Can I take a French A-level without a GCSE?

I've been studying Spanish at school for almost 3 years and recently signed up for GCSE Spanish.

I also got the opportunity back in September to study French as well as Spanish and I had a plan to take both Spanish and French GCSE.

However I found out today that the French GCSE won't be going ahead because there weren't enough people who signed up for it. So I want to know, will I be able to do A-level French even if I don't have a GCSE? I intend to keep self-studying French so I'm not quitting altogether.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 1

cactussalad

it will depend on the school - if you've got evidence you might be able to. Consider entering as a private candidate as it would be much easier to do French a level if you've got GCSE, even if you self studied

Reply 2

home ed

Original post by cactussalad

you could study using an online school. Wolsey Hall or Oxford Open Learning are both very good. They would guide you through all the GCSE material, a tutor would mark set assignments and they would help you find an exam centre to sit the GCSE (your school might let you do that). They are quite expensive though.

Talk to your current school (maybe your form teacher or head of year). Would they be willing to let you do French GCSE through an online provider and sit the exam at the school? would they let you count it as one of your GCSE subjects and thus use some of your free periods to work on assignments in the school library or where ever? If you do some research in advance and present them with a plan, maybe they'd be willing to help you. Othewise, you could do it in your free time if you are very motivated.

Reply 3

Prefect1992

Yes you can french is easy you just answer "croissant" or "fromage frais" to everything, easy A*

Source: I did this and i'm now an interpreter

Reply 4

username5701276

Original post by home ed

use some of your free periods to work on assignments in the school library or where ever?

We don't have free periods in my school and beause of covid I don't have access to the library

But I've been talking to my Spanish teacher and we've been talking about some of the alternatives. So I have a backup plan even if I can't do French A-level

Reply 5

home ed

Original post by home ed

you could study using an online school. Wolsey Hall or Oxford Open Learning are both very good. They would guide you through all the GCSE material, a tutor would mark set assignments and they would help you find an exam centre to sit the GCSE (your school might let you do that). They are quite expensive though.

Talk to your current school (maybe your form teacher or head of year). Would they be willing to let you do French GCSE through an online provider and sit the exam at the school? would they let you count it as one of your GCSE subjects and thus use some of your free periods to work on assignments in the school library or where ever? If you do some research in advance and present them with a plan, maybe they'd be willing to help you. Otherwise, you could do it in your free time if you are very motivated.

Just to add that French A-level is a HUGE jump up from GCSE. So, unless you have a good GCSE grade (or equivalent ability), then it would be impossible to move on to the A-level. My kids are all home educated and are doing (or have done) French GCSE, but we have lived in Francophone countries for 7 years and they have been at French schools for several years in the past so their French is excellent. But even so, I know that the move on from GCSE to A-level will be a bit tough for one of them. For A-level you have to study French literature texts and do quite a bit of translation work.

So if you want to do A-level, you really need to thoroughly cover the GCSE course and to do well in it.