Read About Our Home Education Hub programmes

Home-educated students can now access college courses free of charge to support their home education. City and Islington College is now leading the way locally, creating programmes of study specifically for this group of young people. We will support these students on their learning journey from application, enrolment and through to the successful completion of their course.

To access the Home Education Hub programmes a young person must be the equivalent age of students going into Year 10 or Year 11.

This provision at City and Islington College may not always be suitable for young people with significant behavioural issues and those who are disengaged from education. Those who have been permanently excluded from school, or were at risk of this happening prior to de-registration from school, may be referred to alternative provision.

Each application is fully explored to ensure that every individual is on a programme which offers the best and most appropriate support to meet their needs.

Further Information

This programme intends to create a pathway for home-educated young people to join the college and prepare for their next steps to further or higher education.
Students in this programme will be in college for approximately 14 hours per week (potentially Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday depending on timetables and following the usual term times).
They will be taught by high-quality subject experts and receive a blend of subject-specific lessons, study skills/employability support and pastoral/tutorial support creating a rich programme designed to build confidence as well as educational attainment.
Students will be given homework and develop their independent research and study skills.
The provision will be located at our Angel centres, with a base room and some subject delivery in the Centre of Applied Sciences and other subjects delivered in the Sixth Form.
Students will benefit from accessing the great resources available including the use of the libraries, science laboratories and refectories and the Home Education Hub and its students will be a key part of college life.

For more information on all of our Accredited Alternative Education Provisions.

How to Apply

Applications for September 2023 have now closed. If you wish to apply for September 2024 or later, please complete our Register Your Interest Form below (this form should be completed by parents/carers).
Once the form has been received and assessed, we may invite the applicant to sit online for English and Maths initial assessments. We allow as much time as needed to complete these assessments.
The results provide us with baseline information about a young person’s current knowledge and understanding and help us decide which level course would be most appropriate.
Applicants will then be invited for an interview and if this is successful they will be offered a place.

If you have any further questions, please see our FAQs below or contact the Home Education Hub team at Homeeducationhub@candi.ac.uk

Register Your Interest

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How does the Home Education Hub differ from a school environment?

Our approach is to encourage independence and a more mature approach to studying. Like all institutions, we have rules and a code of conduct. At the same time, there is an expectation that students will find their individuality and transition from home education to being ready to enter post-16 education by the end of their course.

Can you confirm this is for home-school students and not for school referrals?
This provision at City and Islington College is for electively home-educated students, not school referrals. Official proof of Home Educated status will be required prior to acceptance onto the programme.

It is not suitable for students with significant behavioural issues and those who are disengaged from formal education. Those who have been permanently excluded from school, or were at risk of this happening prior to de-registration from school, will referred to alternative provisions within the wider College Group.

Is the academic year the same as the school system?
It is similar, but the college year usually ends three weeks earlier than schools.

Are students required to wear a uniform?
No, we do not have any uniform requirements.

How many students in a class?
Our capacity is up to 18 per class.

Can you offer the course online?
We include virtual learning in our courses, however, the course is not a distance learning course and full attendance will be required once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

Do you require references?
We don’t require references, however, we need notification from the Local Authority of Home Education status.

Do you liaise with the student’s Local Authority?
We work closely with Local Authorities to ensure that we capture all relevant information relating to student matters.

Can they select which subjects they study on the programme?

No. The Home Education Hub course is a complete programme, where students must attend all lessons in the four GCSE subjects – English, Maths, History and Combined Double Science and a tutorial to complete the programme

What exam board/s will you be using?
We currently use AQA for GCSE English Language and Combined Science, Pearson Edexcel for GCSE Maths and OCR for GCSE History.

What is English, is it just language?
Yes, the GCSE is the English Language

Why has History been selected as a GCSE they must take?
The Home Education Hub programme aims to provide students with a curriculum that will enable them to progress in their chosen directions, which will be diverse. We have aimed to provide as much breadth as possible within the limit of how many subjects we can offer while covering the most necessary requirements for future study.

Can they select Art instead?
As this is a programme for home-educated students, we can only offer a small number of GCSE subjects. At the end of this programme, students will be expected to leave with 5 GCSEs which are sufficient prior qualifications for A-levels and other Level 3 qualifications in most colleges.

Can they apply to go straight to Year 11?

No. Home Education is a two-year programme and all students start at year 10.

If the student is/will be 16 before September, can they still enrol?

No. This programme is for young people aged 14 or 15 (the age equivalent to school year 10 or 11). The wider college has many alternatives for those aged 16 and over.

How will you safeguard them while at College?

Staff have extensive experience and training in safeguarding involving children and young people
Attendance for each lesson throughout the day is closely monitored by the tutor. If a student is absent without prior notification from the parents, the tutor contacts them immediately
Students in this programme will be expected to remain on site until 4/4.30pm. Students are free to use the facilities like the library and the cafeteria during their breaks and require signed parental permission to leave the college for lunch

What are the ages of the children in the college?
The Angel Centre is comprised of the Sixth Form Centre and the Centre for Applied Sciences, with learners primarily aged 16-18 and some adult learners. The Home Education Hub students have access to shared facilities across the centre, but their time on-site is primarily in class with the exception of an hour-long lunch break and some 15-30 minute breaks between some of their lessons.

If they have additional learning needs, how will they be supported?

Our Inclusive Learning team will assess all students who may have additional learning needs and provide a support plan, including access arrangements for exams.

Will we have access to SEN?
We have an onsite ALS team who help students with learning difficulties. The inclusive learning team works with students and conducts pre-learning assessments for each student.