Bucks &amp; Oxon


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bricks-and-mortar">BRICKS AND MORTAR </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/darya-tryfanava-d55fhArDES0-unsplash.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-148851" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/darya-tryfanava-d55fhArDES0-unsplash.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/darya-tryfanava-d55fhArDES0-unsplash-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/darya-tryfanava-d55fhArDES0-unsplash-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/darya-tryfanava-d55fhArDES0-unsplash-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Tanked the exams and want to try again? If your child’s school doesn’t currently offer retakes, resits or summer courses it’s well worth scouring your local area to find one that does. </p>



<p><strong><a href="https://www.oxfordsixthformcollege.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oxford Sixth Form College</a></strong>: Bang in the heart of Oxford, it takes students from 15-19 years via September&nbsp;and January intakes, it also offers GSCE courses to returning expat kids, or those who need schooling in a hurry. Retakes are&nbsp;is&nbsp;£3,050&nbsp;per subject per term. For the full flexible price list&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oxfordsixthformcollege.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2019-2020-Fees-updated-July-2019.pdf">read here</a>.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://www.oxfordspiresacademy.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oxford Spires Academy</a></strong> based in East Oxford is not somewhere I&#8217;ve personally reviewed but I do know that it offers 1 year resits for GSCE Maths and English so it might be worth your consideration. </p>



<p>There&#8217;s also <strong><a href="https://www.cherwell-college.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cherwell College</a></strong> (graded &#8221;Good&#8221; by Ofsted in 2019) which offers revision and summer courses, as well as retakes.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-good-sixth-form-options">GOOD SIXTH FORM OPTIONS</h2>



<p>One for GSCE pupils.  It&#8217;s becoming much more common for kids to move schools for Sixth Form. Aside from the grammar schools that proliferate in Buckinghamshire, there are also top state Sixth Forms like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cherwell.oxon.sch.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>The Cherwell</strong></a>&nbsp;in Oxford and <a href="https://www.lordwilliams.oxon.sch.uk/">Lord Bill’s</a> in Thame. You&#8217;ll need to be ON IT as soon as the results come out on the 24 August to approach the schools you are interested in; grammar schools for example have confirmed their intake but it&#8217;s possible they will have space available on the day. Make sure you know the criteria by which they select &#8211; a sibling at the school often trumps geographical proximity for example. </p>



<p>Sixth Form is also where independent schools can really shine, with one-to-one attention and incredible facilities. Head to the<strong> <a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/school-reviews/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Muddy Best Schools Guide</a>,</strong> where you can search out all our most recent school reviews and filter via county, sex, day/boarding and Sixth form. You can also enlist the help of <a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/life/parenting/debretts-education-consultancy-help-choose-school-children/">Debrett’s Eduction</a>, who are completely impartial and offer free initial consultations to see if they can help find the right place for your child. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-consider-online-learning">CONSIDER ONLINE LEARNING</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Teen-with-pink-hair-working-on-computer.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-25641" /></figure>



<p>The emergence of online schools as credible alternatives to bricks-and-mortar has meant more options for course retakes and more flexible learning &#8211; many online schools offer a range of teaching, from single subjects through to the full curriculum. </p>



<p><a href="https://kingsinterhigh.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>King&#8217;s</strong> <strong>InterHigh</strong></a>: The UK&#8217;s longest-established online school offers the opportunity to take single subject courses in GCSE and A level. Unusually here you can join in Year 13 for your final year of A levels which would suit those retaking and there&#8217;s massive flexibility in terms of time scales.</p>



<p><strong><a aria-label="Pearson (opens in a new tab)" href="https://ukglobal.pearsononlineacademy.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pearson</a>: </strong>The new online-school-on-the-block currently only offers A level education, but single subject take up is possible. Pearson is a massive global educational leader and the school, having just launched two years ago, has room for more pupils.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://www.minervavirtual.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Minerva&#8217;s Virtual Academy</a></strong>: This entirely online school has rapidly expanded since 2020 and will be welcoming Year 7 to 13 this September, with students flocking in from across the UK and more than 42 countries worldwide. Flexibility aside, the academy&#8217;s iGCSE results last year proved the quality of learning here; 80% of students gained a pass at grades 9-4 (the national average is 73%).</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-apprenticeships">APPRENTICESHIPS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="708" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/ella-jardim-NEuFnhGeDDc-unsplash.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-148852" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/ella-jardim-NEuFnhGeDDc-unsplash.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/ella-jardim-NEuFnhGeDDc-unsplash-800x566.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/ella-jardim-NEuFnhGeDDc-unsplash-400x283.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/ella-jardim-NEuFnhGeDDc-unsplash-742x525.jpg 742w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>If your child blanches at the idea of retakes or a change of school, can we gently suggest (whisper it) a change of direction? With student debt, dodgy Uni experiences and Gen Zers say a firm &#8216;no&#8217; to slogging their guts out like we did to get on the ladder, Apprenticeship have become a viable and smart option. Case in point &#8211; we appointed Claire and Kim (or Mel &amp; Kim, as we call them internally &#8211; no, they hadn&#8217;t heard of them), our apprentice editorial assistants on Muddy this year, and they&#8217;re absolutely storming it and getting the type of hands-on experience a graduate can only dream of. Just head to the <a aria-label="government Apprenticeships website (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.gov.uk/become-apprentice/apply-for-an-apprenticeship" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">government Apprenticeships website</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-time-out">TIME OUT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/Untitled-design-2021-08-04T131025.501.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-119117" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/Untitled-design-2021-08-04T131025.501.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/Untitled-design-2021-08-04T131025.501-360x240.jpg 360w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/Untitled-design-2021-08-04T131025.501-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/Untitled-design-2021-08-04T131025.501-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/Untitled-design-2021-08-04T131025.501-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>No, not you!  Did you know your own mind and career aspirations when you were 16 or 18? It might well be that sparkling A-Level results are not required for the corner of the job market where your child will thrive. <strong><a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/careers-collective/">Careers Collective</a></strong>&nbsp;is a group of experienced, independent careers consultants who offer coaching, online and face-to-face workshops and downloadable guidance to help steer children (and graduates) towards a happy and productive working life. Sounds like something we should all be aiming for, don&#8217;t you think?</p>


Exam results panic? Read on, we have solutions!

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