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GCSE exams and home schooling

Children who are educated at home are unfairly denied access to examinations, according to a report in today’s Daily Telegraph. This is not really a new story. Some home-schooled candidates have always found it time-consuming and awkward to locate suitable … More…

Posted in Controlled Assessment and Coursework, English, GCSE, Home Education, IGCSE, IGCSE English, IGCSE English Literature, IGCSE French, IGCSE Geography, IGCSE History, IGCSE Mathematics, IGCSE Science, Qualification, Science, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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Welsh plans to register home learners

The Welsh government has today announced plans to require families in Wales to register home learners. The home education community across the UK will be aware that there have been similar proposals, going back a number of years, but they … More…

Posted in Distance Learning, Educational organisations, Home Education, Home Education in the Media, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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A level results day is here!

Firstly, good luck to all Oxford Home Schooling A level students. Your results, that you have no doubt been anticipating with a mixture of excitement and trepidation, will finally be available to you today. You will need to collect them … More…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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Key Stage 3 History: The Tudors: 6: Elizabeth I – Solution to the Religious Problems

In blog 6 of our Key Stage 3 History series an Oxford Home Schooling tutor writes about Elizabeth I’s religious reforms from her point of view. Now, I’m not one to blow my own trumpet, but I think it’s safe … More…

Posted in History, History KS3, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
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Telling the truth about schools

Is it fair that the quality of the education received should be considered alongside the bare statistics of exam results by universities seeking new students? Deborah Orr of the Guardian certainly thinks so.  For her,  exam board AQA’s plan to … More…

Posted in Distance Learning, Educational organisations, General Resources, Government Policy, Home Education, Home Education in the Media, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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The Teaching of History

How should history be taught? Just as there won”t ever be a consensus on how to teach English Literature, so the teaching of History is certain to remain controversial. History textbooks tailored to fit A-level exam requirements have “stultified” teachers” … More…

Posted in A Level, A-level History, Examinations, Government Policy, Home Education, IGCSE History, Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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Human Biology IGCSE

OOL introduces its brand new IGCSE Human Biology course to match the Edexcel IGCSE Human Biology specfication 4HB0. There is no coursework. The course leads to two written exams and provides excellent preparation for Biology A Level. IGCSEs are accepted at UK universities and colleges, and students can sit the exams at test centres world-wide. More…

Posted in blog, Controlled Assessment and Coursework, Distance Learning, Home Education, IGCSE, IGCSE Human Biology, Qualification, Science, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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IGCSE and State Schools

The Guardian newspaper report that very few state schools have expressed interested in offering IGCSEs is misleading. Only CIE were consulted about figures, but there is more than one IGCSE exam board. More importantly, state schools have not been given funding to introduce IGCSE exams, nor given any indication of whether, or when, funding might become available. IGCSE is harder than GCSE, but will its introduction into state schools mean that it will become easier? Should exam boards and universities control state exams rather than government? More…

Posted in blog, Controlled Assessment and Coursework, Distance Learning, GCSE, Government Policy, Home Education, IGCSE, IGCSE English, IGCSE Mathematics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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IGCSE and State Schools

State schools will be able to offer IGCSEs in all subjects from September 2010. IGCSEs are already widely used in independent schools and in distance learning as they are both more rigorous and more accessible than GCSEs. This has been acknowledged by higher education institutions who accept IGCSEs as part of their entry requirements. Without funding, however, state schools will be hard pushed to adopt IGCSEs as staff will need training, and new resources will need to be developed. Schools will need to find ways of managing their budgets to take advantage of the benefits IGCSE has to offer. Pressure will mount on government to enable all schools to make the change. More…

Posted in blog, Controlled Assessment and Coursework, Distance Learning, Educational organisations, GCSE, Government Policy, Home Education, IGCSE, IGCSE Mathematics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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