Self studying A-level physics

[plaguedbyfoibles]

I am 28 years old and am due to take A-level maths in June as a private candidate.

I would also like to take A-level physics at some point, preferably not with CIE so that I can gain some hands-on laboratory experience (some of the university courses I am considering would prefer the practical endorsement).

Unfortunately, due to my age and the costs associated with offering the practical endorsement (including having the dedicated tutors on hand, the risk assessments etc), most places won't accept private candidates on this basis, and the dedicated centres that do so aren't cheap.

I have found a place near where I live in London, where the headmaster has said that he will slash the fees he would otherwise charge me, should I find 10 other people also seeking to undertake the practical endorsement at the school.

Assuming that doesn't work out, does anyone have any advice for finding cheap places to undertake the practical endorsement? With the above example, one possibility might be to contact home educators' groups and see if anyone felt like chipping in.

[AsleepInYorkshire]

I am 28 years old and am due to take A-level maths in June as a private candidate.

I would also like to take A-level physics at some point, preferably not with CIE so that I can gain some hands-on laboratory experience (some of the university courses I am considering would prefer the practical endorsement).

Unfortunately, due to my age and the costs associated with offering the practical endorsement (including having the dedicated tutors on hand, the risk assessments etc), most places won't accept private candidates on this basis, and the dedicated centres that do so aren't cheap.

I have found a place near where I live in London, where the headmaster has said that he will slash the fees he would otherwise charge me, should I find 10 other people also seeking to undertake the practical endorsement at the school.

Assuming that doesn't work out, does anyone have any advice for finding cheap places to undertake the practical endorsement? With the above example, one possibility might be to contact home educators' groups and see if anyone felt like chipping in.

Does this provide any assistance?

AiY(D)

[absolutezero]

I am 28 years old and am due to take A-level maths in June as a private candidate.

I would also like to take A-level physics at some point, preferably not with CIE so that I can gain some hands-on laboratory experience (some of the university courses I am considering would prefer the practical endorsement).

Unfortunately, due to my age and the costs associated with offering the practical endorsement (including having the dedicated tutors on hand, the risk assessments etc), most places won't accept private candidates on this basis, and the dedicated centres that do so aren't cheap.

I have found a place near where I live in London, where the headmaster has said that he will slash the fees he would otherwise charge me, should I find 10 other people also seeking to undertake the practical endorsement at the school.

Assuming that doesn't work out, does anyone have any advice for finding cheap places to undertake the practical endorsement? With the above example, one possibility might be to contact home educators' groups and see if anyone felt like chipping in.

Certificates (as far as I remember from my experiences in teaching AL Physics) do not say whether you did the practical paper or the non practical paper. So the universities wouldn't even know.
Though that was when we had a choice of prac/alt to prac. These days I think all the exam boards have a practical paper. But if you can find one that has a paper based alternative to practical you might be as well doing that.

[gpadsa]

(some of the university courses I am considering would prefer the practical endorsement).

You could ask the admissions offices of those universities if they can advise which A-level providers have been used by recent successful mature applicants as it could give you some leads. The universities might reply that it's restricted info, but maybe a FOI request would extract it.

Also "prefer" might not be a show-stopper? If the A-level is a means to getting on a degree course where there will be practicals anyway.

gpadsa

[stevensfo]

(some of the university courses I am considering would prefer the practical endorsement).

You could ask the admissions offices of those universities if they can advise which A-level providers have been used by recent successful mature applicants as it could give you some leads. The universities might reply that it's restricted info, but maybe a FOI request would extract it.

Also "prefer" might not be a show-stopper? If the A-level is a means to getting on a degree course where there will be practicals anyway.

gpadsa

I just want to add that in my experience, universities are far more flexible when it comes to mature students. They know that you really 'want' to do the course and have thought about it for years, rather than having decided in a classroom with your mind half on getting back to your favourite computer game.

I don't see that the practical element is that important. In the first year they will assume that you all require training and supervision. I did loads of practicals in my Chemistry and Biology A-levels, but I don't think it helped much at uni.

Steve

PS e.g. having painstakingly labelled lots of glass vials before placing them all in a warm water bath, then watching in horror as the labels washed off. Lesson 1: always check that you're using a 'permanent' marker pen!

[plaguedbyfoibles]

I am 28 years old and am due to take A-level maths in June as a private candidate.

I would also like to take A-level physics at some point, preferably not with CIE so that I can gain some hands-on laboratory experience (some of the university courses I am considering would prefer the practical endorsement).

Unfortunately, due to my age and the costs associated with offering the practical endorsement (including having the dedicated tutors on hand, the risk assessments etc), most places won't accept private candidates on this basis, and the dedicated centres that do so aren't cheap.

I have found a place near where I live in London, where the headmaster has said that he will slash the fees he would otherwise charge me, should I find 10 other people also seeking to undertake the practical endorsement at the school.

Assuming that doesn't work out, does anyone have any advice for finding cheap places to undertake the practical endorsement? With the above example, one possibility might be to contact home educators' groups and see if anyone felt like chipping in.

Certificates (as far as I remember from my experiences in teaching AL Physics) do not say whether you did the practical paper or the non practical paper. So the universities wouldn't even know.
Though that was when we had a choice of prac/alt to prac. These days I think all the exam boards have a practical paper. But if you can find one that has a paper based alternative to practical you might be as well doing that.

There are 12 practical assessments that you must typically complete under teacher supervision in order to get PASS / FAIL on your certificate.

I think only CIE doesn't necessarily do this.

[plaguedbyfoibles]

(some of the university courses I am considering would prefer the practical endorsement).

You could ask the admissions offices of those universities if they can advise which A-level providers have been used by recent successful mature applicants as it could give you some leads. The universities might reply that it's restricted info, but maybe a FOI request would extract it.

Also "prefer" might not be a show-stopper? If the A-level is a means to getting on a degree course where there will be practicals anyway.

gpadsa

Thanks, that is a great idea - will definitely look into this.

[plaguedbyfoibles]

I am 28 years old and am due to take A-level maths in June as a private candidate.

I would also like to take A-level physics at some point, preferably not with CIE so that I can gain some hands-on laboratory experience (some of the university courses I am considering would prefer the practical endorsement).

Unfortunately, due to my age and the costs associated with offering the practical endorsement (including having the dedicated tutors on hand, the risk assessments etc), most places won't accept private candidates on this basis, and the dedicated centres that do so aren't cheap.

I have found a place near where I live in London, where the headmaster has said that he will slash the fees he would otherwise charge me, should I find 10 other people also seeking to undertake the practical endorsement at the school.

Assuming that doesn't work out, does anyone have any advice for finding cheap places to undertake the practical endorsement? With the above example, one possibility might be to contact home educators' groups and see if anyone felt like chipping in.

Does this provide any assistance?

AiY(D)

Thanks AiY, I've already come across this one.

[plaguedbyfoibles]

(some of the university courses I am considering would prefer the practical endorsement).

You could ask the admissions offices of those universities if they can advise which A-level providers have been used by recent successful mature applicants as it could give you some leads. The universities might reply that it's restricted info, but maybe a FOI request would extract it.

Also "prefer" might not be a show-stopper? If the A-level is a means to getting on a degree course where there will be practicals anyway.

gpadsa

I am currently doing this, in addition I have done the following:

• Email the elective home education (EHE) departments at local authorities to see if they have any leads
• Use https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/ to contact educational venues to see if they can accommodate me
• Use the JCQ website to find centres that have confirmed they will accept private candidates or have confirmed so in the past
• Use my sophisticated Google Search query building expertise to identify other possible leads

[plaguedbyfoibles]

Have gotten quite a lot of fruitful leads off the back of my various lines of enquiry, but out of curiosity, are there any universities in London that would directly facilitate the practical endorsement for a low cost?

Also are there any home educators' groups that I can contact that wouldn't refuse to converse with me on the grounds that I am not the parent of a home educated child?

[Loup321]

Also are there any home educators' groups that I can contact that wouldn't refuse to converse with me on the grounds that I am not the parent of a home educated child?

As a parent who home-educated (only to age 8), and the friend of a parent who is currently home-educating, this will be a non-starter for you. Since the pandemic, there are VERY few home-educating groups around, far fewer than when I was doing it. The main focus in the groups is that children are unschooled and free spirits, which doesn't get them through public examinations. If you are homeschooled to get through public examinations, you tend not to go to these groups. My view was that I couldn't teach the practical elements of public examinations (which I felt WERE necessary), so secondary education was always going to be done at a school. But I did meet my friend though a Yahoo group. Those might still be active, and being through the internet not geographically based.

Having done Physics A-level myself, I don't think there was very much practical element that you couldn't do at home. Attach a spring to a clamp stand and measure how many times it bounces in a certain time. Then go and do lots of calculations to work something out clearly it didn't stay in my head very long! There were a few demonstrations by the teachers, but I think I got a lot more out of attending Open Days at various Universities, where there were hands on things for you to try out.

[plaguedbyfoibles]

Also are there any home educators' groups that I can contact that wouldn't refuse to converse with me on the grounds that I am not the parent of a home educated child?

As a parent who home-educated (only to age 8), and the friend of a parent who is currently home-educating, this will be a non-starter for you. Since the pandemic, there are VERY few home-educating groups around, far fewer than when I was doing it. The main focus in the groups is that children are unschooled and free spirits, which doesn't get them through public examinations. If you are homeschooled to get through public examinations, you tend not to go to these groups. My view was that I couldn't teach the practical elements of public examinations (which I felt WERE necessary), so secondary education was always going to be done at a school. But I did meet my friend though a Yahoo group. Those might still be active, and being through the internet not geographically based.

Having done Physics A-level myself, I don't think there was very much practical element that you couldn't do at home. Attach a spring to a clamp stand and measure how many times it bounces in a certain time. Then go and do lots of calculations to work something out clearly it didn't stay in my head very long! There were a few demonstrations by the teachers, but I think I got a lot more out of attending Open Days at various Universities, where there were hands on things for you to try out.

To complete the practical endorsement, it needs to be done under teacher supervision.

And yes, I concede to your point about HE groups.

[plaguedbyfoibles]

I see that Cherry Hill Tuition in Hounslow might offer the practical endorsement, will call them later today.

[plaguedbyfoibles]

Good news everyone, I found a cheap local centre in which I can undertake both the written exams and the practical endorsement for A-level physics using either OCR or Edexcel.

[servodude]

Good news everyone, I found a cheap local centre in which I can undertake both the written exams and the practical endorsement for A-level physics using either OCR or Edexcel.

Great result!
Very best of luck and success with your studies

[plaguedbyfoibles]

I recently found out that by OCR, they mean OCR spec A, which is supposed to have higher grade boundaries, as with AQA, implying that their exams are easier.

Should I go with Edexcel in that case then?

I heard that the issues with using Edexcel for A level physics are that their written exams focus much more on the practicals than OCR, and they are more pedantic when it comes to how you word your answers.

[gpadsa]

I recently found out that by OCR, they mean OCR spec A, which is supposed to have higher grade boundaries, as with AQA, implying that their exams are easier.

Should I go with Edexcel in that case then?

I heard that the issues with using Edexcel for A level physics are that their written exams focus much more on the practicals than OCR, and they are more pedantic when it comes to how you word your answers.

It seems unlikely that any university (or employer) would have a preference for one exam board over another so you could choose whichever looks to have content that would suit you better. Or if the centre will have other students doing A-level physics then go with the majority (it could give the opportunity for more group learning).

I always thought the exam boards would be in a race to the bottom, either making exams slightly easier than the others in the cartel or at least telling the schools/candidates that they could expect better results relative to one of the other exam board. No doubt the regulator is always totally on the ball to stop sharp practices. And this paragraph is slanderous & should be deleted ...

gpadsa