GCSE in Oxford 2025
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from 6600.00 £ / 12 weeks
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from 35700.00 £ / year
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In 2021 - 73% of A Level students achieved A*-BUnited KingdomOxfordCurrently watching: 1from 12075.00 £ / term
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In 2021 - 78% of A-level students achieved A*-BUnited KingdomOxfordCurrently watching: 1from 30900.00 £ / year
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from 10965.00 £ / term
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from 9700.00 £ / term
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from 9906.00 £ / term
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from 41450.00 £ / year
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from 7365.00 £ / term
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from 9000.00 £ / year
Receiving education in Oxford for schoolchildren, teenagers, and students is synonymous with quality and even privilege. In the capital of Oxfordshire, there are dozens of prestigious educational institutions that welcome foreign students to various educational programs distinguished by content, duration, specificity, intensity, and cost.
One of the programs that enjoys particular popularity and receives numerous positive reviews is the GCSE program. GCSE in the UK represents incomplete secondary education, preparing students for the next stage of schooling or for courses at university. The program typically lasts for two years and includes three compulsory subjects:
- English,
- Mathematics,
- Science.
If a student's abilities and language proficiency allow, they can choose additional subjects such as art, geography, foreign languages, history, biology, economics, English literature, and others. If their language level is not sufficient, students can take additional EAL classes, often serving as preparation for IELTS.
Students aged 14 to 18 are usually admitted to GCSE courses in Oxford, with each educational institution setting its own age criteria and initial knowledge level requirements for students.
Alternative destinations
Options of GCSE schools in Oxford
Oxford's GCSE schools include state-funded, commercial, non-profit, international, mixed-gender, girls', boys', day schools, and boarding schools. For foreign students, private schools offering mixed-gender boarding options, often based on local colleges, are most suitable in most cases.
For example, Oxford Sixth Form College offers a year-long GCSE program providing exceptional teaching, academic inspiration, and support necessary for each student to prepare for exams and succeed in them. The college administration recognizes the individuality in each applicant's development and talents, offering personalized recommendations on exam strategy and retakes.
Oxford International College offers a GCSE course preparing students for success in A-levels. Over one year, students study up to eight GCSE subjects and explore potential career paths within extracurricular programs. The GCSE course is conducted by professional teachers, ensuring academic challenges are overcome and providing individual support for successful exam completion.
Examples of Oxford schools offering GCSE include:
- Oxford Sixth Form College,
- St Mary’s Calne School,
- Oxford International College,
- Tudor Hall School,
- St Edwards School Oxford.
On average, the cost of GCSE schools in Oxford starts from £8,000 per term.
Features of GCSE schools in Oxford for foreign students
In addition to basic English language education in schools, advanced students have the opportunity to take courses in Spanish, French, Russian, and Turkish. To enroll in these courses, applicants must pass internal testing or provide an English language certificate with a minimum B2 level across all components, and their proficiency in the chosen direction must also be at least A2.
Subject-specific teachers create an informal and interactive learning environment for students during specialized classes, where students' ideas, creativity, and confidence are strengthened and developed. Outside the curriculum, schools offer rich interactions between students and their tutor-mentors, where they can thoroughly discuss academic work that raises questions, such as essays. This methodology has been working effectively for centuries and is the primary principle of operation for Oxford institutions.
GCSE courses in most Oxford schools combine high teaching standards with individual guidance, making the entire learning program engaging, stimulating, and interactive. Another advantage is the opportunity to study in small groups, ensuring a comfortable learning pace for all students. Common teaching methods in GCSE schools include group work, independent learning, practical application, in-depth research projects, and homework assignments.
Academic preparation under the GCSE program is often complemented by comprehensive personal, social, medical, and economic education (PSHE). Additionally, children always have the opportunity to engage in extracurricular activities, from creative workshops to community events, including a wide range of additional courses and internships. All of this develops and supports individual talents and interests, influencing the improvement of life and career skills necessary for success at university and beyond.
Most GCSE schools in Oxford have the following requirements for applicants:
- Required English language proficiency level: IELTS from 5.5.
- Passing entrance exams in mathematics and sciences and completing online testing for cognitive abilities (CAT4).
Learning programs-summary information
Name | Meaning | Equivalent | Min. age | Duration, years |
Next stage | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GCSE | General certificate of secondary education | secondary education (non-accomplished) | 14 | 1–2 | A-Levels | 15,000 USD+ |
A-Levels | Advanced level | secondary education (accomplished) | 16 | 2 | University | 15,000 USD+ |
BTEC | Business and Technology Education Board | secondary special education | 14 | 2–3 | University/ work | 15,000 USD+ |
Oxbridge Preparation | Preparing for Oxford and Cambridge | secondary education (accomplished) | 17 | 1 | University | 15,000 USD+ |
International Baccalaureate | International baccalaureate | secondary education (accomplished) | 16 | 2 | University | 18,000 USD+ |
Foundation/ Pathway Year | Preparatory year | admission to the 1st year of university | 17 | 1 | University | 14,000 USD+ |
NCUK | The Northern consortium | 2 year university | 17,5 | 1 | 2 year University of NCUK | 13,000 USD+ |
Special Preparation (Medics/Math/Business) | Specialized training | - | 14 | optional | optional | 4,000 USD+ |
Academic English | Academic English | Language school | 8 + | 6–12 months | School or University | 8,000 USD+ |
Advantages and disadvantages of English schools
Advantages | Disadvantages |
---|---|
The opportunity to enter the best universities in England, USA, Canada, Switzerland, Europe, the world | Expensive |
High quality of education and academic standards | Strong workload |
Perfect English after graduation | The need to change the social environment; it takes time to adapt |
Useful contacts | The difficulty of choosing the most suitable school for the child, requires a qualified specialist |
Top 21 boarding colleges in England 2025
1 | Cardiff Sixth Form College |
2 | National Mathematics and Science College |
3 | Abbey College Cambridge |
4 | d'Overbroeck's College |
5 | MPW London |
6 | CATS Cambridge |
7 | Kensington Park |
8 | DLD London |
9 | King's College St Michael’s |
10 | Bellerbys Cambridge |
11 | Chelsea Independent College |
12 | MPW Cambridge |
13 | Bellerbys Brighton |
14 | CATS London |
15 | St Clare's Oxford |
16 | Bishopstrow College |
17 | CATS Canterbury |
18 | Bellerbys London |
19 | Ealing Independent College |
20 | Cambridge Tutors College |
21 | Abbey Manchester |
Literature and references
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GCSE — Wiki
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General Certificate of Secondary Education — Wiki
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GCSE - England - BBC Bitesize
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GCSE subject content — GOV.UK
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GCSE grades 2024: The 9-1 boundaries explained — BBC
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GCSE outcomes in England - Ofqual – Analytics — GOV.UK
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GCSE - The Education Hub - GOV.UK blogs
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Guide to GCSE results for England, summer 2024 — GOV.UK
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Analysis: GCSE Results Day 2024 — The Education Policy Institute