Introduction

Analysis of local authority support for exams when children are home educated More

Home educated young people take exams as private candidates which involves selecting an exam board with suitable courses and finding an exam centre. State schools don't generally let young people who aren't registered pupils go in to sit exams. Home educators must either find a centre which will deal with controlled assessment for GCSEs (virtually impossible) or find a centre to sit IGCSEs.

DfE explains how external candidates results don't affect schools November 29th 2013

Some home educating families find that it is not necessary to take as many exams as children do in school and there may be flexibility or non-standard entry where colleges understand more about the applicant's background. Home educators also tend to begin exams earlier. In some cases it's been possible for home educated young people to sit exams as external candidates in private schools. Home educating families tend progress through the course material by self-study working through recommended textbooks. Families can also set up their own tutor groups.

The reason why home educators tend to use centres which are already up and running rather than setting up their own registered exam centre are to do with the rules for becoming an exam centre

IGCSEs

A growing number of home educating families opt to take IGCSEs because of the difficulties of arranging approved supervision for controlled assessments in GCSEs. International GCSEs or IGCSEs are predominantly exam-based ie the candidate is not required to submit coursework as part of the overall mark scheme. The main exam boards or awarding bodies for IGCSEs are CIEand Pearson Edexcel. More exam centres are registered with Edexcel though this does not necessarily mean that the centre will accept private candidates for IGCSEs.

Controlled Assessment

Private candidates need to find a registered centre that will:

1. accept them for all elements of Controlled Assessment Task Taking and Task Marking, including preparation and analysis prior to the Task Taking
2. undertake authentication of Controlled Assessment Tasks
3. keep their work securely between sessions
4. undertake the assessment of any Controlled Assessment Tasks.

Read more here

New Style GCSEs and A Levels

• Timeline of Changes to GCSES, AS, and A Levels Updated December 16th 2015 (relevant to home educators for eg new style GCSE maths)
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-changes-a-summary/summary-of-changes-to-gcses-from-2015 September 2015
• Ofqual Exam Changes Postcards September 2015
• List of accredited new GCSEs 1st teaching 2016

In July 2014 the Department for Education announced that GCSE alternative qualifications - including IGCSEs - will not count towards school performance tables in 2017. More

New GCSEs will be assessed mainly by exams and will only be tiered where one set of assessments won't work across the full ability range. New GCSEs will also be graded 9 to 1.

Alternative Qualifications and Courses

links to Access to Music Crest Awards (Science); John Muir Awards (Environment, conservation); Smallpeice Trust (Engineering, short residential courses); University of Kent Space School (Astronomy, short residential course); University of Leicester Space School; ASDAN awards

Exam Centre Run By Home Educators

Faregos Exam Centre run by home educators for home educators, Hampshire + Home education Exams tutor groups, Hampshire and Hampshire/Berkshire border More

Useful Links

JCQ Rules for Becoming an Exam Centre   Survey of Local Authorities Help Finding Exam Centre   Home Educators Experience of Finding Exam Centre INCLUDING TAKING A LEVELS AT HOME    AQA web page for private candidates   List of exam centres used by AQA private candidates in the past   Edexcel Private Candidates FAQ   Edexcel Private Candidate Centres   Past Papers and Mark Schemes AQA   Past Papers and Mark Schemes Edexcel  Xtreme Papers (past papers etc)   Home Education English Literature/Language Distance Learning   Home Education Science Distance Learning Sam Martell and Clare Patrick   Home education tutor, Home Counties   Covers ID, Subject code, cash-in code, unit code, component code, specification, syllabus number, tier, candidate number, centre number, statement of entry, Unique Candidate Identifier (UCI), Unique Learner Number (ULN)   Eddis Tutorial Guide for Private Candidates   Eddis Tutorial FAQ Exams Private Candidates   Home Ed Friendly Centre, Wales   Forum for Private Candidates   Home Ed Friendly Centre, Wales 2   Exams Officers News from DfE   Northstar CIE IGCSE Exam Centre   Revision technique using active recall testing and spaced repetition  Student Room Discussion A Levels as Private Candidate   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/learning-records-service-personal-learning-record Personal Learning Record

GCSE Condition of Funding Exemption

There is a small number of students who are not able to take a GCSE or a stepping stone qualification, particularly those with multiple and complex needs. These students can be exempt from studying qualifications but appropriate literacy and numeracy should still be included in their study programme. An institution may decide that a student with learning difficulties cannot study maths or English at GCSE or stepping stone level. In this case, in addition to the student’s statement of Special Educational Need, a Learning Difficulty Assessment or an Education Health and Care Plan, the institution must hold an evidenced assessment that the student is not able to study these subjects. This assessment needs to be authorised by an appropriate professional in the institution, such as the head of SEN or Student Support. The assessment should be structured and documented.
GOV.UK Link

Home Education 14-16 College Funding

Home educated young people aged 14-16 in England are able to attend college and the Government will pay for the course. http://edyourself.org/articles/14-16collegeFAQ.php

End Old-Style (Legacy) maths English GCSEs for Under-16s

On June 9th 2016 the Government published this public paper on legacy English and maths GCSEs linked from this page confirming the Ofqual decision issued in March (see below). Depending on the GCSE syllabus offered by the college, this could affect some home educated 14-16 students on infill college courses for 16+ GCSEs beginning September 2016 with exams in September 2017.

March 2016: Ofqual says "At GCSE will require exam boards to provide: two resit opportunities in relation to legacy GCSEs in English, English language and mathematics (including linked pair maths GCSEs – ‘applications of mathematics’ and ‘methods in mathematics’), one in November 2016 and one in summer 2017. The summer 2017 resit will be limited to candidates aged 16 or over on 31 August 2016."

Ofqual says "only those students who have taken the qualification previously, who have good reason not to have taken it when planned (such as illness), or who are aged 16 or above on 31 August in the year of the last scheduled sitting can take these resits." (I think this means if someone has taken the GCSE before or intended to, then they DON'T have to be 16 for the November 2016 resit)

https://www.tes.com/news/further-education/breaking-news/students-given-two-final-chances-resit-legacy-gcses March 2016

Ofqual also announced a resit opportunity, no later than summer 2018, in all GCSE science and additional science qualifications, adding "exam boards may decide to offer GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics but we will not require them to."

Timetable for introduction new GCSEs updated December 2015

Apprenticeships (England)

Paid apprenticeships combine on the job training with study. Apprentice pay rates are here. Starting pages about apprenticeships can be found here and here. There is a national apprenticeship scheme where you can search for an apprenticeship near you. LINK. You can apply as soon as you are 16, provided you have the relevant qualifications. Entry is competitive. Minimum entry qualifications are strictly applied (although IGCSEs can now count) LINK

NB for home educators, there is LESS FLEXIBILITY with apprenticeships and the 14-16 home education funding from the Education Funding Agency DOES NOT APPLY. Check here or here for the latest funding rules.

Traineeship requirements are not as stringent, although you must also be 16. A traineeship is a course with work experience that gets you ready for work or an apprenticeship. It can last up to 6 months.

End Modular A Levels

timetable for changes AS and A Level updated June 2015

Ofqual

Speaking and Listening Component

Speaking and listening assessments will not count towards final grades in GCSE English and English language for awards made from Summer 2014. More

Open University for Under-18s

Some home educated young people under the age of 18 take courses with the Open University and obtain sufficient credits either to continue with a full OU degree or to apply to a bricks and mortar university. Funding has changed in England. More information here
Tamsyn Fortune Wood: OU as route to Birmingham City University
Home Education Exams Wiki: experiences of Open University
Open University Policy Under 18s
OU Fees
Alex Dowty: OU as route to Oxford

Related Pages about Home Education and Exams

FAQ for Exam Officers External Candidates
Analysis Local Authority Help With Exams
Special Arrangements for Exams
Westminster Meetings Discussing Exams Access
Education Committee Recommendations re Exam Support
FAQ Exams for Private Candidates
Case Studies Home Education and Exams
Survey Local Authority Help with Exam Access
Removing Private Candidates from Schools Results Tables

Ofsted Guidance

Click here for Ofsted guidance on home education to inspectors, April 2015.