Qualifications- how to get them!

[Bluebells24]

Hope everyone’s safe and well! I left school at 15 (had a baby) with no qualifications. I am 24 now and have worked in a small estate agents doing admin since I was 17. I really enjoy my job but am getting to the point where I would like to do something different- my dd is 9 next month and I have my parents and in laws who are able to help much more with childcare now. The problem is that I’m up against so many other people who do have qualifications (I don’t even have GCSEs!) I would really like to get some qualifications and think that my main option may be through distance learning (I can’t go full time to a college because I still need to carry on working at the same time). I was just wondering if anyone has done this before and if so what distance learning provider they used? Also, I have had a look at GCSEs online and for science GCSEs it appears there is an ‘IGCSE’ is that the same as a regular gcse and do employers/further education colleges recognise it in the same way? Sorry for all the questions, it’s all a bit of a minefield to me! X

I work in university admissions and we accept IGCSE as being the same as GCSE

I teach functional skills maths and English and at my college it's two hours a week (one session) evening or daytime? Depending on your level though you may need to do multiple levels (eg level 1 then level 2)
You could then do an Access to HE course, which again is part time and then uni. You can do specific access course depending on what you want to study (eg access to healthcare/nursing, access to teaching, or generic access to HE)

I got gcse grades but dropped out of a levels, got a job, had a baby at 19 and then at about 25 went back to access course, uni, and then PGCE . I just wasn't ready at the time but when I returned as an adult I loved it and did very well (got first class honours in English!)

Why not have a look at an apprenticeship? You can do one with your existing employer, or change jobs. The government pays 90% of the cost, the employer pays 10% (or if it's a large employer, they pay for it all through a levy). It's 80% on the job, 20% off the job + English and maths on top of that. It's not just for school leavers and some apprenticeships go up to HE level.

www.apprenticeships.gov.uk

@DisplayPurposesOnly I’d never actually thought of apprenticeships! Thank you for the link, will definitely take a look!

@thenewaveragebear1983 I had thought that eventually I might like to do an access course- I don’t want to get too ahead of myself yet though! Are they self funded or can you get a student loan to cover the costs?

You will be able to do English and Science GCSE in the evenings part time for free.

Same for maths - 3 hours a week here
The first coarse is usually free if you haven’t attended any before

Make sure online qualifications are just that and not ‘certificate’

Real qualifications will need to be sat in a hall under exam conditions with other students. Which you arrange with the college

Look at National database for accredited qualifications so you know they are real.

If I can recall, you can qualify for your course to be free if your income is below a certain amount. That was about 12 years ago though! Currently maths and English are free if you earn less than £16k approx (so can work part time)

English and Maths would be free via local further education college or provider.

Look at Adult Community Learning centres/colleges near you. They will almost always offer English and Maths courses which you can use as a stepping stone for Higher Education. English and Maths courses should be free.

Cross post with LIZS