**Page Under Construction**
Don't rush out and sign up to courses or buy resources. Take time to do your research before you decide on and work for GCSEs/IGCSEs.
Lots of tea and lots of reading of this Wiki will help.
Useful places to start
The Quick Start Guide gives an overview to what to do, if you want your child to take traditional qualifications through home education
Make sure you are aware of the difficulties certain subjects and exam boards may cause. The following links may help.
FAQs
There is lots to get your head around. Take your time to get to grips with it.
You don't need a long term plan yet . Short term is good. Explore interests and different ways of learning while you find your feet. Perhaps if you feel the need to do something academic immediately get some revision books for maths and English at KS3 to get an idea of if she'd ready for GCSE or whether you need to plug gaps first. Look at what subjects are open to home educators. There are some that are very difficult but there is the opportunity to explore options far beyond the standard school curriculum.
Personally there is so much uncertainty over exams this academic year I would not be thinking of any this summer if I was starting now with a child younger than yr 10. I'd explore how my child learns, enjoy ourselves a bit, do our research. Perhaps start studying for some after Christmas with idea of maybe being ready in Nov/Jan. Hopefully it will be easier to find exam centres by then (people are struggling for this summer).
Things to think about -
What are you hoping for from HE?
What do they enjoy?
Do they have any long term aims? (fine not to lots won't at this age, explore interests and keep options open)
Many of us have taken our children through GCSEs/IGCSEs. It's possible!
For support join
Home Education UK Exams and Alternatives Facebook Group
The advice on the groups is to find exam centres early so you know which exam boards that you can access. However if you're not planning on your child sitting the exam within the next 2 years, be aware that a lot could change in those 2 years. There's no guarantee that the centres you find will be taking private candidates or even exist in a couple of years. It's fine to look at exam centres, but keep options open :) Beyond 3 years syllabuses could have changed.
If you're planning for your child to sit exams extra early, eg age 12, be aware there are a few cons to doing so.
Advice on studying towards exams
Many home educators successfully home educate through exams without tutors or courses. They are not essential for many families or all subjects. You will find some useful advice here - Study Skills. The home ed community offers lots advice, link sharing and moral support through support groups.
There are lots of tutor services/advisory consultants in education, but few with relevant elective home-education experience. You can find some listed on our correspondence courses page.
If you are going to use such services then here are some things to consider:
- Do they come personally recommended to you by other home-educators; Ideally look for several recommendations, even if you see it linked/advertised on a HE group or on this site. If you are interested in a company search home ed groups - does it get recommendations from a range of people?
- Their knowledge of specific board/specification you need to enter the exam for. Mainstream tutors sometimes make mistaken assumptions based on their school experience rather than for private candidates. Make sure you know what options (GCSE or IGCSE, exam boards) are available to sit as a private candidates - tutors do not always get this right;
- What experience do they have with home-educated students (not just after-school students);
- SEN experience if relevant;
- Their qualifications;
- Any professional bodies they are members of;
- If your chosen specification includes a non-examined assessment (often difficult for private candidates to be entered for) do they have a recognised arrangement for this with an exam centre;
- DBS checks (NB. this can be relevant EVEN FOR ONLINE ONLY provision as well as in-person tuition);
- Insurance (for e.g. professional indemnity insurance);
- Will they offer a (paid) trial session before both sides commit?