What happens to the work my child has already completed?
You do not start again. The first job is to establish what has already been covered and what still needs to be completed. That might mean reviewing exercise books, school reports, schemes of work, coursework and exam-board specifications.
For a younger student, this is usually straightforward. For a GCSE or A Level student, it needs more careful planning.
If your child is in Year 10, Year 11 or Sixth Form
A mid-year move is still possible. We will support you to consider:
- exam boards and whether they can stay the same, or need to change to enter exams as a private candidate (a student not associated with a school)
- coursework or practical requirements
- whether there are suitable exam centres or, where available and permitted, options for sitting particular examinations from home
- access arrangements and access arrangement application deadlines
- whether the current GCSE or A Level timeline still makes sense
- school or university entry requirements
Sometimes continuity is the priority. In other cases, a change in specification, subject choice or timing may be more appropriate.
Do we have to stay with the same exam board?
Not always, but changing exam board mid-course can create extra work.
If your child has already covered a significant amount of content, staying with the same specification may be the simplest route. If there are strong reasons to switch, for example because a particular specification includes coursework or practical requirements that are difficult to complete as a private candidate, it can still be possible.
This is one of the areas where a proper academic review at the start can save a lot of unnecessary duplication later.
What happens to coursework or practical requirements?
This is one of the most important areas to review if a student is already part-way through a GCSE or A Level course.
Some subjects include coursework, non-exam assessment, practical elements or other components that are completed gradually over the year. If a student leaves school mid-course, we need to establish exactly what has already been completed and what still needs to happen.
That might include checking:
- whether existing coursework or assessed work can still be submitted
- whether any marks, records or teacher evidence need to be transferred
- whether practical work has already been completed and formally recorded
- whether the student will need to complete any remaining practical or assessed elements independently
- whether the exam centre they plan to use can support those requirements
- whether changing exam board would affect what can be carried across
- whether any deadlines are approaching that need to be dealt with before the student leaves school
What does a mid-year move look like for a primary-age child?
For primary students, the transition is often less complicated academically. There is usually more freedom to pick up from the child’s current level rather than worrying about preserving an exact exam specification or course sequence.
The focus is usually on understanding where the child is in core areas such as reading, writing and maths, what they have already covered at school and whether there are any gaps that need attention.
That might involve looking at:
- recent school reports and teacher feedback
- reading level and fluency
- spelling and writing confidence
- current maths topics and number skills
- any additional learning needs
- how the child feels about learning and school
- the routines and structure they are used to
For younger children especially, we would also think carefully about the balance between formal learning, play, reading, practical activities, movement and social opportunities.
