GCSE's

[PhilippaHeidi]

Hi, tommorrow I begin home schooling my 15year old who has not attended school for any significant amount of time since well before lockdown due to anxiety. I firmly believe that she is more than capable of achieving 5 GCSE's (minumum entry requirements for what she wants to do post GCSE's) if we take her out of school but continue with the syllabus's she has already started. I have confidence in my ability to tutor her but I have several logistical questions that I need help with and was hoping I might find the answers here. For instance, if she write's an essay who can I get to mark it? I think I need help with this to ensure her work is achieving a standard equivalent to a 'Pass'. Also, if the qualification is partly assessed via course work, who do I submit this too? Hoping someone can offer me some advice or point me in the right direction please?

Hi OP, I hope I can help. I was a secondary teacher and now tutor (not advertising!). I would think for essay marking, if you had a friend who was a secondary teacher of that subject you could ask them but offer to pay; failing that, an experienced tutor would do it, again, for money.. I imagine for a task like that (less prep than tutoring) someone would charge £20-£25 an hour maybe? My subject isn't really essay based but I would mark a full GCSE (three papers) in about 30-45 mins. A GSCE English lit essay could be marked and feedback offered in maybe 30 mins?

I am sure you are aware of this but in case you are not, exam boards have past papers and of course mark schemes and examiner feedback on their websites. It's really useful.

Most GCSEs have no coursework at all now. If you are thinking of DT or food or drama, I think you would need to liaise with the body which is managing your exam entries - is this a private firm or is it the school your dd was at before?

What subjects is she doing if you don't mind me asking?

Is she Y10 or Y11?

I'm assuming Y10 as Y11 are getting teacher assessed grades this year.
Private entrants have been at a severe disadvantage during the pandemic, although hopefully exams will go ahead in person next summer.

I'm guessing you have had a number of long discussions with her school already before coming to this decision. The school or local authority education department should still be able to offer lots of advice though, I would ask them.

I think you will need some tutors to at least mark things against the mark scheme, especially for e.g. English Language, even if you only use them fortnightly.

If you really want to deregister completely I'd go onto the Home Ed board as some people there will understand about the logistics of doing GCSEs without a school.

Thanks so much for all your replies. My daughter is Year 10 so we have until May/June 2022and I am thinking that by then we will be back to Exams and so the only subject that will include a course work element is Art. Maths, English, Biology and Sociology will I'm sure all be exam based. I did think that contacting the exam board would probably be the best approach so now that you have confirmed that as an option I will go ahead - they may also have some advice on feedback and again you have confirmed what I was thinking and I will start to put out enquiries for a local tutor who is able to do this for me.
Thanks so much for your help.

Biology may need some 'sign off' that she has done experiments.

The other difficulty you may come across is the lack of past papers due to the relative newness of the 9-1 spec, plus 2 years of missing exams.

I'm not an expert about this but it maybe worth contacting school senco and LEA SEN team to see if there's any way they can provide support before you deregister - like an EOTAS arrangement. I would guess that might need an EHCP which either you or school could apply for. Though sometimes when I have phoned the LEA they have resources available without an EHCP like we have had an educational psychologist about 5 times via LEA. Anxiety will come under SEN, you don't need a learning difficulty, its just difficulty accessing mainstream education without support. Sometimes you can get a tutor come to your house under EOTAS. (Education other than at school). My DD is in y10 and I wouldn't rule out it going to teacher assessment at least partly as its uneven what children have missed and they've already missed a term (it may well go to all exams but I would cover all possibilities if you can) so maybe better to have someone official who could sign off work.

Have you liaised with the school and/or LEA regarding this? there may be some advice or support they can offer regarding home tutoring or support. The budget is very limited for this but there may be some hours provided if you are lucky via the LEA.

Alternatively you may be looking at multiple tutors as very few will be be able to cover more than 2 GCSE subjects, usually they are subject specific especially if they are ex teachers. It will also depend on the area you are in; where I am - the south East, a tutor could be up to £50 a hour.

I doubt you would get an EHCP in year 10; they are so hard to get and especially this late in schooling however a CAMHS referral or school counselling doesn’t need EHCP for this.

Best of luck with everything. If you want to DM me I belong to a sociology teachers group and can see if anyone is a tutor in your area.