Leaving school at 16 with no GCSEs

[Girlmum2024]

I wonder if anyone can help me out here - trying to manage alone and becoming quite overwhelmed.

My eldest has just finished Year 11 and failed all his GCSEs. Long story short, school was a struggle, despite the fact that he is sharp, bright and extremely articulate. I wont bore you with the details of his school life but this is where we are at. He is not going back to school full time.

He did work experience over the Summer at two companies. He is hard working in a non school environment and thrived for the first time in his life. He loved working and being in the real world and the feedback I got from the employers was that he was a total pleasure, charming, hard working and super bright and analytical. They said they'd gladly offer him more experience and would provide references should he need in the future.

He is going to re sit Maths and English (he says just for back up and to please us rather than because he really want to) but alongside that he wants to get a job. He has found an excellent junior office role that is a great starting salary (£20-£25k), offers on the job training courses and opportunity to work your way up in the company and is in an industry he wants to work in. So potentially perfect for him and the same industry where he did his work experience. It does not specify any qualifications, just a number of office based skills, relationship building, microsoft etc. all of which he has in abundance. He has put together a great CV but I am worried about the education section. How does he handle that? I know if he were to get an interview he would have a good chance of progressing but we need to get him there? He would be totally honest at interview about his experience of school and exams. Should he pre empt with a phone call? What should he put in the education section? Is it ok to simply list the subjects he studied but without mentioning grades?

Does anyone have any experience of how employers would react to someone with no qualifications if they were otherwise impressed with them?

I thought that under 18s could only be employed full time as part of an apprenticeship?

This is what I am hoping for. He wants to learn, but only what he is interested in. He was thrilled to see that this company offer on the job training. It breaks my heart because he loves life so much and has always want to work but loathed and detested school and that sadly puts up so many barriers.

I believe they can be employed full time as long as they are undertaking some kind of study/qualification as well. Doesn't have to be an apprenticeship.

@3WildOnes Those are the rules but my 17 year old son worked full time for a number of months after dropping out of college. He's now 18 and doing an apprenticeship but no one checks up. He got a couple of emails from the council which we just ignored.

Just apply for the role

Under school just write GCSE but put no grades and leave it at that

In the future he can take an access course which loads of people do if he ever decides to uni in the future

I would definitely look at functional skills as an option, it’s often by home ed students as an alternative. I do think that the current set up for exams and the rules around post 16 employment/education let a lot of teens down.

Thanks to everyone that has mentioned Level 2 and functional skills.

Feeling irritated now that no-one has mentioned it to me at school despite numerous conversations about his options (re sit or drop out basically).

Do you know how far off a 4 his scores were? There may still be time to appeal if close.

School have requested copies of his papers. For some reason not all his marks showed a % so not clear how far off he was. I've been waiting for 2 weeks for his papers and school have promised me they are chasing.

I think he should list the subjects - say they are all grade 3's and that he plans to redo maths and English (if he is planning to do this). I think if he doesn't list any grades it's kind of obvious they were below a grade 4 so he may as well be upfront. He has work experience which is invaluable. He should focus his CV around this. Remind him to state on his CV that references are available. Best of luck to him.

Just to add from my experience. I'm now in my 30s.
I was a child who didn't do well at school/GCSEs, for no reason other than I just struggled with it and had no interest.
I only sat my Maths, English and Science - and recieved E's in them (I have no idea what grade this would be now!) 🙈 .. and also BSL, to which I actually enjoyed.

But after this I then went to college and studied what I was interested in, and actually enjoyed the learning, the coursework and environment, which actually then helped me take Maths & English again. I took it more seriously and gained some qualifications.
Maybe doing something he has a passion for, would benefit him in FE for now?

Yes agreed. We are looking at him now doing Level 2 maths and english rather than GCSE re takes and looking at some level 2 BTECs. He is also going to apply for jobs with the ambition of working whilst he studies his level 2s part time . He is loathe to study full time at the moment but if working is not an option then it may be that we look at apprenticeships that enable him to do his Level 2s alongside. Lots to think about and currently trying to speak to my local authority for guidance.

With adhd he can also be assessed for the following exam arrangements:

Prompt - so he can have someone to prompt him to move on to the next question, write something down etc.

He can also have someone to scribe for him - so write for him.

www.edplace.com/blog/send/access-arrangements-and-reasonable-adjustments-for-exams#:~:text=Prompt%20%2D%20an%20agreed%20action%20that,the%20exam%20room%20when%20necessary.

Sounds like school really dropped the ball in terms of exam arrangements, and if he gets what he is entitled to he might pass.

At post 16 functional skills are also an option although I'd warn you that the maths functional skills needs a LOT more reading than the straight gcse.

(Ex maths teacher)

This post makes no sense. If OP's ds got all 3s then OP is correct in saying he failed all of them. If your ds got mainly 3s BUT a 4 in Maths and in English then he has passed the crucial subjects to move on which is why OP wants her ds to retake those specific subjects.

GCSE grade 3 is a pass at level one.

I think I would put something generic.

Secondary education at X school.

8 (or however) Level 1 qualifications.
Currently attending evening classes to obtain GCSEs in maths and English language.

Obviously only if he has enrolled in an evening class.

I think the references will be of most value and good luck to him.

A Level 1 pass is not an actual GCSE pass, is it?

@sashh There's an official requirement to gain a min of a 4 in order to move on to the next level of education & to 'demonstrate numerical and literacy skills sufficient for employment'. Unless OP's ds has a learning difficulty which it doesn't sound like he has based on OP saying he is capable of much higher grades, i would not be advising that a 3 is pass. Whether it is a pass at Level 1 is neither here nor there..

Yes - it's a pass at Level 1

But below grade 4 is a technical fail.
You must know this.

And a bunch of grade 3 GCSEs is enough to get him on to a level 2 course.

Exactly the same as a BTEC passed at level 1.

0 passes allows you on to a level 1 course. A level 1 course allows you on to a level 2 course, level 2 allows you on to level 3.

He has got qualifications. He should be proud of that.

Not everyone gets bunch of top grade GCSEs.

It's a level 1 pass. It let's you on to a level 2 course.

Below level 1 there are entry level course too.

Yes it's a level 2 fail because grades 9-4 are level 2 if that what you were aiming for but lots just want entry to a more appropriate level 2 course.

Its not the sitters fault they decided to have one qualification to cover level 1 and 2 so people think you have failed level 2 rather than passed level 1.

I don't mean to be negative but if he has trouble staying on task and struggles with a laptop, is an office based role role (presumably admin?) really going to suit him? Admin requires highly organised multitasking at a pace.

I hope he finds the right path, there are so many different options these days.

It's not a pure admin role - more operations. He'd die in a pure admin role. But that said he is good with a laptop and all the mircrosoft applications including excel but is currently doing some short online courses to improve his skills (word, excel and powerpoint) He lives on his laptop. But he didn't feel his typing was fast enough compared to his handwriting to use in the exam.

Our local authority have been surprisingly helpful and the education and youth team are helping him refine his CV, position his skills and have said they will support with individual job applications and prep. They are also helping to find the FS courses which they said he can do online.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to respond - has been genuinely so helpful and have spent the last two days just moving it all forward with my DS. (who is 100% happier and more motivated now than I ever saw him be at school so that's something!)

Good luck to him!