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Original poster

GCSE's for home-school children

29 replies

JDiana · 04/03/2019 09:25

Good morning.
I am the mother of my 15 year old daughter who has been home schooled since 2015 and will be sitting her GCSE examinations as an external candidate this summer. I have started a government petition to ask parliament to consider the introduction of funding to help families who home-school their children pay for their GCSE examinations. Note that these would be free of charge if your child attends a school! The decision to home-school is not taken lightly by any family and is made for many different reasons and circumstances; ultimately to ensure the happiness/wellbeing of their child. I have already paid for my daughters GCSE fee's but feel very passionately about this and would love to help future home-schooling families. If you would like to sign my petition please read below:
I’ve made a petition – will you sign it?
Click this link to sign the petition:
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/244092/sponsors/new?token=1Dzg66XgzDoIm6fqiNts
My petition:
Introduce funding to help families of home-schooled children pay for GCSE exams
The decision to homeschool is not taken lightly and is made for many reasons; ultimately to ensure the happiness/wellbeing of a child. The cost of teaching at home is accepted and managed, however many families find it difficult to pay the high fees for GCSE’s that are free in our state schools.

OP posts:
Original poster
JDiana · 04/03/2019 14:27

It is a misconception that home-school students pay out for very little!
We have been paying between £90-£160 per month on tutors over the past three years. Home-school children still wear clothes when they are at home and they still eat lunch. It may sound silly but being home all the time generates more bills in electricity for use of the internet to study and heating that wouldn't ordinarily be used. the household income takes a hit with one of us remaining at home instead of at work. Plus the books, stationary as mentioned.
The choice to give money at schools towards hampers, parties, non-uniform, trips, sports, end of term activities and contributing towards fundraising are all optional. This is the same for home-schooled children who wish to go on outings and/or as with my daughter she is a dancer who attends lessons throughout the week and additionally attends classes in London monthly; cost of travel, use of own transport and class fees.
school attending students and home-school students both have money to pay out to gain their education, the difference however is that school attending students don't have to scrimp and save extra to pay the crazy fee's for their exams at the end of secondary school and I do not feel that this is fair.

OP posts:
SnowyAlpsandPeaks · 04/03/2019 11:09

It is a good idea on one hand, on the other you could say that by home schooling you save on:-

uniform, PE kits, Games kits, school shoes, school coats, school bags, every fundraising event, school trip, school dinners, non uniform day, bus money, and the list goes on.

Ds goes to a catholic high school (state). Between September and this July, we would have paid out for:-

2 x school trousers x 3 as he’s grown so much (6 pairs x £25 each = £150), 6 school shirts (£30), school shoes x 2 (£45 & £70), blazer (£45), new tie as he’s upper school (£10), games kit (£56), PE kit (£35), bag (used last years🙏), coat (£70), rugby tour (£2000), non uniform x 3 (£6), lunch money (£20 x weekly), bus money (£15 x weekly), Christmas Hamper (£10), chocolate hamper (£5), biscuit hamper (£5), Christmas trip (£40), then there will be end of year activity week/theme park etc which will be around another £100+, and more fundraising, contributions, non uniforms to come.

And that’s off the top of my head. For one year only. I appreciate that home schooling you will also be paying out for materials, books, outings etc. But you also save on what you don’t pay out.

catndogslife · 04/03/2019 11:05

The cost of taking GCSEs isn't really free - it's paid for by the school so the parents don't have to pay the cost, but that's not quite the same.
dds school only paid for the first attempt not for resits.
I would be prepared to sign if the petition stated Y11 and first attempt. I wouldn't want this to be used to fund taking GCSEs very early or to encourage multiple resits.

WisestIsShe · 04/03/2019 09:27

This is a good idea. DS's exam entry cost us more than £2k and we saved a long time for it.