What are Entry Level Certificates?

Entry level certificates build on the knowledge, understanding and skills within Key stage 1,2 and 3.  They are designed to be suitable for learners whose achievement at GCSE is an unrealistic target.

What is coursework?

Coursework is different from homework, although to parents the activity may look much the same.  The difference is simple - the mark you child gets for coursework counts towards her final exam grade.  The amount of course work varies from subject to subject e.g. some subjects have 60% while others only attract 20%.

It is very important that pupils pace and organise their work through the two years.  It is tempting to organise your child if you think they are not doing the right amount of work on time, but remember that your child needs to learn to organise their own work.  To help your child you might look through the scheme for each subject noting when they have to hand in coursework, when they have to sit exams or tests, and how much each of these is worth.  You and your child could draw up a timetable covering the two years from 14 to 16 showing the critical points for each subject.  Your child is then free to organise their work week by week, but can ask for more help from you when they feel they need it.