home schooling year 11 son

[barbsbarbs]

I have just made the scary decision to honeschool my son for five gcses from next week, He has failed badly at school, always in trouble and bunks off all the itme. Thsi way I know he will get some education. Any ideas? Also does anyone have any links etc to find out the gcse curriculum.

Copperbeech you have misunderstood me (again ).

I mean does your institution refuse places to IGCSE dual/combined science holders. As opposed to those holding IGCSE certs. in individual sciences.

It seems extraordinary that anyone could consider IGCSE chemistry, maths, physics and biology insufficiently rigorous to enable progression to A-Level (or BTEC?) applied science.

In what way do you find the chemistry syllabus lacking, for example? Or whichever syllabus you are most familiar with?

And in what way are they cheaper to administer? Most private schools have labs that make me want to weep with jealousy.

Your institution must be one of the most chaotically administered in the country.

Your institution must be one of the most chaotically administered in the country. confused
I'll say.

How can it make a difference if they're sat over several years? Surely that would mean a 30 year old who decides to do a GCSE at an evening class would invalidate everything they did at school.

"How can it make a difference if they're sat over several years? "

Because some things a person might want to do insist on exams being taken in one sitting.

Lots don't, obviously, but it's important to be aware that not taking exams in the same sitting can close some doors. They may not be doors he wants to go through, but you don't necessarily know that at 15.

Sorry, the rest of the page just loaded and it makes more sense now. Is there an actual time limit set on the number of years of acceptable spread? It seems rather woolly to say that they can't be too spread out without saying what that is in 'legal' terms.

Evelyn the usual stated minimum is 8 in one sitting.

It shows that you can cope with a reasonably focused academic load. Many very high flying students sit 11 or 12, and may have sat maths, English or a language exam a year earlier.

Often to clear the way for further maths or an AS level.

Many adults retraining to teach re sit maths and English years after their original GCSE year, and that's fine.

It's a candidate for a highly academic and competitive degree who claims 13 GCSEs but satvthem at six monthly intervals over a few years, no more than 2 or 3 together, who'd have problems.

But no candidate for such a degree/training program would dream of doing such a thing. It would be laughable not to have read the entry requirements years in advance.

There's definitely no formal legal requirement to do five gcses at a time in order to do a levels. I know a home educated lad who did one in year 10 and then another 4 in year 11, and is just heading off cheerfully to college for a couple of a levels. Good thing he didn't want to go to the one where Copper works, eh?

I do take the point, though, that it's better to get them done in two or maybe three goes rather than in dribs and drabs from 11/12 onwards. With my children we'll probably do one to try out what it's like, and then (the following year) enough of a heap to open the desired next door. Highly unlikely to aim at 8-9 of them, though, unless the children start aspiring to be academic high flyers with oxbridge dreams or similar.

I'm also snorting with laughter at the idea that igces in science are less tough than gcses. I have a family member who has been involved in both setting and examining igcse single science for one of the exam boards for a few years, and they say the overseas quals are (or have been) significantly more demanding.

I think for a lot of us who take our kids out of school because of mental health, by that point the academic qualifications have taken a back seat for the moment, and the overall wellbeing of our child is more important. It's all very well getting the right number of GCSEs at the right time (though it doesn't sound like that is going to happen for your DS anyway OP), but if their mental health is poor and they have no direction, then that is likely to have a bigger effect on their life. People get into education in many different ways.

I think we were lucky and time out HE has "reset" my DD both socially / emotionally and given her a bit of space to learn new things and work out what she wants from life. We got to the point though where it felt that nothing could be worse than staying at school.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

one in year 10 and then another 4 in year 11, and is just heading off cheerfully to college for a couple of a levels we would accept this, for BTEC, as long as the GCSE sat early wan't Maths, or the subject he wants to study, sitting a few in year 10 is not ideal, but not too spread out either. We have some reservations about someone wanting to do science, who hasn't worked in maths for a year, and they would be unlikey to be accepted onto maths, if they did maths early, and no maths inbetween. They would also be expected to have studied the subject they want to do A levels in, in year 11, without a gap, too. Taking GCSEs in year 10 can still be seen as taking all GCSEs within a year. it does not disadvantage you the same way as taking some in year 9, for example, as we would discount those.

I'm also snorting with laughter at the idea that igces in science are less tough than gcses. I have a family member who has been involved in both setting and examining igcse single science for one of the exam boards for a few years, and they say the overseas quals are (or have been) significantly more demanding.

snort all you like, they are not accepted as equal, because they are easier to pass. That is why the govt banns them from league tables. Your relative is hardly unbiased

There's definitely no formal legal requirement to do five gcses at a time in order to do a levels.

5GCSEs taken together, including English, maths and the subjects wanted at A level, this is the standard minimum entry requirement for A levels.

My DC's school state 9, other local schools state anything from 5-10

It seems extraordinary that anyone could consider IGCSE chemistry, maths, physics and biology insufficiently rigorous to enable progression to A-Level (or BTEC?) applied science.

because they only have to learn words, nothing else. They don't need any practical skills at all, and are useless and lost in the lab.

We did used to contact previous schools and ask for a reference about practical skills, but so many schools that teach iGCSE are so ignorant bout what standards are required for GCSE that the references are useless.

iGCSE students can be years behind in practical science, literally. So if they really want applied science, we would offer them one yer in level 2, (BTEC or EBacc) before moving on to level 3 (BTEC or Applied A level)

WE took several students like this into level 2 last week.

Have you thought of a different school?

If he is going to study English Lit he needs to watch Mr Bruff on YouTube who has tutorials on many of the texts. Good luck

So we appear to have established that your DS won't be going to Copperbeech's school, but fortunately there are many many other schools and colleges who don't take such a narrow view. I think this is derailing the thread.

Hi Barbs,

I apologise if this question has been posed previously. However, if your son evades school, has 'failed' academically so far and has behavioural issues, do you think he will engage academically at home?

I agree that withdrawing your son from school due to its negative effect on his mental health may be a good idea. However, I would say it could be unlikely that he will engage with academic work at home, unless he has a history of such engagement (e.g. though homework and so on).

I am just a bit concerned that a disengaged adolescent may find the task of gaining five GCSEs in less than a year, amidst the distractions of home, a little overwhelming and the task of teaching five separate subjects to a young person who knows all your emotional buttons, may be too much.

Your local authority should, at the very least, be considering an EHCP for your son and a home tutor may be a more realistic solution, in my opinion.

Every thread copper posts on derails the thread - her experience if genuine does NOT reflect any other education professional who posts here (with a much more established posting history), nor the experience of parents.

I'm not a home educator (though have done teaching myself), but my eldest child took IGCSEs at her private school, some, in the case of English and maths, from the age of 14, as is becoming more common to do so. She had no problems whatsoever with sixth form and from September will attend a good London university. I don't want to derail the thread any further, just wanted to reassure on the subject of the IGCSE.

On that note I'd advise people to contact a local sixth form or college for advice on entry requirements and to disregard what the poster Copperbeech has been saying, which is largely inaccurate, and delivered in an angry, nasty tone.

I've actually just reported her, titchy. I know guidelines here state that people may not be who they say they are and take advice with a pinch of salt (paraphrasing), but I think it could be worrying for some parents reading this.

Re IGCSE's: higher tier IGCSE's are recognised by uni's inc RG's as harder to pass not easier. The reason's they aren't included on government league tables are to do with who sits them and where and how difficult comparing those groups are.

Also there are no arbitrary because you didn't achieve X you now can't study Y rules, in home ed, so it's possible (as one of mine did) to fail a subject at IGCSE and take an AS and A2 in it and end up with an A*.

It'll be quite an adventure, but so rewarding when you get the results. Don't worry about status quo, do what is right for you. Best of luck.

copper
'in many circumstances GCSEs taken over several years are invalid, its only ones taken together that count'

You are not talking about 'many circumstances' though, you are talking about a college to do A levels which is just one route in life, there are many other options where this won't matter.

Again, it doesn't make the GCSE invalid, I really hope you aren't saying to these pupils that their GCSEs are invalid

In some cases (if looking to do particular A level or university courses) it may be best not to split them up but in lots of circumstances, it can make a massive difference to confidence and self esteem and make the difference to the pupil want to continue learning.

Hi OP
Just wanted to wish you luck. It's an incredible thing that you are doing and if your child learns nothing else from this he will know he is very loved which maybe is the lesson that will help him most with his anxiety.

I don't know a thing about home schooling but as an ordinary mother can I suggest that as well as the lessons at home you work towards him engaging in an activity outside the home as well where he can build friendships through common interests.

Let us know how you get on and look after yourself as well in the process I'm sure you will need lots of patience and energy.

I'd ignore all the waffle about needing to do 8 GCSEs at a time etc etc.
Your child is in a different place right now and from what I can tell it seems obvious that the school they are enrolled with is not right for them at present.

If I can help at all, I'm more than happy to give ideas for lessons etc. PM if interested. Totally FOC, it'd give me something to do.

as I keep saying, iGCSEs would be better than nothing for the OPs son. As to not liking what I say, I can't help it if people don't like hearing the truth.