South-East England and London exam centres.
These exam centres have either taken external candidates in the past, or have indicated that they would consider it.
Please feel free to add or edit information - we rely on the home-ed community to keep this up to date. It's easiest to edit if you create a Wikia account first, but you could also just leave a comment below and we'll add any centres mentioned to the main list.
London
East London
Excel Tutors - Commercial Rd, London E1 2DA - small tutorial college. All boards.
Excel Education Centre - Stratford, E15. - Edexcel approved centre , private tutorial college, will take external candidates for Edexcel IGCSEs or GCSEs and also offers distance learning. They may offer science practicals. NOTE: They will do the Speaking Assessment and Controlled Assessment for GCSE English. Offer IGCSE Spanish speaking assessments. Fees: £140 per qualification for written-only exams with 2 papers - GCSE maths, most 2-paper IGCSEs. £200 for 3-paper exams , £250 for GCSE English including Controlled Assessment. Address: 15 Leytonstone Rd, Stratford, London E15 1SE. Call for more info - the woman I spoke to was very friendly and helpful - 0208 503 1133
East London Skills for Life - Stratford, E15. Edexcel and OCR. Offers GCSEs, IGCSEs and Functional Skills. Website info looks out of date so best to contact them - don't be discouraged by statements about resits only as that is only referring to sittings for GCSE English and maths.
South London
Pascal's College Beckenham, BR3 (South London) - small private exam centre. Highly recommended by home educators, but on the pricier side. All boards, IGCSEs and GCSEs including Controlled Assessments and language Speaking and Listening Tests, A-level science practicals, GCSE science practicals, and half-day science practical courses. Charges: Registration - £40 per exam session (e.g. May/June 2017-£40, November 2017 - a further £40) AS/A-level £90 per written paper, GCSE/IGCSE £180 per qualification regardless of number of papers (e.g. OCR Classical Greek, 4 papers -£180, IGCSE Religious Studies - 1 paper - £180) Double science charged as 2 GCSEs. £240 per GCSE controlled assessment.
The Tutorial Foundation, Bromley BR1 - private tutorial centre. Highly recommended by home-educators, but pricey. All boards, will do science A-level practicals, foreign language speaking tests, controlled assessment etc. Email exams@thetutorialfoundation.co.uk or call 020 8460 0181
The After School Club, Catford, SE6 - Small tutorial centre. Will work with a tutor to do foreign language speaking assessments. May consider Controlled Assessments. Edexcel only at present. Several home educators have used this centre; some found them very helpful but others felt organisation was an issue. £120 per qualification in 2016. Address: 115 Rushey Green Road, Catford, London, SE6 4AA . Centre name: The After-School Club (Edexcel 10776), email catfordasc@gmail.com . Phone number is 020 3651 2032 Or 07825268833
Safeschool, Eltham, SE9 - Specialist home-ed tuition centre, AQA only. Very quiet and friendly. Can only take limited numbers of students and for a limited range of exams. Will consider access arrangements.
Wimbledon - Southfields Academy - SW18 5JU - formerly Southfields Community College
The Marine Society SE1 - 202 Lambeth Rd SE1 Accepts private candidates at their premises in Lambeth BUT may now be adults-only. They administer exams for Royal Navy, Mercant Navy, and Cadets, although you don't have to be affiliated in any way with these or other armed services to enter as a private candidate. Written exams only for AQA, CIE, Edexcel and OCR. Coursework accepted only if not supervised and already authenticated by tutor. No practicals or orals. Small venue - very personable and within easy reach of Waterloo Station, North Lambeth Tube. Can administer access arrangements with evidence - advised to contact them to discuss. Contact: The Education and At Seas Programme Co-ordinator Tel. 020 765 7050
West and NW London
Campbell Harris W6 - a private tutorial college and independent exam centre in W6. Written exams, any board. Speaking and Listening assessments for IGCSE languages. Also offers courses and practical assessment for A-level sciences. Has been used by many home-educating families over the years and is highly recommended. Current costs (2014) are £125 per IGCSE including exam board fee, and £225 for IGCSE languages including Speaking and Listening tests.
Cherry Hill Tuition TW3 GCSE, IGCSE and A-level. Includes CIE Art & Design IGCSE, language exams and A level science practicals. Accepts coursework from some online providers.
Ealing Independent College W5 - GCSE, IGCSE and A-level. Written exams and foreign language speaking tests from Edexcel, AQA, OCR and WJEC. No controlled assessment or practicals. £135 per GCSE, £78 per A-level unit.
Duff Miller SW7 Private tutorial college in South Kensington SW7. GCSE and IGCSE written exams and language speaking assessments. £130 per GCSE, £160 per IGCSE, additional £80 for language orals. A-levels including science practicals.
David Game College EC3 Tel. 020 7221 6665 ext. 116 Private tutorial college. Written exams only, no Modern Languages.
Oak Heights, Hounslow TW3 - independent school offering written exams and science practicals.
The Learning Hub, Vale Farm - Wembley HA0 Tel 0208 908 123. Private tuition centre and exam centre for Edexcel, OCR and CIE. "My son is doing his IGCSEs there now and we are very happy with it and they are not as expensive as some of the private colleges in central and north london (£110 per exam) The room they use is a decent size and plenty of desk space. The Learning Hub is within the sports centre"
[Update Sept 2017: I have just phoned them and they said they would not accept private candidates unless they were signed up for tuition there as well.]
London Brookes College Hendon NW4 - Private tuition and exam centre. Centre for all major boards: AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC. "Although GCSE and A level subjects are the most usual choices, a range of qualifications, including IGCSE, STEP, CIE, TSA, ELAT, HAT, BMAT and PAT can also be sat for at London Brookes College." Will do science practicals and GCSE controlled assessments. £140 per subject for written exams. Will do ICT practical although may have staffing difficulties - please ask on HE Exams facebook group for reviews.
London Exam Centre, Hendon NW4 Private exam centre. Appears to be a different organisation using various exam venues. No personal experience, but website promises support for private candidates and says: "We offer all GCSE, IGCSE, AS and A2 level examinations from all five examination boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and CIE. ..We offer practical exams for A-Level science: Biology, Chemistry and Physics. We have a fully equipped laboratory, where exams are conducted. "
Berkshire
Wokingham - The Emmbrook School. "Very welcoming. Exams Officer, Mrs Stephanie Guinn, confirmed that the school is happy to accept private candidates for any exams as long as they are 100% externally assessed, i.e.. no controlled assessments, coursework, orals, etc. Last summer my daughters ..were made to feel very welcome, even the head teacher welcomed us one morning as we were waiting. It was an excellent experience. The school had between 20 & 30 private candidates for that series."
Summer sittings only and do not offer CIE.
Kent
(See also London for Bromley/ SE London centres)
Rochester Independent College - lovely small, progressive independent school. Has had a number of former home-educated students go there for sixth form. No uniform, so you won't look out of place. Now taking external candidates for all major boards. Will do language orals. May also do science practicals but call to discuss. Offers intensive revision courses in the Easter holidays.
Kent College, Canterbury - Independent school. Have said they will take externals for 2016. Prices reasonable. Registered with CIE and all major boards.
King's School, Canterbury - Independent school. Accepts externals for CIE and (presumably) all major boards if space available.
Gravesend - St George's School accepts externals as of 2016. Not sure which boards.
Mid Kent College. Situation in flux but do usually accept external candidates. Please contact the local home-ed network to find out more, or ask on the HE Exams network. You may be told that exam fees are technically a voluntary donation, but this is a technicality peculiar to this centre alone - please ensure you pay the full amount of any 'suggested donation' as otherwise, the centre will cease to be available to external candidates in future.
Paddock Wood - Mascalls Academy : Edexcel, AQA, OCR, WJEC. Have a very welcoming message on their website.
Longfield Academy - site says they welcome private candidates for exams already scheduled, but I'd suggest asking anyway for other exams as, if the exams you want fall into the same timetable as one they already have, they may allow it. Prices very reasonable.
Faversham - Queen Elizabeth Grammar School - IGCSEs (including ICT practical). Booklet about exams mentions private candidate arrangements too. In 2016 they were willing to take AS Spanish candidates, including providing the examiner, but only for AQA
Runway Training - Functional Skills in Kent : A member of the Facebook group for HE Exams has spoken to Runway Training, based in Tonbridge, Kent. They do English and maths Functional Skills testing and will even come out to your house to do it at an extra fee. They quoted £170 for exams on their own premises or £270 to come out 50 miles to the enquirer, and seemed very helpful.
More Kent exam centres listed on the AQA database as taking external candidates, but they are not listed here individually unless a home educator has confirmed that they are in fact willing to accept entries. If you have a positive response from an exam centre, please add it here or add a comment, or share the information with the HE Exams community.
Lernejo Home Ed Support and Prince of Wales Youth Centre exam centre. - no longer accepting externals. Noted here as it has historically had many HE candidates.
Hampshire
Faregos Exam Centre small centre run by home educators in Fareham, Hampshire. Leaflet about exam centre services.
Currently registered with CIE, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and AQA. Offers Edexcel functional skills maths and English.
Will accept candidates for Edexcel IGCSE French, German and Spanish,including orals. Offers most IGCSEs and GCSEs without controlled assessments although can offer OCR GCSE classical civilisation with controlled assessment. Also some GCE A levels ( no practicals). We are a "not for profit group" run by home educators for the benefit of all. We always try to help! Contact Diane Dyer on exams@faregos.org
North Hampshire Home Ed group has a contact with a state school in Farnborough. ALL enquiries must go through Jakimparsons@gmail.com as the school will only accept candidates via this route.
Southampton - Wessex Tutors
Wessex Tutors is an examination centre for AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and IGCSE. IGCSE costs £150 per subject. Wessex Tutors will accept private/external candidates for most boards. We accept private candidates for Edexcel A level modern language orals. We cannot accept private candidates for science practical exams.
Surrey
Scola Sutton - "SCOLA is happy to help external students take exams at our centre wherever possible. We can usually help students sit a GCSE or GCE exam providing there is not a controlled assessment, coursework or practical unit attached to the qualification
https://www.suttoncollege.ac.uk/college/exams-private-candidate/
. Please call the exams office on 0208 405 7010/1 for further information"
One home-educator wrote: "Rhona Is so helpful and very friendly. She made my daughter feel very relaxed."
Southborough School, Surbiton, Surrey. "Southborough High School welcomes private candidates for GCE and those GCSE exams which do not involve controlled assessments, science practical exams or speaking tests. We also offer IGCSE exams with the Pearson/Edexcel board which usually do not require coursework or controlled assessment. Where coursework is involved we expect private candidates to make their own arrangements to have their work authenticated. This is often easiest to do through a distance learning organisation (such as Oxford Open Learning or the National Extension College, both of which we have dealt with in the past). " Peter Stainton pstainton@southborough.kingston.sch.uk
City of London Freemen's School, Ashtead Park, Surrey. Nicketa Williams nwilliams@clfs.surrey.sch.uk Our costings are: £60.00 per subject and an administration fee of £50.00.
Sir William Perkins's School, Chertsey, Surrey. (Louise) LIngles@swps.org.uk The IGCSEs are about £45-50 each, again I cannot be definite until the middle of November. We also add an administration charge of either £15 or £20 per exam taken. If the exam is identical to one we are doing in school, it is £15, if the exam or specification is different the cost is £20. Finally, if we require extra invigilation costs, ie we may not be running an exam that day or the exam may be longer than the exams we are running, then a cost of £10 an hour is made.
Kings College Guildford Email: s.hodges@kingscollegeguildford.com Mrs Sian Hodges
£60 Registration fee for first GCSE or iGCSE. £85 per GCSE subject and £105 per iGCSE subject. Subsequent exam will be £20 registration each.
Kings College Guildford Email: s.hodges@kingscollegeguildford.com Mrs Sian Hodges £60 Registration fee for first GCSE or iGCSE. £85 per GCSE subject and £105 per iGCSE subject. Subsequent exam will be £20 registration each. Take CIE and Edexcel board private candidates, exam only.
Sussex
Brighton & Hove Steiner School - Some people have taken AQA Modular Maths GCSEs there as external candidates. Contact details:http://www.brightonsteinerschool.org.uk/contact.html
Lancing College - Shoreham- By- Sea -No longer accepting private candidates
Newhaven, East Sussex, Seahaven Academy School 01273 517601. Exams officer, Fran Mortimer is very helpful.
Crowborough - Beacon Community College - They are signed up with Edexcel and CIE but say that Edexcel is easier for them.
Horsham, West Sussex - Farlington Girls School - Only do Edexcel IGCSE Science in 2014. However worth getting in touch just in case
Frewen College, Northiam: This is a specialist dyslexia school and the exam officer home edded her own children, so hopefully should be understanding of both home ed and SENs. In September 2018, she said: "Our usual charge is £150 per exam (GCSES) but the bursar is willing to talk discounts for a group. We can assess for Access arrangements (reader, scribe, extra time Etc) £150 per assessment. These would need to be done before Christmas for anyone looking to enter in Summer 2019. Use of a computer doesn't require assessment. Just evidence that it is the candidate's normal way of working. Email claire.wood@frewencollege.co.uk.
Steyning, West Sussex - Steyning Grammar School - Edexcel and AQA GCSEs or IGCSEs . No coursework/controlled assessment. Fees are approximately £40 per subject plus a £50 administration fee. Patricia Cobley - pcobley@sgs.uk.net (no longer accepting private candidates 24/08/18)
Brighton - Varndean College - Can do Edexcel or AQA GCSE/IGCSE but are not registered for CIE, no coursework/controlled assessment/practical, etc. Cost is roughly £70 per exams plus one-off registration fee of £20. Note they also have some home-ed students on part-time courses. Alan Ball - adb@varndean.ac.uk
Chichester, West Sussex.
Arabesque School of Performing Arts Quarry Lane Chichester West Sussex PO19 8NY Tel. no 01243 531144 Email asddsussex@aol.com Contact Cynthia Ryder
Registered with AQA, Edexcel, Cambridge, OCR and WJEC.
Oxfordshire
This is an ever-changing list. Join the local Facebook group for up-to-date news about exam centres.
Greene's Tutorial College Greene's Tutorial College in central Oxford £75 *per paper*, plus exam board fee. Plus £75 yearly admin charge. This works out best if you are sitting several exams with them, as you only pay the admin charge once. CIE and Edexcel, enrol by 1 February for next summer. They will accept candidates needing Access Arrangements (extra cost) but only if they can provide a completed Form 8 and an Educational Psychologist's report.
Sibford School has a subject fee of approximately £60 PLUS £20 administration fee per PAPER. Edexcel, OCR, AQA, CIE, enrol by end of this year for next summer I/GCSEs
Oxford International College is another option but charge £75 per PAPER. Remember that EM has 3 papers. http://www.oxcoll.com/
~Cheney School, Headington. 'Exam service request forms can be found on the school’s website. Please download, fill in and submit together with payment (£45.00 entry fee + £25.00 admin fee) by 19 January 2018.' Please note they do not offer any Access Arrangements, so no laptops, separate rooms, extra time etc. Also summer exam sitting ONLY. Exams Officer Marie-Anne Fischer MF@cheney.oxon.sch.uk
~Radley College, Nr Oxford - Will consider on an individual basis.
~Gillotts School, Henley - All exam boards except CIE.
~Cokethorpe School, Nr Witney - All exam boards. No practical papers/assessments. No access arrangements.
~FCC, Faringdon - All exam boards except CIE. No January exams. To be reviewed in 2019.
~Icknield Community College, Watlington - All exam boards.
~Fitzharry's School, Abingdon - All exam boards except CIE.
~UTC, Didcot - All exam boards except CIE. Charge exam fee plus £20 admin. Will also charge invigilator fees if no other exams on (ie in January).
~ Carterton Community College - charge the exam board fees plus a £20 admin. For maths GCSE AQA this came to £54.55 (a total of three exam papers). Contact is Jackie Mustoe. They offer a variety of exam boards.
- NB Because Oxford lost 3 centres in recent years, you would be advised to join the Oxon HE Exams Facebook group, where information about local centres is being shared: