Anyone else have a 16 year old not gain any GCSE 'C' grades this year?

Dunroamin

daisiegg wrote: »

I think that is what Dunroamin is saying...? How is it harsh?

Thank you.:)

Dunroamin

Person_one wrote: »

Its twisting the knife a bit for the poor OP. If even 'non academics' can get a C, what is she supposed to think when her son couldn't?

DR has a bit of a thing about supposed 'slipping standards' but I don't think a thread started by an upset mum is the right place for it.

(I'll delete this post if she deletes it)

No, I'm not going to delete it.

Why should someone be annoyed at being described as non academic any more than they'd be annoyed at being described as non musical, non artistic or non practical?

Surely that's one of the things that's wrong about current education, that everybody's supposed to be academic and that's the only kind of inclination that's valued?

HappyMJ

FatVonD wrote: »

Have just found out, since my last post, that my son has got the weekend job he interviewed for on the basis of having his level 1 catering NVQ He'll be doing 4 hours each day, Sat and Sunday as a catering assistant in a sheltered housing facility for £8 per hour, I am well chuffed (and so is he in a teenage boy couldn't possibly show it kind of way! :rotfl: )

That''s great...does he want to continue with that and make it a level 2?

NervousHomeowner

I agree with those who have said that he should retake English & maths to get a C. Lots of courses, apprenticeships and jobs require at least a C in those subjects and it will just make his life so much easier in the future if he can have those subjects under his belt, even if it's only those.

The other options are really looking for an apprenticeship or college course where he doesn't have to have great GCSEs or look at getting a job. If he goes for this route, I'd suggest looking for something like warehouse work as not only will his GCSEs be less important there, but after a few years, he may be able to do some forklift training which would be another skill to add to his CV. There is usually more Warehouse work around the Christmas period too so may be looking at hiring come September/October. Plus, although it can be quite hard work, being a picker in a warehouse can actually be quite fun as the lads/ladies tend to have a bit of banter!

Alternatively, you mentioned that he has a summer job, is there any chance he could make that a more permanent thing? Even if it's just a few shifts a week, it's still something to do while he retakes his maths/english.

spacey2012

FatVonD wrote: »

Have just found out, since my last post, that my son has got the weekend job he interviewed for on the basis of having his level 1 catering NVQ He'll be doing 4 hours each day, Sat and Sunday as a catering assistant in a sheltered housing facility for £8 per hour, I am well chuffed (and so is he in a teenage boy couldn't possibly show it kind of way! :rotfl: )

Great News and just think where this could lead, extra hours in a restaurant once they know he is in the game to a full time position and possibly even his own business in future, perhaps even a restaurant.

He will be up and running whilst his friends parents wonder what to do with a 23 year old with a degree in media studies who now does not want to work in that field...been there done that....:mad:

Your lad has the door to an industry open in front of him.
This morning you were desperate at his lack of paper qualifications, well it looks like someone recognised a quality in him to work with his hands.
So pleased for you, so well pleased.

jayII

NervousHomeowner wrote: »

I agree with those who have said that he should retake English & maths to get a C. Lots of courses, apprenticeships and jobs require at least a C in those subjects and it will just make his life so much easier in the future if he can have those subjects under his belt, even if it's only those.

The other options are really looking for an apprenticeship or college course where he doesn't have to have great GCSEs or look at getting a job. If he goes for this route, I'd suggest looking for something like warehouse work as not only will his GCSEs be less important there, but after a few years, he may be able to do some forklift training which would be another skill to add to his CV. There is usually more Warehouse work around the Christmas period too so may be looking at hiring come September/October. Plus, although it can be quite hard work, being a picker in a warehouse can actually be quite fun as the lads/ladies tend to have a bit of banter!

Alternatively, you mentioned that he has a summer job, is there any chance he could make that a more permanent thing? Even if it's just a few shifts a week, it's still something to do while he retakes his maths/english.

He can't really just get a job, all 16-18 year olds must now be in education or training.

SmallL

My OH did quite poorly on his GCSE's due to staying up till 4am gaming. I think he got BCCCDDEEUU (or similar), luckily he still got into the attached sixth form (Grammer school with a sixth form attached!).
It wasn't a case of him 'not being academic' but really not trying.

I managed to get him sorted and he left with BCC (a levels) and is currently doing a degree in computing at a polytech and has secured a masters at a very well respected russel group.


If the person is willing to work at it, they WILL get where they want to be ( If of course they want to progress academically).

tesuhoha

I can feel your pain. I had a daughter who gained 7 A*s and 6 As at GCSE and a son who spectacularly failed everything getting Fs and Gs. He only got a C in German because the German teacher was the only one he was frightened of.

We sent him to a private college to retake GCSEs and get some AS levels. He mucked about there and got a few worthwhile GCSEs, a B in English and a C in Maths, Geography and ICT but he took a lot of time off while we were paying for it so we didn't fund a second year. Instead he went to the local college to try to get some AS levels. He failed to do this. Since then he has taken various courses funded by the government but has never been able to find work and at 24 has never had a job. He gets as far as the interview process but no further. He is going to enrol on an evening course in September to do computer accounting in the hope that an employer will think he is making an effort.

It is heartbreaking and I would say do not go down the study route unless your son is a grafter. I wish I had listened to the adviser who said that she could get him a job (when he first failed his GCSEs) but at the time we felt he was missing out on all that an education could offer him.

starlight29

Hi my sister didnt do well in her gcses she caught up by doing an acces course at college which she found much better they helped her more and she passed then went onto her chosen course after if he wants to maybe you could speak to college and ask about something like this I think hers was called acces to learning or something similar
It was a few years back but im sure they still do them only if he wants to of course

Starlight

gilly1964

I feel your frustration, as we had the same with DS whose birthday is also in July so end of the school year.

D in Maths, E in English and they were the good results, he just did not like the learning/teaching methods at school

He started at college to do a Level 2 BTEC Course in Sports & Exercise Science and loved the whole system.

He left college after 3 years with Distinction * in all 3 modules of BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport and Exercise Sciences with a view to starting at Uni, but struggled to get anyone to take him due to not having the maths and English GCSEs.

In the end, feeling like there was no hope he contacted all uni's offering his desired degree and was lucky enough to find just the one prepared to give him a chance.

He has finished his first year and was given a bursary for getting into uni with the highest achievable UCAS points.

Please don't lose faith in him, perhaps like our son he just needs to find the right path for him whether that be in education or the workforce.