Qualifications for Home Educated Young People. (Private Candidates).
Over the past few years it has become increasingly difficult for any Private Candidate to access G.C.S.E exams, and indeed any qualifications.
G.C.S.E Coursework has been discontinued in all but a handful of subjects and been replaced by Controlled Assessments. Other qualifications are vanishing from websites, G.C.E “O” levels are no longer visible at A.Q.A, O.C.R, W.J.E.C and Edexcell shows this:
- Will be replaced by a new suite of I.G.C.S.Es, for first teaching from September 2009, that incorporate the best features of the current O level and I.G.C.S.E qualifications
There are some Distance Learning Providers who offer G.C.S.Es to Private candidates, but the responsibility for finding an Examination Centre still rests with the Private Candidate. This is often a difficult task and adds further to already considerable costs involved with Distance Learning. A further restriction is the range of subjects on offer. With the new specifications since 2009 & the introduction over the next couple of years life is going to continue to become more difficult than ever for us Home Educators, particularly as finances are often tight for us.
Many Home Educators have accessed G.C.S.Es by downloading a subject specification, studying independently & having coursework authenticated or even missing it out completely, then simply sitting the exam(s). A far less expensive method & often very successful.
With this in mind, a group of us in THEN UK started looking at forming our own exams centre. I have been working in particular on accessing qualifications. This led to me undergoing training with Trinity College London, and now I can offer Arts Awards at Bronze, Silver and Gold. These are Level 1, 2 & 3 qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework. I advise young people on an assortment of matters in the Arts & they produce a portfolio, website or similar, (in a manner that can be understood by someone else, this is very SEN friendly), which I mark, the send forward for external moderation. I am the Launchpad Arts Award Centre with my own centre number, & can be found via the website.
For more info on the N.Q.F go to:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/QualificationsExplained/DG_10039017
I managed after lengthy negotiation to register a property in Boston, Lincolnshire as an exam centre for THEN UK with the British Health & Safety Council. I can offer a Level 1 Certificate (after the passing of the exam) in Safety in the workplace. The exam is free, but I will have to charge for costs of materials & running the property on exam days. We may be able to cover the costs to members if fundraising is effective.
Due to the lack of qualifications available to us as Home Educators I came up with a way to reward achievement at home.
I have modelled our General Certificate of Home Education (G.C.H.Es) on systems used by Music & Drama examination boards. These are designed to measure progress & achievement in particular areas, and have become widely recognised and respected, and are offered by themselves, not an examining board.
I hope that the General Certificate of Home Education will grow to become a valued part of our Home Education culture. By submitting a simple form to us at THEN UK, along with details of an independent person to witness and verify the application, we will be able to have a system of recognising a child’s success. This could be used as evidence of progress and therefore suitability of education for Local Authorities. There is no intention to form exams, just a way of supporting our choice to Home Educate.
Some of the higher levels may seem to have high targets to reach. I set word levels having seen how much work went into the drafts and producing a final piece of coursework. One subject alone calls for a completed piece to be of 2000 words, without the headers, footers, diagrams, charts, bibliographies and notes. The intention in the higher levels is to be able to produce a final piece of work that has developed, not a 5000 word novel, though that would be acceptable.
Kris
Founder of G.C.H.E’s
