An Introduction to IGCSE Home Education

Oxford Home Schooling is pleased to offer home educated students a new suite of IGCSE courses. These have been especially designed and developed to serve the needs of home schooling students aiming to obtain qualifications that will enable them to progress to A Level, apply for vocational courses, or enter the wider world of work. IGCSEs provide excellent preparation for the next stage in education.

The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) offers a broad curriculum that develops students’ skills, thinking and knowledge.

The IGCSE is widely recognized by higher education institutions and employers around the world. As an academic qualification it is equivalent, grade for grade, to GCSE. IGCSEs offer progression to A Level, BTEC vocational courses, and other similar qualifications that are recognized internationally and by the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

IGCSE is offered to students in over 150 countries and is gaining popularity in the UK as a qualification which is preferred to GCSEs by many prestigious independent schools. World-wide over 1.5 million students enter IGCSE exams every year. Over 300 independent schools in the UK now offer IGCSE, and in 2010 there were over 40,000 UK entries for IGCSE exams.

GCSE exams are gradually being reformed with coursework being replaced by controlled assessment done under supervised conditions. Controlled assessment is impractical for students studying home schooling courses. By contrast, IGCSEs with 100% assessment by examination, provide an up-to-date and convenient way to develop and test your skills.

On 8 June 2010, Education Secretary, Michael Gove, announced that IGCSEs can be offered in state maintained schools from September 2010, indicating that IGCSEs are set to become widely available as a national qualification. For further information on IGCSEs see our blog on ‘GCSE and IGCSE: what’s the difference?‘

In subjects where controlled assessment is not required, it is still possible to enrol for our GCSE home education courses e.g. Law, Mathematics, Psychology and Sociology. 2011 is the last year in which it will be possible to take English or English Literature GCSE. 2012 is the last year in which it will be possible to take GCSE examinations in any of the science subjects. Look out for our IGCSE alternatives, available shortly. In some major subjects, notably English and Maths, you may choose to study either GCSE or IGCSE with OHS for exams in 2011.

Alongside its IGCSEs, Edexcel also offers a new qualification called the Level 1/Level 2 Certificate or, more simply, the Certificate. This is identical to the IGCSE! In each subject, the specification is exactly the same. It does not matter which you enter for. As long as you can find an exam centre which holds exams for one or the other, you are fine. Overseas, it will probably be IGCSE; in the UK it is more likely to be the Certificate. Both qualifications are treated as the equivalent of an “ordinary” GCSE by universities, colleges and employers.

IGCSE English Home Study courses

IGCSE English includes a vital set of life-skills for almost everyone. Most colleges and employers accept IGCSE English, usually at Grade C, and our IGCSE English home study pack can help you achieve that at the very least. Distance learning provides ideal preparation of the reading and writing assessments, enabling students to improve their language skills by reading with insight and communicating effectively in writing.

IGCSE Maths Home Study courses

IGCSE Maths is a vital requirement for almost everyone. Colleges and employers accept IGCSE Maths, usually at Grade C, and if you have not achieved this level of success in GCSE Maths at school, now is the time to put that right. OOL’s IGCSE Maths home study pack is probably the most thorough there is, with more than a thousand pages of explanations, tips, exercises and assignments. There are separate sections for Foundation Level students and for Higher Level students seeking the top grades.

Within this Course there are the Following Subjects

A Level Home Education