Help needed regarding IGCSE for home Ed child in the Uk?

Question

Hi My daughter is 15 (16 in July) and has been home schooled since she was 12. She wants to attend college in September but to get on the courses she wants, she needs to have exam passes so she wants to try to sit her IGCSE's this spring. I am having problems trying to find this years syllubus on maths, english, french, history and science and also a centre to sit them. I have phoned Edexcell, my LEA, and searched the internet but am not finding anything. Could anyone possibly point me in the direction of this years syllubus and a list of centres in/ around London and Essex? Thank you. :)

Answer 1

The Edexcell International site offers students study guides which I'd assume would give you what you need to prepare. Finding an examination centre is another thing altogether and lots of people have trouble with even the regular GCSEs! Since the IGCSEs are not accredited by QCA and don't get government funded I'd say your chances are small to none.

I suggest that you talk to the college about their admissions criteria and the possibility of them looking at a portfolio of your daughter's work and offering interviews with the subject heads. Or they might be open to helping her take GCSEs or even IGCSEs as long as you foot the bill. Anyway, I think a long chat with them is your best way forward, they might be more flexible than you think.

Answer 2

I have been up this avenue.  I live in HK and have found that you can look on the website for London exams and Cambridge exams.  I also found a website for centres to take exams at.  I think I found it through the Oxford Homeschooling organisation.  Your local college in the UK should accept anyone to sit exams there.  I found Edexcel useless.  They never answer any e-mails I sent and the one in HK has completely disappeared.  The British Council were useful.  I think if you are in the UK you would probably be taking GCSE and not IGCSE so search under GCSE.  I made the mistake of asking the HK Exam authority about GCSEs and got "can't take them" as a reply - I did that by e-mail.  When I rang them up the lady realised I may have meant IGCSE and a whole new world opened up and I got the information I wanted.