RECOMMENDED ONLINE COURSE PROVIDERS
For any children home educating at secondary level, I whole-heartedly recommend the following iGCSE course providers. Weekly online live lessons take place in small groups, with independent study in-between. Most of these course providers are/were home educating families themselves, all of them are hugely passionate teachers of their subjects, with some also teaching in universities and marking or even writing the questions for iGCSE and A-Level exam papers. All are great value for money, more so than the ‘online schools’ that also exist. Online distance learning allows great flexibility, with live lessons accessible from anywhere – providing there is WIFI! However, lessons are also recorded which means that missed lessons can be easily caught up upon.
ABSOLUTE MATHS
http://home.absolutemaths.co.uk/
I have no hesitation in recommending this family-run course provider. Dan of Absolute Maths has an excellent way of explaining high-level maths to his students. As well as the group lessons, there are several opportunities each week for extra help via an individual drop-in. Contact his wife, Emma, to arrange a sample lesson or to join a taster session. 1-2yr KS3/iGCSE/GCSE Maths & Statistics courses are available.
iGCSE Maths Course Information:
http://home.absolutemathscourses.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/IGCSEGCSEFoundationandHigherCourseInformationLeaflet2020-2021.pdf
Facebook details: https://www.facebook.com/absolutemathsgcse/
ENGLISH ELEPHANT
https://englishelephant.co.uk/home-education-support-and-tuition/
Kim is a passionate English teacher, who offers relaxed and informal small group online classes. Courses are bookable in 10-12 course blocks, which allows home educating children the freedom to select short courses that they are most interested in. The lessons are recorded so that children can revisit any information or if it has been missed. Optional homework tasks are offered weekly, along with end-of-term assignments, and Kim offers constructive feedback on these via e-mail. 1-2yr iGCSE courses in English Language and English Literature are also available.
As well as language techniques, the KS3 English ‘Speeches to Change the World’ course led to discussions in our home about Climate Change, Black Rights, Gaming, Healthy Eating and the famous speeches of Martin Luther King and Greta Thunberg!
Contact Kim to discuss your child’s needs, she will ensure that your child is placed within the most appropriate class and will maintain great communication throughout your child’s learning journey to ensure good progress.
Facebook details: https://www.facebook.com/EnglishElephantTuition
HUMANATEES HOME TUTORING
Jake of Humanatees Home Tutoring is an incredibly enthusiastic humanities teacher, who inspires interest in his lessons. 12mth iGCSE courses offered include Classical Civilisation, Environmental Management, Geography and History. These follow a core textbook, have weekly 1hr online small group lessons via Zoom, fortnightly homework assignments and mock assessments at intervals throughout the course.
Facebook details: https://www.facebook.com/humanatees/
Jake also has held 1hr Free online KS2 Mythology Lessons, which have been recorded and can be viewed on his YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/HumanateesTutoring?fbclid=IwAR0vTrtLIfb2D7n2AtaDUZZewJOHOaEIf_eiL7ptPCMQDAWjLCg10Gu1h5o
SOUTHWEST SCIENCE SCHOOL
Southwest Science School is an online course provider of recorded (not live) lessons, videos, worksheets and assignments. These are to be completed by the child at their own pace, usually over 2yrs. Both iGCSE courses are offered in the separate sciences. There is a closed Facebook group for current students with details of free online live study groups when they are available.
Trial lessons available in (Human) Biology, Chemistry and Physics:
https://www.southwestscienceschool.com/trial-lesson
iGCSE BIOLOGY: https://www.southwestscienceschool.com/biologygcse
iGCSE CHEMISTRY: https://www.southwestscienceschool.com/coursechoicechem
iGCSE PHYSICS: https://www.southwestscienceschool.com/gcse-physics
HOMEMADE EDUCATION
https://homemadeeducation.com//
Kate of Homemade Education offers KS3, iGCSE and A-Level Courses across a range of subjects including Business Studies. She also created mini summer courses throughout 2020, which included Architecture, Covid-19 Business, Creative Writing, Marketing, Media & Society, Natural Disasters and Solar System Science. 1hr online small group classes take place weekly, with optional quizzes, discussions and assignments.
12mth iGCSE courses: https://homemadeeducation.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/hme-courses-gcse-and-igcse-course-overview.pdf
Contact: https://homemadeeducation.com/faqs/
DREAMING SPIRES HOME LEARNING
https://www.dreamingspireshomelearning.com/p/youtube-videos.html
Kat runs Dreaming Spires Home Learning, whose teachers are home educating families, and even university professors – the courses are designed and delivered by the subject expert themselves. Dreaming Spires is unique by the method that they use: an organic, student-led approach codified by the Victorian educator Charlotte Mason, with proven effectiveness for the past 120 years. It is a student-empowering method of inquiry and exploration where the tutors try to unpack ways of thinking, to create relationships with the reading, and to set up a student for a lifetime of loving to learn. A wide variety of online live courses are offered, in weekly 1hr small groups with assignments/reading/independent study in between. Mini summer courses were offered in 2020 including Advanced Geometry and Climate Change.
Course Descriptions: https://www.dreamingspireshomelearning.com/p/course-descriptions.html
Facebook details: https://www.facebook.com/dreamingspireshomelearning/