Sunday, 14 April 2013
Living in the modern world - a virtual sixth form college.
As I completed the post last week on alternative choices for further education, a friend sent me this intriguing website -
http://www.vsfc.org.uk/about-vsfc/4574991805
VSFC (Virtual Sixth form college) sounds like an answer to prayer for students who do not feel entering the school system is for them, or they are unable find a suitable sixth form/college in their area which is in accordance with their beliefs. They will use the cutting edge video conferencing and seminars with the teachers (see the effective virtual teaching section under 'About VSFC)
Hoping to open in September 2015, they will offer A level courses for ages 16-19yrs old.
They are hoping to present their evidence for support to the Department of Education and apply for funding. How wonderful!
On looking at the proposed courses I noticed there are many subjects not easily available in mainstream state schools and colleges and this is an area we're concerned about for my daughter who is 15 yrs, as she would like to study Latin and Human Biology, both of which are considered 'minority' subjects.
I have found on searching that only the prestigious private schools offers subjects like Latin and Greek with even Ancient Civilization or/and Greek being very taxing to find.
Other unique subjects such as Italian, Archaelogy and Creative writing (I won't show that one to Ben who is constantly writing stories in between his prep for his AS levels!) which offer a wealth of choice to students who prefer to remain within their homes.
There is a section on their website asking for anyone interested to 'Register interest', so if you feel this is a venture you would consider pursuing, do sign and say a prayer for their fruition.
Remaining at home to study A levels...do you think this is a viable option, or just too much work and pressure for the student (and parents!)?
Would you like to study A levels but can't face the pressures of school? Perhaps you've had a bad experience of school or been home-schooled. Perhaps you'd just prefer to work independently without unnecessary regimentation. Perhaps you want to do minority subWould you
like to study A levels but can't face the pressures of school? Perhaps you've had a bad experience of school or been home-schooled. Perhaps you'd just prefer to work independently without unnecessary regimentation. Perhaps you want to do minority subjects, like Latin or Archaeology, that aren't offered locally.
jects, like]]
Latin or Archaeology, that aren't offered locally.
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
What if your child(ren) don't choose to take the IGCSE, A level route?
Not all children in the UK (I hope!) will choose to follow the 'traditional' route of IGCSEs/GCSEs and then A levels, and then, possibly, University...
Some will go on to study a BTEC which is usually more practical and encompasses a selection of subjects yet not as in depth as say A levels. Yet some higher level BTECs, like level 3 and 4 National diplomas are equal to taking three A levels, which is what the average student at 16yrs or older, will study in the UK.
http://www.studential.com/further-education/vocational-qualifications/BTEC
Some Catholic home educators have chosen an entirely different form of education, following the various American 'High School Diplomas', like Kolbe Academy, Thomas Aquinas, Mother of Divine Grace, Our Lady of Victories...the list is many!
They will 'graduate' with a Diploma and then can choose to sit the SATs which are usually taken in America at 17/18yrs and a vital requirement for University.
However, some British home educated children (and their parents) would still prefer to 'keep it British' but do not feel sixth form or college for A levels is appropriate or will suit their child's needs.
And some children (and their parents) reject even the IGCSEs, feeling them to be not necessary for achieving and desire a more autonomous style of education.
(We haven't had the courage or the need to do this yet, however our third child, Samuel, is adamant he will not be entering school/sixth form at 16yrs old...)
The Open University is a fabulous option for many versatile students who wish to remain within the comfort of their own homes, but desire to do something challenging and academic.
All Open University degrees are highly recognised and respected and for home educated children can be very suitable, as they can begin them as young as 15yrs old, therefore bypassing the usual exams, should they wish.
The O.U offers a prodigious variety of courses and one can actually choose which components they have to make up their own degree. One can study anything from Classics to Child care...
There are courses worth 10 points which are short courses, usually completed within three months and can be done alone or alongside the larger 30 and 60 point courses.
When Ben was 14 yrs old he decided to try a OU course in science. At the time he was drawn to forensic sciences ...in hindsight a boy's dream! (Believe me, Ben is many things, but a scientist he isn't!)
He chose a 10 point course, with the helpful guidance of the Young person's applicant team;
http://www.open.ac.uk/choose/yass/
They are available to guide and help the student choose the right course best suited for them.
Ben did the 'Medicines and molecules' course and although he found it very tough, he did enjoy it, and (Deo Gratias!) passed.
If your child has any experience with the OU, I'd love to hear their experiences, perhaps they would even write a small piece for the blog?
Finally, I came across this super story of a home educated girl who studied nursing at University having no previous IGCSEs or A levels, so being alternative and approaching the educational system from a different angle can be just as successful and rewarding!
http://www.home-education.org.uk/articles/article-open-university.pdf
May the Most Holy Family guide our children wisely over all their educational decisions!
Some will go on to study a BTEC which is usually more practical and encompasses a selection of subjects yet not as in depth as say A levels. Yet some higher level BTECs, like level 3 and 4 National diplomas are equal to taking three A levels, which is what the average student at 16yrs or older, will study in the UK.
http://www.studential.com/further-education/vocational-qualifications/BTEC
Some Catholic home educators have chosen an entirely different form of education, following the various American 'High School Diplomas', like Kolbe Academy, Thomas Aquinas, Mother of Divine Grace, Our Lady of Victories...the list is many!
They will 'graduate' with a Diploma and then can choose to sit the SATs which are usually taken in America at 17/18yrs and a vital requirement for University.
However, some British home educated children (and their parents) would still prefer to 'keep it British' but do not feel sixth form or college for A levels is appropriate or will suit their child's needs.
And some children (and their parents) reject even the IGCSEs, feeling them to be not necessary for achieving and desire a more autonomous style of education.
(We haven't had the courage or the need to do this yet, however our third child, Samuel, is adamant he will not be entering school/sixth form at 16yrs old...)
The Open University is a fabulous option for many versatile students who wish to remain within the comfort of their own homes, but desire to do something challenging and academic.
All Open University degrees are highly recognised and respected and for home educated children can be very suitable, as they can begin them as young as 15yrs old, therefore bypassing the usual exams, should they wish.
The O.U offers a prodigious variety of courses and one can actually choose which components they have to make up their own degree. One can study anything from Classics to Child care...
There are courses worth 10 points which are short courses, usually completed within three months and can be done alone or alongside the larger 30 and 60 point courses.
When Ben was 14 yrs old he decided to try a OU course in science. At the time he was drawn to forensic sciences ...in hindsight a boy's dream! (Believe me, Ben is many things, but a scientist he isn't!)
He chose a 10 point course, with the helpful guidance of the Young person's applicant team;
http://www.open.ac.uk/choose/yass/
They are available to guide and help the student choose the right course best suited for them.
Ben did the 'Medicines and molecules' course and although he found it very tough, he did enjoy it, and (Deo Gratias!) passed.
If your child has any experience with the OU, I'd love to hear their experiences, perhaps they would even write a small piece for the blog?
Finally, I came across this super story of a home educated girl who studied nursing at University having no previous IGCSEs or A levels, so being alternative and approaching the educational system from a different angle can be just as successful and rewarding!
http://www.home-education.org.uk/articles/article-open-university.pdf
May the Most Holy Family guide our children wisely over all their educational decisions!
Sunday, 24 March 2013
Revision Techniques
With yet another academic term nearing a close, many home educated students will be turning their minds towards their forthcoming examinations.
Usually most exam centres and schools will require one to register by January for the summer sittings, but many places will accept late entries (usually for a price!)
Revising at home will most probably come naturally to a child who has never been within a school environment, but some students find the whole prospect of revision daunting, and do not know where to start.
I would say along with exam technique (which is actually taught in schools as a singular lesson or at least within classes for GCSEs and A levels), revision is another task one just has to learn and are not spoon fed as they would be in school.
As home educated children are mostly independent learners and therefore can think for themselves, their revision techniques will probably be individual, exclusive only to themselves, making it far more beneficial in the long run.
If a child revises in such a way- whether it is reading a chapter thoroughly, covering it up and writing what they remember down, or repeating it out loud to themselves, or continously trying past papers - they will learn and become masters of revision best if they feel very at ease with their technique.
I can remember our 16yr old son, Ben, asking me a few weeks before his IGCSEs 'Mam, how do you revise?' and feeling inwardly quite shocked as I'd (wrongly) presumed he would just 'know'! At least he asked ! (and there were about 4 weeks left until the first exam).
We talked about how one retains a piece of information, be it by re-writing it out over and over again, singing it to a special tune, using mnemonics;
A Mnemonic is something which we can use to remember things much easier. As is often the case, it could be a phrase, a short song, or something that is quite easily remembered, that we use to remember something that would otherwise be difficult to remember. For example, we may use a phrase to remember a series of numbers, such as the mathematical Pi sequence (3.14159 etc) or an ordered list whose numbers or items are not easily memorized. Mnemonics are a way of remembering using association - associating easy to remember things with data.
I explained the advantages of mind maps which Ben became very fond of. They are also a memory aid- one takes a particular subject or word and draws lines (usually best that they're not straight!) to other connections to jog the memory into remembering. We have a book by Tony Buzan who has written a collection of memory aid books and which Ben enjoyed.
He told me he could actually picture some of his mind maps in certain exams which jogged his memory into recalling certain, important points. There is a specific children's mind map book by Tony Buzan too.
A good time table can also be helpful and the student can design this themselves; it is a good lesson for them to decide what they learn and how long for. There are many sites available to help a student consolidate a comprehensive timetable. When they begin will depend upon the student and what length of time they can concentrate for as everyone has different abilities of deep attentiveness.
Exams are a highly stressful time for many students (and parents!) It is hard watching your child become nervous and anxious over an exam so helping them to revise as well as possible and use the resources available will lighten the load and help them feel prepared.
Apparently fresh basil is good for the memory too!
And of course a prayer to dear St Fulgentius, patron of students, and the Holy Family!
What exciting, inventive revision techniques do your home educated children employ to help them remember facts and information?
Usually most exam centres and schools will require one to register by January for the summer sittings, but many places will accept late entries (usually for a price!)
Revising at home will most probably come naturally to a child who has never been within a school environment, but some students find the whole prospect of revision daunting, and do not know where to start.
I would say along with exam technique (which is actually taught in schools as a singular lesson or at least within classes for GCSEs and A levels), revision is another task one just has to learn and are not spoon fed as they would be in school.
As home educated children are mostly independent learners and therefore can think for themselves, their revision techniques will probably be individual, exclusive only to themselves, making it far more beneficial in the long run.
If a child revises in such a way- whether it is reading a chapter thoroughly, covering it up and writing what they remember down, or repeating it out loud to themselves, or continously trying past papers - they will learn and become masters of revision best if they feel very at ease with their technique.
I can remember our 16yr old son, Ben, asking me a few weeks before his IGCSEs 'Mam, how do you revise?' and feeling inwardly quite shocked as I'd (wrongly) presumed he would just 'know'! At least he asked ! (and there were about 4 weeks left until the first exam).
We talked about how one retains a piece of information, be it by re-writing it out over and over again, singing it to a special tune, using mnemonics;
A Mnemonic is something which we can use to remember things much easier. As is often the case, it could be a phrase, a short song, or something that is quite easily remembered, that we use to remember something that would otherwise be difficult to remember. For example, we may use a phrase to remember a series of numbers, such as the mathematical Pi sequence (3.14159 etc) or an ordered list whose numbers or items are not easily memorized. Mnemonics are a way of remembering using association - associating easy to remember things with data.
I explained the advantages of mind maps which Ben became very fond of. They are also a memory aid- one takes a particular subject or word and draws lines (usually best that they're not straight!) to other connections to jog the memory into remembering. We have a book by Tony Buzan who has written a collection of memory aid books and which Ben enjoyed.
He told me he could actually picture some of his mind maps in certain exams which jogged his memory into recalling certain, important points. There is a specific children's mind map book by Tony Buzan too.
A good time table can also be helpful and the student can design this themselves; it is a good lesson for them to decide what they learn and how long for. There are many sites available to help a student consolidate a comprehensive timetable. When they begin will depend upon the student and what length of time they can concentrate for as everyone has different abilities of deep attentiveness.
Exams are a highly stressful time for many students (and parents!) It is hard watching your child become nervous and anxious over an exam so helping them to revise as well as possible and use the resources available will lighten the load and help them feel prepared.
Apparently fresh basil is good for the memory too!
And of course a prayer to dear St Fulgentius, patron of students, and the Holy Family!
What exciting, inventive revision techniques do your home educated children employ to help them remember facts and information?
Thursday, 7 February 2013
The end of the English Baccalaureate before it even properly began!
I was informed this morning from my husband that the Government have, yet again, changed their plans and decided to dismiss the English Baccalaureate , claiming it is 'a narrow view of education'.
Well, why didn't they ask?! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21363396
To omit the Art subjects as less important shows great disrespect to those who are gifted in these subjects and it was bound to fail when a vast majority of the country's children are barely passing the standard GSCEs!
Many parents of schooled children strongly opposed this idea and felt Gove was being dictatorial in his proposes; choosing what was 'in' and what was 'out'...it is blatantly unjust on so many children...
It may help to show the differences between the IGCSEs and the GCSEs though; it would be comforting to know that they were valued more highly by the education system and FE places.
All this unrest and indecision only leads to more people feeling uncomfortable and unable to trust in any qualifications in the UK system..what will be required of our children next I ponder?
May the Holy Family keep all those involved in important changes to our educational system in their prayers and ask God to lead them wisely and with discernment.
Well, why didn't they ask?! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21363396
To omit the Art subjects as less important shows great disrespect to those who are gifted in these subjects and it was bound to fail when a vast majority of the country's children are barely passing the standard GSCEs!
Many parents of schooled children strongly opposed this idea and felt Gove was being dictatorial in his proposes; choosing what was 'in' and what was 'out'...it is blatantly unjust on so many children...
It may help to show the differences between the IGCSEs and the GCSEs though; it would be comforting to know that they were valued more highly by the education system and FE places.
All this unrest and indecision only leads to more people feeling uncomfortable and unable to trust in any qualifications in the UK system..what will be required of our children next I ponder?
May the Holy Family keep all those involved in important changes to our educational system in their prayers and ask God to lead them wisely and with discernment.
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
The English Baccalaureate and our home educated children.
The emergence of the new English Baccalaureate is causing quite a stir within the home educating world.
Finally the Education Secretary et al have accepted that the current GCSEs are not providing our children with a decent standard of education and they are full of flaws. At last! However their proposals are meeting with criticism too as they aim to limit choices drastically.
Michael Gove announced his great idea to liken the GCSE-style exam to that of the old (and wholly agreed) tougher O'level. Already home educators like myself are using the IGCSEs anyway so we're not unfamiliar with a far harder and more rigorous exam, yet this is what the Government now want to introduce into every school too.
Gove has suggested an entire new exam system with only one single board, no coursework (with the exception of science apparently and some languages) and to call this the English Baccalaureate. It will consist of children being required to choose between five subjects including Maths, English, a language, a science and history or geography.
It segregates the more 'academic' subjects from the other more practical subjects like Art, Home economics, DT, etc. Other subjects will be introduced once the core subjects are underway.
To add to the confusion I read in an article from the Telegraph (attached below) that the English Bac already is in existence (2011 it was declared) if the child should have these five subjects anyway...so I'm not quite sure what exactly constitutes the actual 'future' Baccalaureate.
As they introduce these different exams and qualifications my question is what will happen to the IGCSEs? How will home educated children be affected? Will they also eliminate the core papers of the IGCSE exams too, making it tougher for those who find some subjects very hard?
It seems, yet again, to be more concerned with the grades (talk is that they'll opt to use the actual percentage rather than a grade) and if they eradicate any kind of core paper it won't allow a less able student a fair chance surely?
How just and fair are these new proposals?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/secondaryeducation/9672897/What-is-the-EBacc-all-about.html
and to be unbiased!;
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/sep/17/gcse-ebacc-michael-gove
Will you consider the English Baccalaureate for your child, and do you suppose it to be a fairer and more demanding qualification?
Finally the Education Secretary et al have accepted that the current GCSEs are not providing our children with a decent standard of education and they are full of flaws. At last! However their proposals are meeting with criticism too as they aim to limit choices drastically.
Michael Gove announced his great idea to liken the GCSE-style exam to that of the old (and wholly agreed) tougher O'level. Already home educators like myself are using the IGCSEs anyway so we're not unfamiliar with a far harder and more rigorous exam, yet this is what the Government now want to introduce into every school too.
Gove has suggested an entire new exam system with only one single board, no coursework (with the exception of science apparently and some languages) and to call this the English Baccalaureate. It will consist of children being required to choose between five subjects including Maths, English, a language, a science and history or geography.
It segregates the more 'academic' subjects from the other more practical subjects like Art, Home economics, DT, etc. Other subjects will be introduced once the core subjects are underway.
To add to the confusion I read in an article from the Telegraph (attached below) that the English Bac already is in existence (2011 it was declared) if the child should have these five subjects anyway...so I'm not quite sure what exactly constitutes the actual 'future' Baccalaureate.
As they introduce these different exams and qualifications my question is what will happen to the IGCSEs? How will home educated children be affected? Will they also eliminate the core papers of the IGCSE exams too, making it tougher for those who find some subjects very hard?
It seems, yet again, to be more concerned with the grades (talk is that they'll opt to use the actual percentage rather than a grade) and if they eradicate any kind of core paper it won't allow a less able student a fair chance surely?
How just and fair are these new proposals?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/secondaryeducation/9672897/What-is-the-EBacc-all-about.html
and to be unbiased!;
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/sep/17/gcse-ebacc-michael-gove
Will you consider the English Baccalaureate for your child, and do you suppose it to be a fairer and more demanding qualification?
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Update on Preparing for Exams.
As discussed in the last post, 'Preparing for Exams', I stated that only private schools and tutorial colleges, with the exception of a couple of state schools, accept private candidates to sit the IGCSE examinations.
On further discovery I have since found that one can sit IGCSEs occasionally at state schools, namely the Edexcel board.
So it would be worth checking with one's local state school first before traveling miles to sit these exams. The nearest place will probably be the simplest as the child won't have far to travel and less time for nerves to set in! It also allows one to not have to account too greatly for traffic...we only have to travel into Oxford for our exams however to be there for 7.45am we usually leave an hour and we still worry!
This article also states how 400 state schools now teach the IGCSE and although I have yet to hear of one personally this is very assuring;
If Mr Gove proposals come to fruition then hopefully we will see many more state schools, if not all, teaching the IGCSEs and then the choice of where our students sit the exams will be widened. If anyone has any experience with sitting IGCSEs at a state school, do write in!
On further discovery I have since found that one can sit IGCSEs occasionally at state schools, namely the Edexcel board.
So it would be worth checking with one's local state school first before traveling miles to sit these exams. The nearest place will probably be the simplest as the child won't have far to travel and less time for nerves to set in! It also allows one to not have to account too greatly for traffic...we only have to travel into Oxford for our exams however to be there for 7.45am we usually leave an hour and we still worry!
This article also states how 400 state schools now teach the IGCSE and although I have yet to hear of one personally this is very assuring;
Rise of the IGCSE: Hundreds of state schools go for Gove's tough new exam
State schools are turning away from the traditional GCSE and offering pupils a tougher exam based on O-levels, figures show.
The number teaching the international GCSE has soared by 300 per cent since Education Secretary Michael Gove gave them more freedom to do so.
Two-thirds of public schools already enter students for the IGCSE, which does not focus on coursework.
New exams: State schools are turning their backs on GCSEs in favour of a tougher exam
Labour had banned state schools from adopting IGCSEs in key subjects amid fears they would undermine the domestic version.
According to data published by the University of Cambridge International Examinations, which offers the qualifications, increasing numbers are offering the IGCSE instead of the traditional exam, with English, history and biology particularly popular.
Four hundred state schools now teach IGCSEs compared with 97 in 2010 and 220 last year.
Some 500 public schools are also using the exams, up from 302 two years ago and 350 in 2011. Overall, schools made 50,000 IGCSE entries this year, the exam board said.
Peter Monteath, UK schools manager for CIE, said the structure of IGCSEs, which means pupils sit exams at the end, rather than throughout the course, is popular.
‘The feedback we are getting from schools is that they like the flexibility of these syllabuses, which gives teachers more scope to explore different topics with students,’ he said.
‘Their linear structure also gives students space and time to study topics in depth.’
The Department for Education said it was excellent news that schools were taking advantage of new freedoms and giving pupils the chance to leave school with the same set of qualifications as their peers at top private schools.
Government sources said the figures justified Mr Gove’s plans to replace GCSEs with a tougher, O-level qualification – which are being resisted by the Liberal Democrats.
‘Employers and universities are desperate for the exam system to be fixed,’ said one source.
‘GCSEs and A-levels are not preparing pupils for work or further study. That is why we are restoring universities’ role in A-levels and why we are fixing the broken GCSE system.
‘Those complaining should spend a day in Oxford or Cambridge to understand the effects of the disastrous devaluation of exams over 20 years.’
Mr Gove, in an interview with the Catholic Herald newspaper, said he was passionate about reforming education because ‘earned success is the route to happiness’.
‘People say I want children to learn by rote. I don’t. I want them to learn by heart,’ he added.
‘Think of musical scales. It’s only when you really know your scales backwards, when they are ingrained, that you are able to be creative. . . and to understand music.’
Mr Gove said he was unapologetic about his focus on discipline, rigour, standards and foreign languages.
‘There are people out there who are victims of an invincible prejudice, who believe that teaching, for example, classical languages is ipso facto for the elite,’ he added.
‘But the synapses connect in a different way when you learn a foreign language. The mind is framed to assess knowledge.
‘I simply want young people to be exposed to the very best that has been thought and written.
‘There’s no reason why children should be denied the opportunity to understand history, to discover the story of those who made them, on the basis that it is assumed they are incapable of appreciating it.’
If Mr Gove proposals come to fruition then hopefully we will see many more state schools, if not all, teaching the IGCSEs and then the choice of where our students sit the exams will be widened. If anyone has any experience with sitting IGCSEs at a state school, do write in!
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
Preparation for exams
Just as we Catholic Home educators enter Hilary Term (using Oxford term names means we can have the same length terms- about 5 weeks! Ha) the exam possibilities for May/June 2013 will be looming over us.
There is a separate section on the blog which briefly discusses examinations but as this is an opportune time I thought I would write about it and also ask others to possibly comment with their own advice and support for others...
A few blog readers have made contact with me which is uplifting and interesting and one of the main questions is exams and where/how/when to take them?
Obviously as home educators one must decide, along with the child, the best age for them to sit the exams but how one goes about it can be quite a mine field, well, it certainly was for me when we started off on this journey.
The best way of doing it is to firstly find out where your child can sit the exams as without some where to take them everything else is pointless. It will be a case of ringing round a few local schools and colleges to inquire if they accept external candidates? And/or the local home education group may be able to point you in the right direction.
I cannot recommend enough the Home education Yahoo exams group;
HE-Exams-GCSE-A_AS_Levels-OU-Others@yahoogroups.com
No question is ever left unanswered on there!
A majority of home educated children take the IGCSEs namely because there is no coursework requirement but also because they are of a higher and more in depth standard.
Only some private schools and some tutorial colleges will accept external candidates to sit exams, especially IGCSEs.
No state schools will allow one to sit the IGCSEs as they do not offer them, but one can sit the GCSEs which require no course work in state schools like Maths.
So, one needs to make sure the child can sit the exam and what board the place offers- usually the boards are; CIE, Edexcel, OCR or AQA. These are the most popular boards and most frequently used.
So, in a nutshell;
*For the May/June sittings one will need to enter their children (usually) by February 2013.
* Seek a school/college/tutorial college to sit the exams at.
From personal experience it will be easier and best for the child if it is as near as possible.
* Make sure you know exactly what boards they offer and then check the syllabus and make sure it all tallies.
If, for example, your local school are using the Maths GCSE Edexcel course then you can go ahead and purchase the relevant text books and use past papers from the Edexcel site.
* Most local schools (private or state) will be far cheaper than a specialised tutorial college. This is usually because they are just charging for sitting the exam whereas these colleges can increase their prices to extortionate amounts as they know people will pay. (This may be the only option however if one wants to sit a particular exam and no where else offers it.)
Here in Oxford we are very lucky as the local home educators use a very prestigious school, St Edward's. in which to sit an array of exams and they charge only £40 per exam. If a child is taking 4+ you can imagine this can add up to a small fortune...
* Usually the exams officer of the school will advise and help and send you the appropriate forms, so contact them first.
* The timetables for the May/June exams will be available from about February on each exam board so you can check the dates. If any clash then the school will sort this out for you by keeping the child isolated. (This happened three times with Ben last year- it was tiring but he was free to walk around the grounds and eat!)
Any additional advice is most welcome and many prayers for the forthcoming exam applications!
May the most Holy Family keep our dear children ever in their Prayers!
There is a separate section on the blog which briefly discusses examinations but as this is an opportune time I thought I would write about it and also ask others to possibly comment with their own advice and support for others...
A few blog readers have made contact with me which is uplifting and interesting and one of the main questions is exams and where/how/when to take them?
Obviously as home educators one must decide, along with the child, the best age for them to sit the exams but how one goes about it can be quite a mine field, well, it certainly was for me when we started off on this journey.
The best way of doing it is to firstly find out where your child can sit the exams as without some where to take them everything else is pointless. It will be a case of ringing round a few local schools and colleges to inquire if they accept external candidates? And/or the local home education group may be able to point you in the right direction.
I cannot recommend enough the Home education Yahoo exams group;
HE-Exams-GCSE-A_AS_Levels-OU-Others@yahoogroups.com
No question is ever left unanswered on there!
A majority of home educated children take the IGCSEs namely because there is no coursework requirement but also because they are of a higher and more in depth standard.
Only some private schools and some tutorial colleges will accept external candidates to sit exams, especially IGCSEs.
No state schools will allow one to sit the IGCSEs as they do not offer them, but one can sit the GCSEs which require no course work in state schools like Maths.
So, one needs to make sure the child can sit the exam and what board the place offers- usually the boards are; CIE, Edexcel, OCR or AQA. These are the most popular boards and most frequently used.
So, in a nutshell;
*For the May/June sittings one will need to enter their children (usually) by February 2013.
* Seek a school/college/tutorial college to sit the exams at.
From personal experience it will be easier and best for the child if it is as near as possible.
* Make sure you know exactly what boards they offer and then check the syllabus and make sure it all tallies.
If, for example, your local school are using the Maths GCSE Edexcel course then you can go ahead and purchase the relevant text books and use past papers from the Edexcel site.
* Most local schools (private or state) will be far cheaper than a specialised tutorial college. This is usually because they are just charging for sitting the exam whereas these colleges can increase their prices to extortionate amounts as they know people will pay. (This may be the only option however if one wants to sit a particular exam and no where else offers it.)
Here in Oxford we are very lucky as the local home educators use a very prestigious school, St Edward's. in which to sit an array of exams and they charge only £40 per exam. If a child is taking 4+ you can imagine this can add up to a small fortune...
* Usually the exams officer of the school will advise and help and send you the appropriate forms, so contact them first.
* The timetables for the May/June exams will be available from about February on each exam board so you can check the dates. If any clash then the school will sort this out for you by keeping the child isolated. (This happened three times with Ben last year- it was tiring but he was free to walk around the grounds and eat!)
Any additional advice is most welcome and many prayers for the forthcoming exam applications!
May the most Holy Family keep our dear children ever in their Prayers!
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