This email has just been received from Simon Higgins Senior Schools Development Manager for CIE.

Please read it and forward it to anyone you know that is not on this loop or may have received information from other sources.

N.B.  The information packs will be available to those who responded to the survey either directly or by email.  We will reopen the survey this evening for a further  three days closing midnight Friday.

We will continue to keep you informed as negotiations progress.

We are quietly optimistic that our vision of total permanent national access to Cambridge exams for Home schoolers will be realised.

Erena Fussell    (erena@cambridgeexamsolutions.co.nz)
Judith Tizzard   (judith@cambridgeexamsolutions.co.nz)

Cambridge Exam Solutions Ltd

Dear Homeschoolers

My name is Simon Higgins and I work for Cambridge as the Senior Schools Development Manager for New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Region.

I thought it might be helpful to bring everyone up to date about the current situation and future possibilities for homeschoolers in New Zealand wishing to sit Cambridge as private candidates.

An important aspect to note is that only Cambridge schools can host students wishing to sit Cambridge examinations. Cambridge has strict requirements regarding schools seeking registration and only schools recognised by the Ministry of Education can apply to be a Cambridge school.

In the past few years, most Cambridge schools have been reluctant to accept private candidates and this year most of the remaining Cambridge schools that were still accepting private candidates have unfortunately withdrawn this service.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Erena Fussell and Judith Tizzard for bringing this important issue to my attention. As many of you know, Erena and Judith have set up a company called Cambridge Exams Solutions and I am impressed with their understanding of the issues around homeschoolers wishing to access Cambridge and their willingness to find a viable solution that best fits the needs of both Cambridge schools and the homeschooling community.

Following meetings with Erena and Judith, I am pleased to confirm that I am currently working with a number of Cambridge schools throughout the country that will hopefully cater for the needs of your growing community in time for the examination session at the end of this year.

I was also very pleased that Erena and Judith responded to my request to survey the homeschooling community regarding your examination needs and the information gained will help myself and the Cambridge schools provide your children with quality access to Cambridge. If you haven’t completed the survey then I urge you to do so.

I consider Erena and Judith to be the best possible representatives of the homeschooling community and I will continue to consult with them to ensure a positive solution can be found to provide the best possible outcome for homeschooling families.

As mentioned above, discussions are ongoing with a number of Cambridge schools and, while details are yet to be finalised, the signs are promising and I expect to announce a workable solution very soon. Part of this solution is the likelihood that homeschooled students will be able to register directly with the participating Cambridge schools but any agreement will also require cooperation from homeschooling families including an understanding that strict deadlines regarding the receipt of information and invoices are met. Not all Cambridge subjects may be available and there is a strong likelihood that cooperation from Cambridge schools will be subject to families having no further contact with schools and their teaching staff.

To assist you teach the Cambridge curriculum, I will arrange for Cambridge information packs to be supplied homeschooling families.  These packs will include CDs containing past question papers, mark schemes and exemplars of IGCSE answer papers and are likely to be supplied free of charge.

I would like to thank you all for your patience and ask that you continue to hold off contacting Cambridge schools while the best way to progress is decided.

If you have any questions, please direct them to Erena and Judith and I will do my best to help answer them as soon as possible.

Please note it is not expected that University of Cambridge International Examinations and Cambridge Exams Solutions will sign a Memorandum of Agreement or any other agreement regarding homeschoolers access to Cambridge schools.

Regards

Simon

Simon Higgins
Senior Schools Development Manager, New Zealand, Australia and Pacific Islands
University of Cambridge International Examinations

Simon Higgins
Senior Schools Development Manager, New Zealand, Australia and Pacific Islands

University of Cambridge International Examinations
PO Box 7247, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141, New Zealand
Telephone: +64 (0) 9 630 6450
Mobile: +64 (0) 21 783355
Email: simonhiggins@cie.org.nz
www.cie.org.uk

The world’s largest provider of international education programmes and qualifications for 5–19 year olds.