Distance learning/home school for one A-Level

[questioner123]

Hi all,

So my DD has found a college she is interested in going to for September (she has more or less set her heart on it, as she wants a college environment, not school), however, they don't do English Lit, only the combined a-level, and this is not something that she wants to do.

So, we were thinking of doing one a-level through home schooling or distance learning. Has anyone got any advice on this, which companies to use etc. All your help is appreciated!

Have you joined the HE exams yahoo list? On there, Wolsey Hall seems to be the most recommended distance learning company although they are quite expensive (I can't recommend personally as haven't used them).

I have no experience, but "everybody says" that preparing for A levels without tutor support is very difficult (in contrast to IGCSEs) so it would be best to either do distance learning or use a local tutor. If you use a local tutor then make sure they are experienced with the particular exam syllabus you are going to use. You'll also need to identify an exam centre where your dd can sit the exams. This is best done at an early stage as it can be hard.

Good luck!

I did a Psychology A-Level at home using materials bought through the National Extension College.

You're given a tutor that you can contact if you have any questions, but in my experience they failed to help in a 'human' way and rather just sounded like a degree-level textbook which was even more confusing than the materials given as part of the course. You have assignments that you need to submit through the course, which is marked with personalised feedback. However, there are no deadlines or anything to keep you on track, so self motivation and dedication is really important.

For my exams, I found a local school that let me sit as an external candidate. You have to pay the exam board directly, so the cost of that should definitely factor in to your considerations.

I got a B, so it can be done!