Daughter melts down in exam conditions GCSE exam revision advice / suggestions?

[Shippou-Sensei]

Er, yeah I think that's a bit too random. I will ask.

More worried about if it's too late to apply for am art BTEC this year, and how far afield my daughter can go.

It's not too late most FE recruitment is late August for a September start.
FE colleges don't really care about catchment areas. If the learner live miles away we can be concerned about the commute but as long as it seems feasible it's fine.

However if you want to do an arts qualification I would recommend a UAL qualification over a BTEC.

UALs are more project based and allow a lot of flexibility.

For media I teach BTEC for level 1 courses but UAL for level 2 and that's what is used for level 3 as well.

I only use BTEC for level 1 as it has more options in terms of course length.

 

[friendofdorothy]

My daughter has definitely had it drilled into her somewhere that art is fun and relaxing, but not a proper job, just a useful hobby and she needs a proper A level education.

Knowing there was a BTEC art option would at the very least take some pressure off the exams. I'm sure she would still study, but just perhaps not melt down as much.

Sorry I don't know much about education system now. back in the day the way into any art design career started with an art and design foundation course.

Design is a huge field and there may be courses available in all sorts of things you might not have thought of, like: animation, shoe design, carpet design, underwear design, tailoring, theatre design, costume design, art conservation, exhibition design. Every product is designed from plates to planes. Now of course there's games design, cgi, and all the web stuff.

Teachers more used to advising on stuff like science, economics or classicss probably have no idea about this stuff. Mine didn't.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

A lot of places are now also rolling out T-Levels.

There are some loverly ideas in T-Levels but I'd avoid it* as the bugs have yet to be ironed out. Also they are now 100% exams.


*'avoid' is perhaps a bit strong. 'Think very hard about' may be better.

 

[A380]

I'm a bit late to this, but the idea was seeded to my yesterday about doing a BTEC in art and design. No information was given to my daughter about this, even from her art teacher (she is doing very well at art and enjoys it).
We looked at and applied for sixth form back in November. I didn't hear anything about BTEC college courses.
I quickly looked it up at croydon college but is it too late now to apply for 2023?
Can you (if need be) take a year out after GCSE and still do two years of BTEC after that? Are their costs involved? Would she have to do it in Croydon catchment area?
Arrhh so many questions. I feel like I have not been fully informed about any of the options.

My daughter has definitely had it drilled into her somewhere that art is fun and relaxing, but not a proper job, just a useful hobby and she needs a proper A level education.

Knowing there was a BTEC art option would at the very least take some pressure off the exams. I'm sure she would still study, but just perhaps not melt down as much.

Pop along and talk to people at the college and find out what they offer and what they want. Even if she has a complete melt down they will almost certainly have a level two to level three pathway to get her back on track. If they are good they will be more than happy to talk.

I was a non-exec for out local FE college for eight years. We were a highly performing college (outstanding almost across the board) and it was both worrying and amusing some of the outright lies some of the local schools told about us in an attempt to stop losing students to us at 6th form (only for thick kids who were no better than doing hairdressing or catering kind of thing!) They hated us, especially when we set up a dedicated sixth form centre on the site of an old private girls school and ate most of their lunch...

I went through FE college as part of an apprenticeship and my son went as his school offered literally no choice for him post GCSE. It was brilliant for both of us.

 

[friendofdorothy]

it was both worrying and amusing some of the outright lies some of the local schools told about us in an attempt to stop losing students to us at 6th form (only for thick kids who were no better than doing hairdressing or catering kind of thing!)

Good time to remind everyone that we are really short of catering staff for every area of hospitality and the world will always need hairdressers.

I imagine some teacher might have told the likes of Vidal Sassoon that he would never amount to anything.

 

[muscovyduck]

It's not too late most FE recruitment is late August for a September start.
FE colleges don't really care about catchment areas. If the learner live miles away we can be concerned about the commute but as long as it seems feasible it's fine.

However if you want to do an arts qualification I would recommend a UAL qualification over a BTEC.

UALs are more project based and allow a lot of flexibility.

For media I teach BTEC for level 1 courses but UAL for level 2 and that's what is used for level 3 as well.

I only use BTEC for level 1 as it has more options in terms of course length.

BTEC & UAL: Similar courses but different exam boards, similar to how it works with GCSEs and A-Levels, right?

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

It's not too late most FE recruitment is late August for a September start.
FE colleges don't really care about catchment areas. If the learner live miles away we can be concerned about the commute but as long as it seems feasible it's fine.

However if you want to do an arts qualification I would recommend a UAL qualification over a BTEC.

UALs are more project based and allow a lot of flexibility.

For media I teach BTEC for level 1 courses but UAL for level 2 and that's what is used for level 3 as well.

I only use BTEC for level 1 as it has more options in terms of course length.

I think only one college nearby is offering UAL for level 3 (Level 3 is what we are after right? Two years A Level equivalent).
Is this something we have to pay for? Or is it just like moving into any other full time 16-18 education?

Do you know what happens if (for whatever reason) my daughter might want to wait a year after GCSEs?

Last question. . . . Is the idea that we just apply for everything possible then choose after the exams?

 

[Cid]

Just some thoughts on design and available routes there...

I think both the apprentices employed by the guys upstairs (good modern cabinetry company, now defunct) were straight out of school. I mean they definitely would be if they were proper apprenticeships (16-18), but not sure they were. One is now setting up on his own, the other found a good job elsewhere. This field (cabinet-making/furniture design) is vastly male-dominated, but that is changing somewhat and obviously other professions are more mixed.

The academic side of things is probably best left to shippy and those active in ed, but a quick scan of unis that are in my head at the moment (Goldsmiths for the sort of high end, Sheffield Hallam for lower) show that they'll take BTECs for design and art subjects. Obviously for somewhere like Goldsmiths you have to do well to get into the over-subscribed courses (i.e fine art), but y'know - in principle. I'd also note that art and design course are far more portfolio based in entry assessment... And there are plenty of alternative routes in; work experience is invaluable for these subjects, and mature students are pretty common. Degrees can be challenging, as you need to be consistent with workflow (hence why having work experience is useful), but for someone who is passionate about what they do and able to manage that, there is nothing more rewarding.

As a career it's... well... I mean it's a vast area, so kind of hard to pin anything down. But there are a huge array of opportunities, and which fits best will depend on how someone develops. Art and design BTEC looks like it will give potential to work in anything from product design (i.e highly technical) to more applied art type stuff. It can be shit and unstable at times, but there are companies coming through that reject some of the long held assumptions of terrible working hours and unpaid internships. Much of this may be roughly analogous to your own field.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

BTEC & UAL: Similar courses but different exam boards, similar to how it works with GCSEs and A-Levels, right?

Not exactly. There is more variation between assessment.

BTEC has very specific technical assment criteria. UAL is very broad in its criteria.

Compare.


And

 

[A380]

I think only one college nearby is offering UAL for level 3 (Level 3 is what we are after right? Two years A Level equivalent).
Is this something we have to pay for? Or is it just like moving into any other full time 16-18 education?

Do you know what happens if (for whatever reason) my daughter might want to wait a year after GCSEs?

Last question. . . . Is the idea that we just apply for everything possible then choose after the exams?

Yep, Basically Level three is A-levels and most level three courses will give you the same points as three A levels; to massively oversimplify.

Have a look here:

What qualification levels mean

Find the difficulty level of a qualification and compare qualifications across different countries.

www.gov.uk

Start under 18 you don't have to pay. It's free at the point of delivery. So a year off should be fine. Or do a level 2 in the same subject at the same course to get a feel for the learning, assessment styles and environment to hit the ground running and regain confidence.

 

[Cid]

Further on general design stuff, might be worth checking out Collect art fair, where the arty end of crafts gets shown. Somerset house, early march. Tickets are kind of expensive, and they're tight with concessions... But I've found many exhibitors are happy to chat, share experience etc. Best to get in around opening time.

Collect art fair

Collect, the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design, returns to Somerset House from 3-5 March 2023

www.craftscouncil.org.uk

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Do you know what happens if (for whatever reason) my daughter might want to wait a year after GCSEs?

Probably nothing. The person doing the interview may ask why the gap but thus usually just to weed out massive red flags.

Simply saying that GCSEs were really stressful and you wanted to take a break and come back with more motivation is a perfectly acceptable reason.

Particularly if you have used this time productively.

Bringing in a portfolio will put you well above people with just exam results.
Have a good demonstration of the creative cycle would be good. A bunch of sketches or trial pieces (maybe inpired by some reserch of an artist or movement), a main bit of work, a reflection on the process etc.

This isn't 100% nessacery but can help put you to the top of the list.


See if the college is doing early enrolment around may. If not go the day after GCSE results day. They will be hungry for applicants to fill courses.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Or do a level 2 in the same subject at the same course to get a feel for the learning, assessment styles and environment to hit the ground running and regain confidence.

If you have an existing level 2 qualification another level 2 probably wouldn't be financed by the local authority.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Further on general design stuff, might be worth checking out Collect art fair, where the arty end of crafts gets shown. Somerset house, early march. Tickets are kind of expensive, and they're tight with concessions... But I've found many exhibitors are happy to chat, share experience etc. Best to get in around opening time.

Collect art fair

Collect, the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design, returns to Somerset House from 3-5 March 2023

www.craftscouncil.org.uk

Read that as 'collect fart air'.

 

[Cid]

Read that as 'collect fart air'.

I mean kind of also applies tbh.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Read that as 'collect fart air'.

Also known as performance fart.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Thanks Shippy and everyone. This has been a fairly productive day in terms of me getting my head around it all.
What has been quite annoying is the fact that none of this information came to me or my daughter through the school.

I should really have known about BTECs myself, but it's been 35 years since I finished school. . . I do remember all the information at least being readily available. . . and this was obviously before the internet.
Everything of course was free back then though, Foundation, Degrees etc.

I've put the idea to my daughter and she has quite taken to the idea of focusing on art. She obviously loves it more than any other subject and spends most break times and lunches in the art rooms. It's just that she has mostly dismissed it as a 'fun' subject just to relax. . . not a real job etc.

I am glad we are at least at this point now, I just wish I had been quicker to guide and poke about in all the options for her.
My biggest worry might be that she takes a year off. . but if that's not a problem for the education system then it probably isn't a problem for us all as a family.

So. Final question. Is the idea that we just apply for absolutely everything? Can we apply for as many as we want even if we are not all that keen? Will they not ask if we have applied to other places?

 

[Puddy_Tat]

It sucked all the pleasure out of every subject.

that seems to be what school (not to be confused with education) is about. getting shoved in to doing o-level english lit meant i pretty much gave up reading for a good few years after leaving school, and i never really picked up being musical again after o-level music...

Is the idea that we just apply for absolutely everything? Can we apply for as many as we want even if we are not all that keen? Will they not ask if we have applied to other places?

i'm very out of date with all this, but i get the impression that it was not uncommon to apply for a few post-16 courses, as offers may be conditional on exam results as well as how many applications they get - courses could either be over-subscribed, or so under-subscribed that they end up not happening. and unless things have changed a lot, colleges seem to do enrollment until pretty much the point that term starts.

and think you used to be able to combine GCSE re-sits with other things if that's appropriate.

local college/s may have some sort of open day any time soon where potential students / parents can go and ask questions. (this is one nearest to me for example. it's probably where you are, just an example.)

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

So. Final question. Is the idea that we just apply for absolutely everything? Can we apply for as many as we want even if we are not all that keen? Will they not ask if we have applied to other places?

Yes apply for everything.
Or at least everything that matches the area.

It's sensible not to put all your eggs in one basket.

This is very true of early interviews.

Late August interviews may ask why you would choose them over others but we know this isn't a contract.

To be honest those first 5 weeks until half term is a bit churn and burn.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Oh yeah. If you don't have at least a 4 in English and Maths you will be expected to study it and do those exams again.

If you have a 4 or above in English literature but not English language you will be offered the chance to do English language but it is not compulsory.

If you have under a 3 you will probably have to get a level 1 functional skill qualification before you go onto GCSE.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

To be honest those first 5 weeks until half term is a bit churn and burn.

What is a churn and burn?

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Oh yeah. If you don't have at least a 4 in English and Maths you will be expected to study it and do those exams again.

If you have a 4 or above in English literature but not English language you will be offered the chance to do English language but it is not compulsory.

If you have under a 3 you will probably have to get a level 1 functional skill qualification before you go onto GCSE.

I don't think any of that will be a problem. I know from going through all her english work with her that she knows her stuff and is more than capable. . . but there is still the issue of her panicking during exams.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

and unless things have changed a lot, colleges seem to do enrollment until pretty much the point that term starts.

We were interviewing potential late starts well after the start of term. We had one or two drop by right up until November.

If the higher ups think they can put more bums on seats they will pish for it.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

What is a churn and burn?

People sign up, attend a lesson or two then drop out ir requestto change courses. So you need to make numbers back up so you take on late starts and transfers. Often these learners are a bit flaky so they do the same.

Things don't really settle down until after the first half term. Then your fairly locked in register wise.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

People sign up, attend a lesson or two then drop out ir requestto change courses. So you need to make numbers back up so you take on late starts and transfers. Often these learners are a bit flaky so they do the same.

Things don't really settle down until after the first half term. Then your fairly locked in register wise.

Is there any easy way to find all the art UAL and BTEC courses in London so that I can narrow them down for location?
I don't know if I am just being an idiot but there does not seem to be an easy way to search.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Is there any easy way to find all the art UAL and BTEC courses in London so that I can narrow them down for location?
I don't know if I am just being an idiot but there does not seem to be an easy way to search.

I don't know quite how thorough a list this is but it's a starting point.

Results | Find a course | National Careers Service

FAC

nationalcareers.service.gov.uk

 

[Sasaferrato]

Not sure if your original question has been answered, but a small dose of a beta blocker, such as propranolol, can be very helpful, it damps down the nervous system a bit.

Your GP would be able to advise/prescribe.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Is there any easy way to find all the art UAL and BTEC courses in London so that I can narrow them down for location?
I don't know if I am just being an idiot but there does not seem to be an easy way to search.

my first thought was 'floodlight' but that is no longer going.

is Find Professional Training Courses | Findcourses.co.uk any use?

or Careers advice | National Careers Service

having semi-privatised the local authorities' careers service as 'connexions' (which sounds more like a crap privatised train operator) that got shut down, NCS does all ages.

some councils (i don't know where you live) have kept up some sort of careers / courses / advice service for young people.

does school have any sort of careers / next steps advice? or are schools only concerned with shovelling kids in to their own 6th form now?

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I don't know quite how thorough a list this is but it's a starting point.

Results | Find a course | National Careers Service

FAC

nationalcareers.service.gov.uk

Humm, I'm getting a bit confused again.
I was interested in the Kingston Btec course but it did not specify a length and just sounded a bit odd on the website. I started to do the application and noticed it mentioned one year.

BTEC Level 3 Art and Design

stcg.ac.uk

According to the search you posted it is £2282 course (and maybe not full time?)

I can't seem to get the college to give me a straight answer. . . maybe I am not asking the right questions. I thought I was quite clear that I was looking for an applications as a school leaver applying for a two year Btec in general art and design .
This somehow doesn't seem quite right.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

my first thought was 'floodlight' but that is no longer going.

is Find Professional Training Courses | Findcourses.co.uk any use?

or Careers advice | National Careers Service

having semi-privatised the local authorities' careers service as 'connexions' (which sounds more like a crap privatised train operator) that got shut down, NCS does all ages.

some councils (i don't know where you live) have kept up some sort of careers / courses / advice service for young people.

does school have any sort of careers / next steps advice? or are schools only concerned with shovelling kids in to their own 6th form now?

I am getting quite frustrated. The link Shippy gave doesn't seem to have everything. It's mostly one subject A levels.
The school have been absolutely useless in terms of careers/next steps advice. My daughter has asked to talk to them and they really didn't seem to have a clue. No list of options, no contacts, they basically just know that Btec is a qualification, and if my daughter wants a Btec she should look around to see what is available herself.
I am quite shocked at how awkward and unhelpful the system appears to be.