How it works
GCSEs are sat as an 'external' or 'private' candidate at a registered exam centre. You choose the exam board (usually IGCSE from Cambridge or Edexcel, because they don't require school-controlled coursework), find a centre that accepts private candidates, and pay the entry fee directly.
Exam boards don't care whether you were taught by a school, a tutor, or your kitchen table. They mark the paper you sit.
Finding an exam centre
This is the trickiest part. Some independent schools and colleges accept private candidates; some don't. There are also dedicated exam centres set up specifically for home educated and international students.
Start looking a year in advance for each subject, especially if you live somewhere rural. Community groups like Facebook's 'Home Education UK' and the charity Education Otherwise keep informal lists of friendly centres.
What it costs
Expect roughly £70, £150 per subject entry for the exam itself, plus a centre administration fee that can be another £30, £100 per subject. Most families budget for 5, 8 GCSEs taken over one or two years, often between ages 15 and 17.
Tuition is separate. Some families teach GCSEs themselves, some use online providers (InterHigh, Wolsey Hall, King's InterHigh), some share tutors in a co-op with other home educating families.
IGCSEs vs GCSEs
For most private candidates, IGCSEs are the practical choice. They're internationally respected, treated identically to GCSEs by UK universities and sixth forms, and, critically, they don't include school-controlled non-exam assessment for most subjects. That means no controlled coursework you can't do without a school.
Cambridge International (CAIE) and Pearson Edexcel are the two main IGCSE boards used by UK home educators.
How primary years matter
Nothing you do at seven determines what your child sits at sixteen. But strong reading, confident basic maths, and a habit of curiosity will carry them anywhere.
Homeschool Club focuses on those foundations at the ages we cover (4, 11), so that whatever path a family chooses at secondary, GCSEs, IGCSEs, back to school, or something else, the ground is solid.