have. Most universities are happy to accept BTECs, but they will likely expect a higher grade (e.g., a C in Computer Science vs. a D*D in BTEC Computer Science).
BTECs are great for independent learning and there's often less pressure on exams, but the expectation to get a lot of coursework done very quickly can be a pressure on its own.

Working backwards from what he needs post A-levels is what we've done with our DD. She struggles with anxiety and has access arrangements in place for her GCSEs so studying for and sitting A-levels would be stressful and she'd very likely drop out or fail. So we checked how many unis would accept a Level 3 BTech in her particular field and there are plenty, so she's applying for that instead and is really excited and motivated by the prospect of studying a specific subject that she's really interested in.

Another one in strong agreement. DS is ‘ok’ in exams but his performance can be very variable. His GCSEs were good but a bit variable and he wouldn’t have been accepted onto A level biology - which would have been really useful for his chosen subject (sport and exercise science).

We found that all universities accepted the level 3 BTEC extended diploma. He’s achieved far higher grades than he could have achieved at A level and has 5 uni offers including a Russell Group university. One is unconditional based on his first year module results!

I agree with @Zae134 that the pressure and deadlines for coursework can be intense and constant, and not all colleges are very supportive. DS has been very lucky in that regards, but his friends and other colleges less so.

Well done to your son! It's so reassuring to hear that he's had no problem applying to uni and that's he's excelled at his studies doing the BTech. Good to get a heads up about the coursework too – my DD will need to stay on top of that!