Experiences studying GCSEs (or other) with NEC and Oxbridge?

So I'm planning to to do distant learning GCSEs this school year and was about to go with ICS until I decided to TSR them and found out they have terrible feedback.

Since then I've found the National Extension College (NES) and Oxbridge Home Learning. I contacted the OU who I had a good experience with for my Bachelor's and they recommended NES. I looked up NES and Oxbridgge on TSR also and while their feeback was quite similar to ICS there was little of it and it was all from a few years ago.

Has anyone recently studied with either of these schools? If so, what was your experience? I'm planning on studying Biology (Human Biology if available), Math and English Language.

I'm reluctant to cash out a whopping £450+ on each GCSE if they're pretty useless. Also I can't sign up to a college as I'll be abroad.

Thanks for any help!

Reply 1

00101

Hello!
I did a-levels with Nec, they are amazing they sorted out some serious problems I had with one of my exam centers and have amazing tutors and staff in general.

Its important to do a distance GCSE/A-level with course work or with essays via a provider but it is posible to Teach your self maths and enter as a private candidate to take the exam (you will be doing this anyway with the other 2 gcses but just skipping the fee for the maths course.)
Thats what I did with my a-level maths by using the spec and books and oblibe resources but I know its not for everyone.

Have you downloaded the sample course materials for your subject to see if you like how they do there course?

Why are you planing on doing GCSEs this year? You said you had already done some studies with the OU?

Good luck.

Reply 2

froggy123

Original post by 00101

Hi

Thanks for the reply and information.

I've decided to do paramedic studies and for that I need English, Math and a Science GCSE. I grew up abroad so I didn't do GCSEs.
I'm considering doing the English by myself and sign up with an online course for the Science and Math as I haven't studied either in a long time.

How did you find the support from NEC? I found people saying support from them is unreliable and weak. Did you find the course work supportive? I also heard of students just getting dumped with a folder of papers and course work and little else. Really have to be sure they're good before signing up as it's far from cheap.

Thanks again for your input!

Reply 3

00101

Like any education system it depends on the student, nec encourages independent learning and study skills which to people who are used to being spoon fed at pre-gcse/gcse level may have not liked; but it is to get you prepared for university.

Saying that your tutor is only an e-mail/phone call away. Like any teacher some you will get on better with others. They give you your teachers profile at the begining and a lot of them that I had at least had also been through one distance learning institution or had been teaching for many years prior to joining nec. So they really know what your going through.

It is very different from the OU if you have studied with them, esspecialy now as most of the OU courses are becoming online only and has digital planners and tracks your progress for you. You are going to have to do this your self with distance GCSEs.

Yes I did get a huge folder to work through at my own pace with nec, but it broke everything down to a specific number of hours for each chapter. But I had to estimate and plan by what month I wanted to be where. They do give you a guideline though.

The course materials were very well designed with very clear instuctions on how to do any maths with a huge bank if questions to practice with and all the answers. If you needed an answer explained the tutors were well prepared for it.
And if you still had problems you just message the tutor, they really dont mind its what they are payed for!

There are assignments that would test your learning that my tutor was both quick at marking and gave good explanations where to earn more marks.

My A-level biology tutor via the nec was actually better than my S111 tutor at the OU.

Maybe the real question is not if [insett and distance provider here] is good.
But what kind of learner are you?
All these questions are relevent for any course anyone is doing.
For example:

Can you plan your own learning?
Can you work through instructions or do you prefer someone to stand there and explain it?
Will you ask for help if you need it?
Do you know what grade you are aiming for?
Do you understand that it is you taking the exam and not your tutor and you are responsible for ensuring you are prepared, not the teacher?

Sorry if it sounds patronising but no matter who you pick it will be down to you how well you do.

Hope this has helped.