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Secondary education

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does anyone know name of school that doesnt do GCSEs or A levels?

62 replies

sensit · 28/12/2014 19:05

does anyone know name of school that doesnt do GCSEs or A levels? I found this school on the internet and cannot find the link again. They get all their pupils into university without doing GCSEs or A levels and apparently the universities think very highly of these pupils. If anyone can help please???????

OP posts:
tilder · 28/12/2014 19:12

So what do they do then? Baccalaureate?

Madamecastafiore · 28/12/2014 19:13

Anglo European does baccalaureate.

bloodyteenagers · 28/12/2014 19:18

Anumber of colleges also do baccalaureate instead of a levels.

ChristmasEveSteve · 28/12/2014 19:18

Brooksomething just outside Winchester?

EnolaAlone · 28/12/2014 19:25

Ruskin College?

DoctorDonnaNoble · 28/12/2014 19:28

I think there are now several private schools offering their own alternatives. It is unlikely you will find a state school following that path due to the system of league tables.

LIZS · 28/12/2014 19:29

the American schools such as in Cobham, Atlantic college, Hockerill ?

LIZS · 28/12/2014 19:40

UK IB schools. Most will offer IB Diploma as an alternative to A levels only , but a few may offer the Middle Years Programme which covers the GCSE years, age 11-16.

skylark2 · 28/12/2014 22:12

Loads of schools do the IB and some do something called Pre-U which is an A level alternative.

happygardening · 29/12/2014 14:48

Some independent schools offer the harder Pre U instead of A levels most of these will also do IGCSE rather than GCSE.

MissMillament · 29/12/2014 14:53

There are a number of schools, as other posters have said, who do the International Baccalaureate instead of A-levels. However, this is by no means suitable for every pupil and can be considerably harder to do well in depending on the pupil's abilities and aptitude. What sort of school are you looking for OP? Are there particular subjects your DC wants to study that don't fit with GCSEs and ALevel?

Smugnogplease · 29/12/2014 15:02

Acorn school nailsworth. They now have one called London acorn school I think. Fee paying. Amazing school

NotMyChashkaChai · 29/12/2014 15:02

Do you mean summerhill where all classes and examinations are entirely voluntary?!

Saracen · 29/12/2014 16:45

Do you want to say a bit more about the young person? How old is he/she now? Why are you not in favour of the exam route; does your teen not get on well with exams? Any specific academic interests?

People might be able to make some more suggestions in addition to the school you are trying to remember.

Eastpoint · 29/12/2014 16:47

Wellington?

Hakluyt · 30/12/2014 13:00

I suspect they only don't do GCSE and A Levels because they do IGCSE and IB.

You can get into university without the standard qualifications, but it is unusual and difficult. Much better to just jump through the required hoops, honestly.

Coconutty · 30/12/2014 13:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hakluyt · 30/12/2014 13:39

It is sometimes possible to get into some courses at some a universities by interview and portfolio or similar. But it has always been very difficult and becoming increasingly so. Whatever Home Educators tell you!

happygardening · 30/12/2014 15:13

I met this Home ed group with super super bright boys all with IQ's in excess of 160, quite a few had gone onto or were going onto very good universities including IC Exeter Bristol Durham etc none sat A levels all had done OU courses, they were also heavily involved and very successful in many international competitions e.g. Robotics.

Ohmygrood · 30/12/2014 15:14

happygardening - did they go straight onto OU after GCSE's?

happygardening · 30/12/2014 16:36

As far as I understood it no GCSE's just OU modules. They were a very unique group with what can only be described as some very unique children in it. Most had only ever been home educated a few had been advised not to send their DC's to conventional school, we're talking about children on the spectrum rreading degree level physics papers at 3 and 4 yrs old. They had links with science/math depts and two of the countries top universities. They primarily focused on sciences/math. It was a very organised set up.

JustALittleBitLost · 30/12/2014 16:41

"reading degree level physics papers at 3 and 4 yrs old"

This sounds a little...unusual!

Hakluyt · 30/12/2014 17:09

Like the poor little brats here here

Essexmum69 · 30/12/2014 18:28

The open university does not require any formal qualifications to access its courses so anyone can sign up to a module at access or level 1. I know several sixth form students who have done modules along side their A level studies.
As Hakluyt says most students need some form of written qualification to access a mainstream university, that can be A levels, IB, Pre U, Btecs or other university credit. I would be suprised if there was a school somewhere getting their pupils into university every year with none of those.

DoctorDonnaNoble · 30/12/2014 18:31

There is. There was an article on it in the Guardian a couple of months ago.
A private school which sets its own completely. It involves a big project and a lot of independent study. Can't remember the name of the school, sorry.