The Student Room Group

Is it a legal requirement to take an English/Maths GCSE?

A lot of students who failed their English and Maths GCSE papers last year have had to retake them this year, so are all people now legally required to do a GCSE/GCSE equivelant at 16? I know it was previously optional, although highly recommended. If so, what would happen if somebody was homeschooled up to 18 and still chooses not to take any formal qualification?
Reply 1
You are legally required to take GCSE English and maths until you get at least a C or turn 18. Once you turn 18, it's your choice if you want to keep trying or not. However it is recommended and employers are suggested to ask for at least a C in both to show basic employee competence.
Reply 2
Original post by Devify
You are legally required to take GCSE English and maths until you get at least a C or turn 18. Once you turn 18, it's your choice if you want to keep trying or not. However it is recommended and employers are suggested to ask for at least a C in both to show basic employee competence.


I thought that you were required to continue studying English/Maths until 18 unless you get a C GCSE grade beforehand. So let's say you were homeschooled until 18, and were taught English and Maths but were never formally entered for an exam, or you failed to show up for your exams, even if you were still studying the subject. Previously, this would have been seen as bad practice. Would it now be breaking the law, or still just be bad practice?

My point is that I can see them requiring students to study English/Maths until 18, but can't see the government forcing students to take an exam, since they might not bother showing up. I'd be hard pressed to find if this were actually the case.

I passed both of mine; I'm just asking this out of curiousity.
Reply 3
You are only required to continue to study. You are not forced to keep retaking the exam it's just a better option as if you finally manage to get the grade, you don't have to continue with the lessons. So if a person was homeschooled, didn't pass it the first time, continued to study but did not take any further exams, there's nothing against it.

"Pupils aged 16 will no longer be able to drop maths or English unless they have achieved at least a grade C in their GCSEs.

However, Matthew Hancock, the skills minister, said that there pupils will not be forced to take further tests in the subjects. He said there will only be a “high expectation” that teens forced to continue studying the subjects will go on to resit exams."
Reply 4
Given that it's a legal requirement for a student to continue to study Maths where he or she has failed, whose responsibility is it to ensure that this continuing study takes place? As an under 18, that would fall on the parents I presume?
Do u have to take them still if you have quit school and are in year 11, but still doing work at home and blending learning?
Do u have to take them still if you have quit school and are in year 11, but still doing work at home and blending learning?
Reply 7
Original post by Chlomellor
Do u have to take them still if you have quit school and are in year 11, but still doing work at home and blending learning?


It is not a legal requirement to take them but you'd be stupid not to as your job options in life will be severely restricted without them.
Home educated students have no legal requirement to take any GCSEs, however many do take English and Maths as a minimum because most employers, apprenticeships and colleges want this as a minimum.
Original post by RJDG14
A lot of students who failed their English and Maths GCSE papers last year have had to retake them this year, so are all people now legally required to do a GCSE/GCSE equivelant at 16? I know it was previously optional, although highly recommended. If so, what would happen if somebody was homeschooled up to 18 and still chooses not to take any formal qualification?


I was homeschooled. I',m 19. With homeschooling you don't even have to do any academic education. YOu can do something called automous education ( actually has worked in sweeden schools). Hell, I took my IGCSE's at 17 rather than 16. Some homeschoolers do GCSE's then a dgeree via open uni. But it is advised to do GCSE maths and english, you don't have to after the age of 19 in college but it's advised as most universities/employers and everywhere requires a Grade C ( or 4 ) in GCSE Maths & English.
I have a similar query I am eighteen years old, I have completed 2 years at college on a level 3 course. I passed my english in school, but failed maths. I have taken 2 maths resits during college, and had no luck (achieved D (3) on both occasions) . I am enrolling for a level 3 art and design course at the same college. Is it still compulsory for me to do another resit? As I know I won't be achieving a C (4) any time soon, it seems a waste of my time for a fourth attempt. Thank you
My daughter is just 17 and in exactly the same position she has retaken maths and English and failed with a 3 she wants to move on and do a level 2 or 3 vocational college course but they won’t let her unless she redoes her gcse’s. The current stats on this are that of all the children that fail 75% don’t pass before 19. This seems crazy to force her to keep retaking in order to move on.
Reply 12
I turn 19 next week. I am in year 1 of a diploma course. I want to do the maths but it ties up a whole day to do 2 lessons with the timetable. Can I drop the lessons? I'll do the studying at home.
um not really there's plenty of billionaires that have no qualifications yet they are very successful in life. you could also start your own business since when did life revolve around exams? GCSE's are stupid not people who chose not to take them. They're unnecessary. I get that we take them to get good jobs and whatever but what we're tested on teaches us nothing about life. It doesn't help us with the future at all it only helps us 'feel good' about our selves because we have the qualification to do anything. No, we can do anything and everything without GCSE's don't determine who we are.

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