College informing my daughter she is a failure

Teddi

tomtontom wrote: »

I'd be more concerned at her lack of GCSE's in Maths and English - this will be her biggest hurdle to finding employment, and needs addressing as a priority.

I swapped courses after my first year, initially did AS in politics, law, english language and english literature. Realised I hated law and politics, so second year I swapped colleges as my previous one wouldn't let me do a mix of a and as levels. I then did the englishes at a level at the same time as chemistry and biology at as level. Then in my second year at that college i only did 2 a levels so had plenty of time to work.


My wife swapped at the end of her first year too, she did childcare for a year, hated it so swapped to hairdressing. It is very common.


Your daughter can swap to a different college with lower requirements, stay at the same college doing another btec course. But what I would recommend is her retaking her GCSE's, you can have BTECs, etc but most employers will be looking for GCSE qualifications first and foremost. She can do this distance learning via the open university so she could try and work part time too so she would have GCSE qualifications and work experience.

jackyann

I certainly wouldn't go to the press, but do allow your relative to pursue the issue with the college internally. I think putting anything in the public domain can so easily backfire.

I salute your daughter in getting a job and being determined. Please don't see this as a "failure".
Your daughter has tried hard, it isn't working. I would give her space just to find her feet, then support her if she decidedes to re-take anything or do any training in the future. But just now she needs to feel good at something.

There are plenty of people on here (me included) who will tell tales of family members taking low-level jobs with poor qualifications, then doing well. Who knows how it will work with your daughter? In the meantime she is doing what so many employers want - getting on with a job and showing determination.

Well done to both of you.

mumofjusttwo

I feel for you Homeagain. My niece wants to work with childcare, she haas mild learning difficulties and left should with a D in English and an E in Maths. She has worked well and now has a Level 1 after 1 year at college. This year she has been informed she will need to do a different course as she does not have the relevant grade. I could appreciate this if she had decided to work in a school but she choose to work with children. We all understand that finding a job may be difficult but feel that she is capable of helping mqny young children even if she is not able to prove it in exams. She wants to help 4 year olds but is unable to do the course.

She can do a CACHE course online as they do not require ANY qualifications, it is just the college/government requirements.

She looked at doing an apprenticeship but they all required a C grade!

carmina_piranha

Homeagain wrote: »

She does but only got a D in English - now she can't even re take that I suppose.

Ask the college? My friend took GCSE english last year, and I'm taking GCSE maths again this year. I already have it, but I work in a college and they want staff to renew their english and maths.

As far as I am aware, GCSE maths and english are free. Also, there's a functional skills level 2 qualification that they say is the equivalent of a C - it's a level 2 anyhow. I've done it and I don't think it is anywhere near equivalent, but it focuses on the skills used in everyday life and some students can easily write a letter of complaint, etc. even if they struggle to dissect the language in a poem, for example - because they see the 'point' of the functional skills exam questions.

Perhaps your daughter might find the level 2 functional skills suits her better? And if it's accepted as a C, it's good for the CV.

Homeagain

mumofjusttwo wrote: »

I feel for you Homeagain. My niece wants to work with childcare, she haas mild learning difficulties and left should with a D in English and an E in Maths. She has worked well and now has a Level 1 after 1 year at college. This year she has been informed she will need to do a different course as she does not have the relevant grade. I could appreciate this if she had decided to work in a school but she choose to work with children. We all understand that finding a job may be difficult but feel that she is capable of helping mqny young children even if she is not able to prove it in exams. She wants to help 4 year olds but is unable to do the course.

She can do a CACHE course online as they do not require ANY qualifications, it is just the college/government requirements.

She looked at doing an apprenticeship but they all required a C grade!

Poor girl, how sad for her. She must be feeling low too. The situation is so similar. Could she not volunteer in a school (reception year) - I have seen so many volunteers eventually getting a position in a school (without any qualifications). I wish her so much good luck. Its a shame.

carmina_piranha

Also, your daughter is NOT a failure. She's got merits in her course so far. It's just that without a level 2 in english (C or above, it used to be called, but now it's A*-C, putting the emphasis on getting higher than a C) education stops at level 2.

Students nowadays are given an expectation that most of them can do level 3 and go to uni, and it's just not the case for many students. Level 3 is the equivalent of A-levels, and back when I was at school not everyone everyone did A-levels, and nobody was allowed on without the C or above in both english and maths.

If your daughter's 'peak' is level 2 that is nothing to be ashamed of, and it doesn't mean she is a failure.

If she thinks she is able to get that C, then it's worth persisting and taking a year out while she works, and gets that GCSE at college.

barbarawright

A year working in a restaurant and a bit of money saved and there'll be all sort of things she can do - catering for one. Just the practical experience will be enormously useful if she wants to do a business course or some sort. Lots of people do much better if they return to education after working for a bit. This doesn't have to be a negative at all but a chance for her to take stock and decide what she really wants to do with her life

dancingfairy

Your daughter has not failed. She has achieved the Level 2 qualification. There does seem to have been a complete breakdown in communication and the college does not seem to have handled this well at all.
What it does show, is that why she may not be the most academically able she does have a very strong work ethic. Just being able to pass qualifications is not enough, you can see people with lots of qualifications but put them in the real world and they haven't got a clue.
Your daughter may not have all the qualifications in the world but she needn't let that hold her back. She may also find that at 16/17 she doesn't know what she wants to do/isn't equipped for studying but when she's in her twenties she may return to studying. It's not a one-shot deal.
I feel so sorry for her to have her dreams crushed like that. I hope she's able to find her niche and gets a lovely job.
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missbiggles1

Teddi wrote: »

I swapped courses after my first year, initially did AS in politics, law, english language and english literature. Realised I hated law and politics, so second year I swapped colleges as my previous one wouldn't let me do a mix of a and as levels. I then did the englishes at a level at the same time as chemistry and biology at as level. Then in my second year at that college i only did 2 a levels so had plenty of time to work.


My wife swapped at the end of her first year too, she did childcare for a year, hated it so swapped to hairdressing. It is very common.


Your daughter can swap to a different college with lower requirements, stay at the same college doing another btec course. But what I would recommend is her retaking her GCSE's, you can have BTECs, etc but most employers will be looking for GCSE qualifications first and foremost. She can do this distance learning via the open university so she could try and work part time too so she would have GCSE qualifications and work experience.

The OU only offers degree level study - not GCSEs.

dawyldthing

She could also do it at night school if she wants to redo her GCSE's. I'd research other options and also pop round to the travel agents as I keep seeing posters advertIsing jobs and some might take in trainees (it depends what type of travel and tourism she wants to go into).

There might also be other local colleges with different courses. It just depends where you are really. I know for me to get to uni I had to redo an English a-level, did psychology a level in a year at night school plus other bits and Bobs.

Plus if I'm honest (and I've said it before on here I think) if I could turn the clock back myself I'd have waited and gone back into education now I'm a lot older as life experiences mean more and I think you end up more focused (I know I would have).

After 14 years of being in school I was ready for a break, working and earning money so she can enjoy life might do her the world of good and let her go back to education in the future with a fresh head and a fresh outlook on the next chapter of her life