I've just entered The Girl for her first GCSE exam to be taken this summer.
We are very fortunate in our area that the LA have given us access to the exam facilities at the local PRU. This makes the whole exam process a little less complicated but it's still expensive. Luckily, she only needs 5 to go to the local colleges. She has chosen her subjects and we have decided which sittings she will go for, so that we can spread the cost and reduce the pressure.
I'm thankful that there won't be tons of pressure on her for the last months of her Home Education, I'm hoping we can have a few days out and do some fun activities much like when they were younger.
I know there's over a year to go, but the end seems to loom quite large at times. It's great to see her getting stuck in to new challenges and developing her organisational skills. I feel she'll be well-prepared for studying in the future and I feel so blessed that I've been able to be with her along the journey :)
Exams are not the be all and end all for home educators, luckily, and Boykin may choose a different route post 16. Although, I would prefer him to take at least maths and English GCSE/IGCSEs.
If you are a home educator reading this post, please share your experiences of finding exam centres. Do other LAs provide centres? Has it been hard to find a suitable centre for the subjects your child has wanted to take? Have you bothered with exams at all? Does your local college provide courses for 14 - 16 HE students?
We're incredibly lucky in that we have an exam centre run from a local community centre by a wonderful group of home educators and supported by the LEA. LEA will also fund GCSEs in yr 11 (not sure how many). Of course things change so fingers crossed it's still there when/if we want it in 4/5 years.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest is doing options in school at the moment and replicating his choices at home would be hard. Not out of question but lot of travelling to do drama and not sure we'd manage media studies. Although his choice is quite limited by NC requirements and timetabling. There are subjects he has to do but would rather drop. Neither way is ideal. We did look in to home ed options as well. Neither way would let him take exactly what he'd like to.
DeleteYour LA sounds very helpful. I hope they keep the funding going for when you need them. I might have to have a word with ours for when I need them next time round too :)
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