College bridges gap for home-schooled students looking at Higher Education

City and Islington College has confirmed its plans to go ahead with the pioneering Home Education Hub in September 2019.

The innovative new programme will support home-schooling across Islington and beyond in partnership with parents and carers, helping young people transition into the mainstream education system, regardless of background, in order to prepare them for post 16 education.

The Home Education Hub is aimed at people between the ages of 14 and 16, and will offer the opportunity to gain the equivalent of five GCSE qualifications for 12 hours per week in college. This will ensure that they meet the entry criteria for the College Level 3 A Level or Vocational provision creating a pathway to university or into work. Students will be able to benefit from the resources of the College specialist centres and expertise of subject-area professionals.

City and Islington College, part of the Capital City College Group, is leading the way locally with this new programme. 

Fewer than 50 colleges nationally accept home-educated under-16s, and there are fewer than five in the London area.

City and Islington College is keenly focused on developing a curriculum offer that meets the needs and aspirations of those in the community it serves.  It will be the first Further Education institution to offer such a programme in the borough.

The College has benefitted from the assistance and support of independent Advisory Teacher Helen Simon. Helen’s experience working with students with special educational needs and disability (SEND) informs the project to deliver the highest possible level of care for inbound students of all backgrounds, including those requiring additional learning support (ALS). She told us:

“We were approached by some parents initially asking ‘would we be able to set up a Home Education Hub?’ They approached [former Principal] Andy Forbes and [Interim Vice Principal] Tracy Stuart, who, after a few meetings, asked me to run it because I knew one of the parents. We’re still finalising exactly how it will run, but are confident and happy to have backing.

“We expected around thirty people to attend, and were very happy to see a full hall full of people.”

The programme is expected to start alongside the new cohort of students joining the college in September 2019.