Many students home educate until age 16 and then look to secure a place at a college or sixth form to pursue further education. Others decide to continue (or even start) home education at age 16. Like most things, there are pros and cons to each option. So let’s take a look at them:

The benefits of going to college or sixth form at age 16

Despite home educating, often for a number of years, many young people decide by 16 that they would prefer to go to college or sixth form to continue their education. This is because:

• They crave the ability to study with others. Whilst secondary school can be overwhelming, college is more ‘grown up’, with fewer students and fewer subjects to focus on. The social side is not something that is missing from home education (as most home educated students find ample ways to socialise), but the ability to study with others in a physical location is a huge draw for many kids.

• They will be able to have the support of specialist teachers and specialist facilities (especially if they want to study something like drama, music, or art and design for example).

• There is more structure in college and sixth form and this means students find it easier to keep on track. Whilst at times it may feel like teachers and lecturers are constantly ‘on their back’ to finish coursework it is often more stressful to be motivating yourself to get your work done.

• Studying A levels or equivalent (level 3) qualifications at home can be more expensive that studying for GCSEs. Online courses often cost around …… and it’s often a good idea to take a course than to ‘self study’ at this level unless you are extremely motivated, capable and have a strong support from parents or others. Having said this most people are going to study a narrower range of subjects at this level so the cost differential is not always a factor.

• Many other home educated kids will decide to go to sixth form or college at age 16 and there will be fewer social events for home educated students at this age. So there is a risk that students feel isolated or have FOMO (fear of missing out) when they hear about their friends antics at college.

• Colleges are generally well connected to employers and higher education establishments and so can help to advise and open doors for their students to get experience in relevant industries.

The benefits of studying at home after age 16

It is becoming easier to study A levels and equivalent level courses from home as there are many more tutors and courses to help support students who choose to study this way. The benefits of continuing to study from home though your A levels include:

• Students can start their studies when they are ready and work at their own pace. If you’re ready to start studying for A levels before you are 16 why not? You could get these qualifications ‘out of the way’ and take and early gap year. Or you could spend more than the typical two years studying if you prefer. Do bear in mind, however, that universities may wish to see that students have sat their A level-equivalent exams in one sitting (rather than spreading them out over several years) as this shows that they are able to cope with a high study load at degree-level

• Most sixth forms and colleges state that, if students wish to study A levels, they must study at least three subjects. This is often not ideal (or necessary) and having to study multiple subjects can put a lot of pressure on students, especially those who are ‘neuro-diverse’ or suffer with anxiety. However, if you study from home you can choose to study one or two A levels rather than being forced to study at least three (without having to make a case to the school or college to do so).

• Students don’t have to meet ‘entry requirements’ to study at home as they would in sixth form or college. Schools and colleges only get their funding from government if their post-16 students have achieved GCSE passes in maths and English language or continue to study towards this. They also tend to set entry criteria of around 5 GCSE passes in total. Home educating families are paying for the education (rather than the government) so they there are no entry requirements. However, it is sensible for students to ensure they have achieved the necessary GCSE-level qualifications they may need for higher education (university) or employment.

• You have a range of different A level subjects to choose that aren’t always taught at school or college, such as classical civilisation, history of art, or film studies. Having said this it can be trickier and more expensive to study practical subjects from home such as art, music or the sciences (but it is still very doable with many online course providers facilitating the necessary practical aspects).

• You will continue to have all the benefits of home educating such as freedom to study when and where you like, flexibility to travel or engage in sport, acting, and musical pursuits, volunteer or take on a part time job.

Have you carried on home educating through A levels? How did it go? Share your experiences below to help those students and parents currently pondering their options 🙂