Ages 
A budget-friendly option for self-starting students, young and old, who want to get on with one or more I/GCSEs and A levels in their own time, calling on tutors to mark assignments and answer any questions as they go. Think Waitrose Essentials more than Waitrose luxury end – it’s still really good but you don’t wind up paying for trimmings you don’t want.
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Headteacher
Head
Margaret McLuckie
Since 2016, Margaret McLuckie, who arrived here as an office junior in 1989 and worked her way up through the ranks, including in programme management and quality assurance. ‘I started as a baby!’ she quips, admitting that over the years people have
Entrance
Enrolment anytime in the academic year, although most start in September. Quick too – students can start their course within 24 hours. No set entry requirements for I/GCSEs, but for A levels they recommend a GCSE pass (grade 4) in the subject area.
Exit
There’s a 14-day cooling off period – worth making a note of the deadline as a small number of parents told us ICS wouldn’t refund them just a day or two later. ‘Seemed a bit harsh.’ ICS Learn doesn’t collect data on whether students complete exams
Latest results
In 2024, 12 per cent A*/A at A level (64 per cent A-C). No data available for GCSEs. Note: the vast majority of students enter exams as private candidates so data is reliant on parents who provide exam results
Teaching & learning
In addition to offering a wide range of professional qualifications (eg CIPD and AAT) to 21,000 students across 100 countries (including to organisations such as Sony and Marriott), ICS Learn offers GCSEs, IGCSEs and A levels. Not a massive amount of
Learning support & SEN
Around 10 per cent of students have SEN that may require an adjustment – of those, the largest percentage are in the 18-25 year old group. Mostly dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism and ADHD. ‘We encourage students to tell us about conditions and needs at
Arts & extracurricular
No extracurricular. ‘I chose ICS Learn precisely because I don’t want a school-like environment – I just want to complete my course,’ was a typical comment.
Sport
Again, simply not ICS Learn’s remit – any exercise is up to you.
Ethos & heritage
One of the oldest distance learning colleges, with origins dating back over 130 years in the US coal-mining town of Scranton, Pennsylvania. At the height of the industrial age, when mining accidents were causing thousands of deaths every year,
Pastoral care, inclusivity & discipline
Students rate the student services team for their technical and pastoral support. For the former, they’ll help with anything from forgetting your login details to finding a link to a particular course. For the latter, it could be anything that gets
Pupils & parents
Overall, an older cohort than that of many online schools, although they can be as young as 11 or 12. Most (96 per cent) are UK based but there are students based in a further 40 countries, including Ireland, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, UAE
Money matters
At the cheaper end of online schools. You pay per I/GCSE or A level, with multi-buy discounts available, plus interest free payment plans (typically over six months for one course, over 12 months for multiple courses). Costs do not include the exam.
The last word
A budget-friendly option for self-starting students, young and old, who want to get on with one or more I/GCSEs and A levels in their own time, calling on tutors to mark assignments and answer any questions as they go. Think Waitrose Essentials more
