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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary education

Want to sit Eng Lang GCSE as external candidate?

19 replies

Spillit · 06/02/2018 20:58

But been told it’s not possible as has spoken element. Back story: ds got grade 4 Eng Lang and Lit and wants to up grades. He’s deferred college for a year, so would be sitting externally as private candidate. Thinking AqA lit but eduquas lang as has been recommended by tutor. Local 6th form college says not possible . I can’t believe that’s the case??

OP posts:

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catslife · 07/02/2018 16:46

Which exam board did he take originally was it either AQA or Eduquas or another exam board (awarding body)?
Yes there is a spoken assessment but it doesn't count towards the final grade which is 100% exam.
Assuming he passed the spoken assessment perhaps it would be easier to resit with the same specification. I would contact AQA and Eduquas to ask them.

Spillit · 07/02/2018 18:19

He sat AQA and is re sitting that for lit. His tutor says the eduquas paper is so much easier and more sensible. Either way, 6th form college have said he can’t sit English language. Seems
Crazy to me.

OP posts:

PhilODox · 07/02/2018 18:22

Why does this seem crazy to you?
All students sitting now count in performance tables. A student that hasn't studied with them shouldn't have to count in their results, should they?

Spillit · 07/02/2018 18:33

He sat AQA and is re sitting that for lit. His tutor says the eduquas paper is so much easier and more sensible. Either way, 6th form college have said he can’t sit English language. Seems
Crazy to me.

OP posts:

catslife · 07/02/2018 19:16

Wouldn't the best way forward be for him to return to his old school to resit the qualification(s)?

PhilODox · 07/02/2018 19:51

Perhaps they don't have a 6th form, or perhaps he didn't meet the requirements!

I would have thought that doing it when he begins his college course, he could do it then? However, I doubt the college feel they need to fund it as he already has a 4 or above.
It comes down to funding I'm afraid, and FE has been decimated.

Spillit · 07/02/2018 20:06

Thanks Phil. No, his old school doesn’t have a 6th form. Doing them
now (before college) would allow him to have a wider choice of A level sibjects to chose from, provided his grades improved.
I’m willing to pay for tutoring privately - I don’t expect FE to fund it. I do think it’s crazy actually- here’s a 16 year old lad, wanting to better his prospects and not able to because no one will let him sit an exam. I’m sure the exam boards pay the schools to host their exams? Excuse my ignorance if this is not the case. I’m bemused by it all

OP posts:

LIZS · 07/02/2018 20:11

Can he not sit it as an external candidate at his old school with y11s?

MaisyPops · 07/02/2018 20:16

I think it'll be something to do with league tables. Sitting an exam in a centre makrs them liable for his result in terms of their figures.

Must admit, this id exactly why i think they should decide that it's eithrr a 4 or a 5 pass and if you don't get it then you can do an FE resit rather than the mess of the current set up: we would have a 5 but then national results would go down so we'll judge schools by 5s and tell employers 5s but allow people into level 3 study with a 4 so we don't have to pay for resits.

Eroica · 07/02/2018 21:18

I’m sure the exam boards pay the schools to host their exams?

In schools' dreams!!!
Schools pay thousands and thousands of pounds to exam boards for entries!
Exam boards are taking it in for doing really not very much.

tararabumdeay · 07/02/2018 22:27

There are online opportunities but it will mean attending the college for the spoken language element and the exam days - so a minimum of 3. Sheffield College (Sheffcol) used to have a fabulous online facility. I don't know if they still do it but there are others who do.

Because he already has what's deemed as a pass at grade 4 you will have to pay for the 35 week course which I guess will be approx £600.

I did it. It was an amazing experience. The tutors are far more involved than one would expect. It becomes a real personal development experience. I thoroughly recommend it though I'm not sure it still runs due to funding cuts.

Alternatively, most FE colleges will run a night class from September with a similar cost. I have known students who already have a C(4) to need an upgrade to teach in Wales.

Other colleges may offer a fast-track programme for the June exam. This is more unusual because of funding but they are out there. Again, with a grade 4, it would have to be paid for.

It's generally not possible for one student to enrol at more than one college though so that might be a consideration.

Good luck to your son and well done for his achievement and ambition. There will always be time, a year or two down the line, to attain his personal target.

I went from a C to an A*. I had to work for it though!

Spillit · 08/02/2018 06:42

Thanks all, especially TAra and well done! I am obviously very ignorant- I realise now how complicated it all is!!
I think ds will do Lit this year and start Lang when he enrols at 6th form next year.

OP posts:

user1471525753 · 08/02/2018 07:46

I'm an exams officer - AQA no longer allow external candidates for GCSE English lang.

catslife · 08/02/2018 09:23

Could he perhaps try the iGCSE English language as an alternative? This doesn't have a spoken element and is all exams. The most common one for external candidates is run by Edexcel.
This is taken by most home-ed pupils and is fully equivalent to a GCSE (but still letter grades at the moment).

PhilODox · 08/02/2018 10:18

Some 6th forms won't accept iGCSE though, so if it's just for self-improvement it would be fine.

catslife · 08/02/2018 12:11

Some 6th forms won't accept iGCSE though.
The iGCSE is fully equivalent to the GCSE. The only thing to watch out for English language is that there are 2 versions one if English is your first language and the other if it's a second language.
It's the latter that may not be accepted by some schools, but this is only available for overseas candidates.

Danglingmod · 08/02/2018 17:32

A local private school might allow him to sit as an external candidate. They will charge handsomely for it but it may enable him to get the spoken assessment done too as part of this cost (circa £250).

Panting · 08/02/2018 20:47

Colleges will all accept IGCSE. The only issue is that state schools can’t use them for league tables. There’s no issue for the individual candidate.

tararabumdeay · 09/02/2018 08:14

In theory the spoken language endorsement can be carried forward, and across exam boards, but unless it's the same centre and the same boards it's a deal of faff.

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