Post funding agreements and gcses

[Frowningprovidence]

My son has an ehcp and attends a special school. He needs to transfer for year 12 and we were recommended a specific college.

They do a sen foundation course but said their funding agreement means he has to sit gcse maths and english, then if gets a fail, 1, 2 or 3, they will let him do functional skills and it will be good for him to sit gcse and get a 1.

But he already does functional skills at school as he cant access gcses. I dont understand putting him for an exam he can't access to fail it, so he can redo what he has already done just for funding..

Does this seem right?

16-19 condition of funding regulations say students who has not achieved a grade 4 or above in English or maths GCSE have to study towards a GCSE, Functional Skills level 2 or a stepping stone qualification (such as functional skills entry level 3 or functional skills level 1). If someone has achieved a GCSE grade 3, they have to work towards GCSE. Not all students with an EHCP are exempt, but those who have been assessed as not able to study towards either GCSE or stepping stone qualifications can be exempt.

So it isn’t true a student has to sit GCSE. But, unless unable to study towards a GCSE or stepping stone qualification, they are not exempt.

Thank you.

I can't quite get my head round it. He will likely start with Level 2 functional skills.

The reason he is doing functional skills not gcse is because of the way his autism impacts on him.

It sounds like he might have to start gcse maths and english to do the course he wants even though the resulting grade would be lower than the qualification he has.

If it is any help, you can read about the conditions of funding and equivalent qualifications here.