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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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Are IGCSEs tougher exams?

A report in the Sunday Times on 29 July was headlined ‘State Schools ditch GCSE for tougher exam’. The exams in question were International GCSEs, or IGCSEs, as set by Edexcel and CIE.  As the report indicated, IGCSEs are being … More…

Posted in Controlled Assessment and Coursework, Distance Learning, Educational organisations, Examinations, GCSE, Government Policy, Home Education, IGCSE, IGCSE Mathematics, Maths | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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Cheating the System: how examiners tip off teachers

The Daily Telegraph’s front page story today carries the lurid headline: Cheating the System: how examiners tip off teachers. Parents and students are right to be worried that some teachers and their students are getting a head start. Michael Gove … More…

Posted in A Level, A level English, Controlled Assessment and Coursework, Educational organisations, Examinations, GCSE, Government Policy, Home Education in the Media, IGCSE English | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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Changes to GCSEs in 2014

The government has recently announced that there will be a number of changes to the GCSE system, affecting examinations in 2014 and later years.  What is going on? The main change is that it will no longer be possible to … More…

Posted in Controlled Assessment and Coursework, Distance Learning, Examinations, GCSE, Government Policy, History, Home Education, IGCSE, IGCSE English, IGCSE English Literature, IGCSE Geography, IGCSE Mathematics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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Home education blog: Home schooling

With the new school year approaching one of our home schooling tutors explores the decision to home educate. Oxford Home Schooling offers a range of home education courses from Key Stage 3, to GCSE and IGCSE, to A Level. More…

Posted in blog, Distance Learning, General Resources, Home Education, Home Education Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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Results Day 2011: 18 and 25 August

Results days are coming up next month for those taking A Level, GCSE and IGCSE exams. A Level results day is Thursday 18 August – GCSE and IGCSE results come out on Thursday 25 August. Examination results day is always … More…

Posted in A Level, Controlled Assessment and Coursework, Examinations, GCSE, IGCSE | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
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English Literature IGCSE

Oxford Home Schooling introduces a brand new English Literature IGCSE course to match the Edexcel specification. There is no coursework. Candidates can sit the two exam papers at exam centres world-wide. The course provides excellent preparation for English A Level, and is recognised at universities and colleges in the UK. More…

Posted in blog, Controlled Assessment and Coursework, Distance Learning, GCSE, Home Education, IGCSE, IGCSE English, IGCSE English Literature | 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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AS levels to be scrapped?

AS levels will not be scrapped. The sensationalised headlines do not reflect the proposals that have currently been aired by Michael Gove, the new Education Secretary. What Gove is suggesting is an alternative qualification for the more academic, university-bound student. … More…

Posted in A Level, blog, Controlled Assessment and Coursework, Educational organisations, GCSE, Government Policy, IGCSE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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Different exams set for girls and boys?

AQA looking into creating gender-based exams for GCSE science with coursework for girls and exam marks for boys. Is this because they don’t want to lose out to Cambridge and Edexcel boards which now offer IGCSE? More…

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