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Options for a homeschooled student with only 3 GCSEs

After leaving school in Year 8 due to a host of mental health issues, the quality of my education seriously declined - changing my hours of education to two a week split between my now only GCSEs of Maths and English lit/lang due to the financial constraints of hiring tutors. I did my best with the hand I was dealt and sat my exams which actually went decently well, especially considering the hour detriment. But despite this it would still seem my options are infuriatingly limited due to circumstances completely out of my control in that the minimum requirement to study A levels is 5 GCSEs, so no matter my results I'm physically unable to meet the requirements. I suppose the biggest question here is: does this qualify as extenuating circumstances or do I have to find an alternative route to get more qualifications?

Reply 1

DataVenia

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by JoshuaKW

I'm curious as to how you established that, "the minimum requirement to study A levels is 5 GCSEs". Do you have a link which confirms that?

My suspicion is that you were hoping to study A levels at your local college or sixth form and it is their policy that you must have 5 GCSEs to be accepted. I'm not aware of any such rule nationally.

So you could either study your A levels privately, as you have done your GCSEs, or contact other colleges and six forms in the hope of finding one with a different GCSE policy.