If you have decided on homeschooling in the UK, you need to know about the rules and regulations in your area. While local councils are not required to check your child’s work, they can conduct a formal inquiry to determine if home education is suitable. Homeschooling gives parents the opportunity to match their child’s educational needs to their own abilities. It also allows you to set the pace of learning.
Home-educated students cannot take GCSEs or A-Levels
It is possible for home-educated students to take GCSEs or A-level exams, but they need to do so at a registered examination centre. This may be a school, college, or other facilities. They can book a place through their local authority or home-schooling group. If they do so, they pay the same fees as a private pupil. In addition, home-educated students take their exams in controlled exam conditions with other pupils. They will need to buy past exam papers and may need to read books specific to their chosen examination board.
Home-educated students cannot take a GCSE or A-level exam until they reach the age of 16. However, some students can take them earlier. For example, children who are native speakers of a language can bank a GCSE in that language and take it at a later date. There is no upper age limit for taking GCSE exams.
GCSE and A-Level subjects are available
Choosing which GCSE and A-level subjects to study depends on the interests of your child and the career they hope to pursue. Typically, school students study nine to ten GCSE subjects. However, a homeschooler can choose to study fewer subjects if that is their goal. There are a variety of subjects to choose from, including English, Maths, Science and Art.
GCSE and A-level subjects are generally available to homeschooled students in the UK. However, it is important to remember that private candidates will need to pay for exam fees and study materials. Fees vary greatly across the country. Some exam centres are for-profit, while others are charitable. Also, different examination boards have different prices for different subjects.
Local authorities interfere with home-educated students
The legal status of home education is not well defined and there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the extent to which local authorities can interfere with a student’s education. The law requires local authorities to make appropriate educational provisions but it does not state whether it is their duty to intervene.
If you are considering home education, you should consider the criteria laid down by your local authority. If the child’s education is not meeting these requirements, your local authority could make an application for the child to be returned to school. If the local authority finds that home education is not suitable, they will invite the parents to apply for a full-time place at a local school. The local authority will support you through this process. If you do not apply, they may refer the case to the Family Service Enforcement Team to take further action under the Education Act 1996.
Resources for home-educated students
There are many resources available for home-educated students. One great resource for home educators is the Mises Institute. This organization supports the homeschool movement and the free market. They offer many useful books and curricula for home-educated students. The Mises Institute textbook Murphy on Economics gives students a logical foundation for conventional economic studies.
Another great resource is Amazon’s Kindle, which offers a huge collection of free books and audiobooks. You can also download many classic stories from Audible for free. Both Amazon and Audible have an extensive audiobook libraries.