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

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Gawd. I thought I had this all under control this morning and now it is unraveling somewhat.
This website is obviously a bit of a mess . . .

. . .
and the Btec we were looking at yesterday might not be the two year courses in art we first thought they were.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

They might be access courses.

If you are 19+ you lise funding for a lot of courses but you can usually apply for an access course. They are year long courses in a level 3 to give people the qualifications to do an undergraduate qualification.

Sorry about that link. Not really used that service before. Thought it might be a bit better.

 

[baldrick]

Sorry if I have missed something crucial - your daughter seems very capable, is there a reason she's interested in BTEC over A level in Art?

A friend of mine teaches BTEC Art and design and she feels it's a very poor quality qualification in some ways - where the A level would be the culmination in a 12 hour exam to produce a piece of work, in the BTEC her students have to write an essay on a theoretical concept for example. The practical work is also much less well developed. She feels very much like she is letting down students who would be capable of A's at A level who are struggling to get a Merit in the BTEC.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

They might be access courses.

If you are 19+ you lise funding for a lot of courses but you can usually apply for an access course. They are year long courses in a level 3 to give people the qualifications to do an undergraduate qualification.

Sorry about that link. Not really used that service before. Thought it might be a bit better.

I see. . . sort of. This was the one I was looking at.

BTEC Level 3 Art and Design

stcg.ac.uk

I wonder if the others I have picked out are access courses too.
This is the Croydon one.

Croydon and Coulsdon College Online Enrolment & Applications

Compass College Online - In Helsby

pswebenrol.croydon.ac.uk

The 'shopping basket' bit for applications makes me nervous now that I am totally looking at the wrong things. I did write to four of the colleges and asked to speak to someone but they all just basically wrote back "send in an application and we will take it from there".

 

[Elpenor]

Do these colleges have open days / evenings?

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Sorry if I have missed something crucial - your daughter seems very capable, is there a reason she's interested in BTEC over A level in Art?

A friend of mine teaches BTEC Art and design and she feels it's a very poor quality qualification in some ways - where the A level would be the culmination in a 12 hour exam to produce a piece of work, in the BTEC her students have to write an essay on a theoretical concept for example. The practical work is also much less well developed. She feels very much like she is letting down students who would be capable of A's at A level who are struggling to get a Merit in the BTEC.

As a BTEC she would be studying a wide range of art subjects over two years. Fine Art, Graphics, Illustration, Textiles, Sculpture, Printmaking. . . and it is the equivalent of three A levels, a better route to applying for a place to do an degree in art.
I did a BTEC National Diploma in General Art and Design about 35 years ago and it was like going to school, but all the lessons are different types of art, and there was no exam to sit (you had to submit certain pieces in various subjects I think and I do recall submitting one art history essay). Of course a LOT could have changed over the years. Maybe it is all very different now. I didn't even know BTecs were still a thing.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

I see. . . sort of. This was the one I was looking at.

BTEC Level 3 Art and Design

stcg.ac.uk

I wonder if the others I have picked out are access courses too.
This is the Croydon one.

Croydon and Coulsdon College Online Enrolment & Applications

Compass College Online - In Helsby

pswebenrol.croydon.ac.uk

The 'shopping basket' bit for applications makes me nervous now that I am totally looking at the wrong things. I did write to four of the colleges and asked to speak to someone but they all just basically wrote back "send in an application and we will take it from there".

I'm fairly certain the shopping cart thing is just reusing online shopping systems as that's the cheapest way of getting an online application system.

I'm guessing most colleges are doing anything about enrolment yet.

They will want an application as that will put her details on the system so when they next do interviews or early enrolment they can send out a message.

If the application is going to be based off of GCSE results basically nothing can happen until those results are released.

This is why it's all nothing then massive scramble at the end of August.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Do these colleges have open days / evenings?

Yes. I guess I could just wait a couple of months, but I don't really feel like waiting and then finding out it's all bollocks would be a good use of time. I'm just trying to get as much information as possible. This is only my second day at this though.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Sorry if I have missed something crucial - your daughter seems very capable, is there a reason she's interested in BTEC over A level in Art?

A friend of mine teaches BTEC Art and design and she feels it's a very poor quality qualification in some ways - where the A level would be the culmination in a 12 hour exam to produce a piece of work, in the BTEC her students have to write an essay on a theoretical concept for example. The practical work is also much less well developed. She feels very much like she is letting down students who would be capable of A's at A level who are struggling to get a Merit in the BTEC.

This is why UALs are really gathering steam.

While you have to demonstrate planning and evaluation the framework is a lot looser.

Plus most units are just pass or fail as you build up your skills and only the final major project is classed as pass merit or distinction.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I'm fairly certain the shopping cart thing is just reusing online shopping systems as that's the cheapest way of getting an online application system.

I'm guessing most colleges are doing anything about enrolment yet.

They will want an application as that will put her details on the system so when they next do interviews or early enrolment they can send out a message.

If the application is going to be based off of GCSE results basically nothing can happen until those results are released.

This is why it's all nothing then massive scramble at the end of August.

Sure. The only thing I am worried about is if we are not looking at something she can do post GCSE and my daughter has not applied for the right courses . . . we will have nothing.

I'm wondering if I shouldn't retitle this thread or start a new one. It's gone way off topic.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Sure. The only thing I am worried about is if we are not looking at something she can do post GCSE and my daughter has not applied for the right courses . . . we will have nothing.

That is understandable.

You will need to be like this going from level 3 to uni as UCAS forms should have been sent off by now.

Level 2 and 3 in FE are just a bit more wonky.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Level 2 and 3 in FE are just a bit more wonky.

What is FE? further education?
I'm only looking for level 3 through right? Level 2 Is GCSE isn't it?

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

What is FE? further education?
I'm only looking for level 3 through right? Level 2 Is GCSE isn't it?

Yes FE is further education.
Level 2 is 4+ GCSEs.

Here is a chart show the options at each level.



Ignore the arrow at the bottom. That's for my level 1 students.

 

[baldrick]

One more thing you might want to be aware of - students effectively get 3 years of funding to complete their 2 year Level 3 courses

A small but significant number realise at some point in Y12 that they have picked all the wrong courses, they're massively failing, or some other thing happens that means they get to the end of year 12 and they want to start their two years again, or they get to the end of year 13 and they have fucked up their exams and want another go - the funding allows for this (there are technically some conditions to satisfy but as a parent that's not your problem)

However once children get to the age of 19 the funding is cut significantly - so I would advise against any 'time out' before she starts the next stage but she should be confident that there is flexibility there if she needs it.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

One more thing you might want to be aware of - students effectively get 3 years of funding to complete their 2 year Level 3 courses

A small but significant number realise at some point in Y12 that they have picked all the wrong courses, they're massively failing, or some other thing happens that means they get to the end of year 12 and they want to start their two years again, or they get to the end of year 13 and they have fucked up their exams and want another go - the funding allows for this (there are technically some conditions to satisfy but as a parent that's not your problem)

However once children get to the age of 19 the funding is cut significantly - so I would advise against any 'time out' before she starts the next stage but she should be confident that there is flexibility there if she needs it.

So it would be better to go for something, whatever it is, then if you really do hate it there is time to flip, rather than do nothing and waste the opportunity to have at least tried something else?

 

[muscovyduck]

So it would be better to go for something, whatever it is, then if you really do hate it there is time to flip, rather than do nothing and waste the opportunity to have at least tried something else?

Yep

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

They might be access courses.

Actually Kingston got back to me. Apparently it is two years but there is a different qualification at the and of the first year so it only shows as one.
The gov website got it wrong about costs for kids. . . . though that would mean that it was possible that adult students could be doing the course with 16 year olds which I find a little weird.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Actually Kingston got back to me. Apparently it is two years but there is a different qualification at the and of the first year so it only shows as one.
The gov website got it wrong about costs for kids. . . . though that would mean that it was possible that adult students could be doing the course with 16 year olds which I find a little weird.

Ok makes sense. Often colleges may do that so people who drop our in the second year at least have something (and the college has an outcome).

There used to be a fair few 19+ students on FE courses. It was actually better for it. Having adults around means it feels less like school and made learners behave better.
Changes in funding now mean there are fewer 19+ students.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Ok makes sense. Often colleges may do that so people who drop our in the second year at least have something (and the college has an outcome).

There used to be a fair few 19+ students on FE courses. It was actually better for it. Having adults around means it feels less like school and made learners behave better.
Changes in funding now mean there are fewer 19+ students.

OK so good news. I guess we should apply for everything and just see when we get there. I guess there are not a huge amount of options even if I am looks as far as Kingston.