Congratulations on your enrollment with the Online Astronomy Society Academy for your GCSE Astronomy course.

Please read this page for a general introduction for what to expect and what is happening in the coming months.

There are TWO different courses starting this Autumn, we have the old format, the final course for the GCSE Astronomy with examination next year.

The new format, which is a two year course, with examination in 2019. Please keep in mind these two courses are VERY different in format and requirement so please ensure in ALL communications with your tutor you make clear which program you are on.

Timeline

Both courses

In the coming weeks (from 09 June onwards) you will being to receive your material, including book and study planner. Please look after both as replacements will need to be paid for.

From August 31st you will be given access to your induction site, within the VLE. This contains all the information you will need advising of what is happening and the time line. Any questions please consult your designated tutor.

September 18th 2017

Both courses will begin, the classroom for each will be open and your studies will commence.

General note

Please be advised, it is for you to follow your study planners accordingly and touch base with your tutor regarding any questions. If you have problems please speak to them at the earliest convenience. If you do not get a reply from your tutor within a few days, please email me OASAcademy@gmail.com or info@onlineastronomycourses.co.uk.

The problem with email is it does tend to end up in spam folders, so please check these on a regular basis.

Also, the course is self paced, it is for the student to follow their course using planner, textbook, and any online material, including worksheets, keeping your tutors advised on how things are going. There are no online lessons or tutorials. Extra tuition can be arranged with the tutor but they can charge for this at their discretion.

Personal Problems

This is in the terms and conditions, however i will remind people here. We can now no longer defer exam fee’s. If you cannot sit the exam for whatever reason at the prescribed time then you forfeit the course and exam fee’s.

Projects (supervised and old format)

For students on this, you should be thinking about these and discussing your options with your tutor at the earliest opportunity, supervision for the first project will take place over the Christmas period. Please note, we have a policy, no project supervision, no submission for the exam.

Regarding the supervision of your projects, please remember your tutor also has a full time job and maybe limited so please be flexible in terms of arranging writeups. Our tutors are not paid massive amounts of money for their time so please be considerate when making arrangements and try to do so in line with the other students. Based on the previous years experience i would also suggest should commence more than one project in case weather becomes a problem.

Examination Entry

If you have ANY Special Educational Requirements (SEN) and require support for the exam, please advise the tutor asap, this is particularly important for the old format as we need to ensure we get all relevant paperwork to the exam centre. Please note the academy cannot accept any responsibility for any issues regarding this, we do our best to ensure everything is in place and to communicate this, but by and large it is the parent/ guardians responsibility to liaise with the exam centre.

Now thats the formal stuff sorted, all that remains for us to say is GOOD LUCK!