The Oxford Open Learning Trust Recenzje 147

I am studying two A Levels with Oxford Open Learning, and have had very different experiences. My A Level psychology tutor is helpful, and quick at replying - if this is a subject you are interested in then I would recommend OOL as I have had a great experience with it. However the A Level Maths tutors available are below standard; unhelpful, slow replies and no engagement. I have had two Maths tutors from OOL and unfortunately both have been the same - from my experience I would say DO NOT study A Level maths here. I have had to repeatedly find other sources to help with problems due to the maths tutors from OOL doing the absolute bare minimum possible. By no means is this relevant for all subjects however.

I left high school due to my declining mental health and after much begging my mother agreed to let me do a distance learning course with Oxford Open Learning. I did a double award science IGCSE, English IGCSE and a Maths IGCSE. While I passed all of the subjects I ended up ditching the materials and tutors provided by OOL and teaching myself. This was due to the unhelpful tutors who I only ever found replying to my questions with something even more confusing and also the many mistakes I found in the materials they provided. If I remember correctly in one instance it was written that the boiling point of water was 1000 degrees... Overpriced for what it is and you can do so much better by just hiring a proper tutor and buying the textbooks associated with the course you are studying for.

I must add though it has been a while since I was a student with OOL as I have now finished my college education.

The materials sent were easy to understand and i prefer having physical materials instead of online, so OOL was perfect for me. My tutor always got back to me within 24 hours and even accepted calls out of office hours to accommodate my job.

I gained 2 A*s in my I GCSEs due to the excellent support and help provided throughout the course.

Great experience so far on my A level Psychology. The course material was sen tout quickly and my tutor is always quick to respond with helpful and insightful advice and comments.

I chose to study A level Biology with OOL and received my study pack very quickly which gave me plenty of time to work through all the content. The study pack was very useful and had all the teachers notes and some helpful resources which followed the book, however all the tutor marked and test yourself questions at the end of topics were nothing like exam questions you would get in an exam paper, and the resources failed to help once the topics became more complicated.
My tutor was a very nice, helpful lady, but always seemed to be very busy with family life and other jobs, so she wasn't just a call away when I got really stuck, and I normally had to wait a good few days before getting a reply (in some situations she was much faster but overall I felt like I was bothering her if I called too much as I know she had a very busy schedule). In the end I decided to pay for a tutor outside of OOL to enable me to get the grade I was capable of achieving.
Since choosing to get a new tutor I have not heard from OOL, not even to ask if I gained the grade I needed and whether I approved of their service or if any improvements to the course were needed.
I do recommend OOL to a certain degree, however more support could have been in place, with more resources (such as past papers and diagrams) and revision guides, especially for those studying an A level; and it is very likely if you were to study an A level you will need to pay for a tutor alongside what you have been provided by the OOL - so overall it is a HUGE amount of money.
I definitely don't think I got my money's worth from OOL, and I believe they are probably more useful with GCSEs than they are A levels.

I took Geography IGSCE through open learning with Oxford. I achieved an A*, my first ever grade A at GCSE/GCE. (I failed Geography GSCE 50 years ago, due to the incompetence of my school.)

I agree with other reviewers that a lot of self-discipline and hard work is needed for distance learning. However, I almost certainly would not have achieved an A grade had it not been for the support provided by the OOL package:

A big printed file of course material that comprehensively covered the
syllabus.
Supplementary information available online on the Geography All The
Way website.
My tutor, who marked assignments promptly and in detail and who
throughout gave heaps of helpful advice about content, presentation and
examination technique.
An efficient administrative system that processed materials and
assignments quickly and gave suggestions for examination venues.

Based on my experience, I would have no hesitation in recommending OOL to others.

I studied with Oxford Open Learning for five IGCSE's after deciding school wasn't for me. Overall, ever tutor responded to questions promptly and provided detailed feedback on assignments. I achieved 4 A* and an A in my exams, however; I would advice any prospective students to ensure they manage their study time thoroughly to ensure they complete all the work, especially if you are studying for a number of subjects. In order, for distanced learning to work for anyone they must be disciplined.
To conclude, Oxford Open Learning was perfect for me and the work folders provided a thorough, detailed insight into the subject specification, allowing me to achieve exceptional grades.

I enjoyed the course! The tasks were interesting and challenging! My tutor was very professional and always ready to help! Thank you so much!

Oxford Open Learning are outstanding!

They support their students to the fullest by keeping in constant communication with them (through emails, post or by phone); whenever I had a problem, I emailed them and they resolved it in prompt timing.

Also they have amazing tutors who will call you and help you to fully understand your work, for example, my A level English literature tutor called me round the clock months before I did my exams to ensure that I was fully prepared and cleared up any gaps in my knowledge.

Plus, as its distance learning, they are really flexible, they will schedule calls around you; thus, making it convenient for you.

And if you are hoping to fast track your learning that's an option too, for example, you could do your A levels in a year or even 6 months!

Like, I said, they are outstanding! Cannot fault them.

Wondering if l still had the ability to study and increase my understanding of the subject was greatly helped by the high quality and presentation of the learning materials plus the support and assistance from an allocated excellent tutor. I discovered l still had the ability to construct an essay that didn't waffle! and received constructive feedback comments. Overall an informative and enjoyable 2 year study period.
I am delighted to endorse the services of Oxford Open Learning from my initial enquiry to commencing the programme was a positive experience.
Thank you!

This course has changed my life!
As a mature student, I have completed the IGCSE course in English Literature and thoroughly recommend it. The course is excellent and has hugely broadened my understanding of the literary world and the writing process. My tutor, Mandy Lloyd, has been exceptional, both in her professionalism in marking my work and keeping me on track, and also her wonderful enthusiasm and encouragement.
Excellent value for money! Thinking of doing it? Don't hesitate!
Roddy Haswell
Lynton, North Devon

Painfully out of date materials, and set up procedures. But gets the job done if you are motivated.

I've been studying for Spanish IGCSE. I've had a really helpful and supportive tutor but my experience with OOL and their admin procedures has been enormously frustrating. I didn't ever receive one marked assignment (with OOL claiming not to have received it from the tutor). They received a final and very important assignment from the tutor two weeks before exams but despite my pleas for a quick despatch to me (and my supplying a stamped addressed first-class stamp) there was still no timely despatch of the assignment to me. This has been really frustrating. Effective learning is founded on timely return of work and this company isn't geared up to providing that.

I am currently studying Maths GCSE and English IGSCE with OOL and my experience is VERY different to all the listed reviewers on this site. My first Maths tutor did not offer the support I needed (he preferred to be emailed rather than called) so I was quickly given another tutor. Unfortunately, I quickly lost confidence with the level of support I received: queries were answered incorrectly, email questions misinterpreted and the marking was difficult to decipher.

When I asked for support (which is a service I have paid for) - I was sent a link to a Youtube video. This is really lazy support; I can go on Youtube myself!

I am an extremely motivated learner, fully aware of the difficulties of distant learning. I expected so much more, after careful and thorough research into which Distant Learning company to choose. I haven't had the same issues with English as I have with Maths however, the overall service from OOL has been poor. Therefore I would not recommend this company.

The tutors were friendly and efficient, with lots of good advice. Helped build my confidence to get such high marks!

This Oxford Open Learning course is very well designed and provides everything necessary to prepare you for the exams.
The staff at OOL were always very helpful and friendly and my tutor was amazing.

I studied for the iGCSE Biology, which I needed to study for in order to become a Primary teacher. I started the course in March 2016, and my first exam was mid-May 2016. There were a lot of resources (course work to work through) and support from my tutor, Chris.
But, I worked super hard, I studied every day, on average about 4 hours. It is hard work and there's no short cut, you have to put the graft in. I got an A, and I'm very proud of myself.

I took the Fastrack option to IGCSE Biology last year. I found the course file very helpful in conjunction with the Edexel text book and Twig online.

As I completed the course in only 4 months, I was rather dependent on my tutor turning around assignments quickly. This worked at first but tailed off as we got nearer to the exam. When I emailed her after paper 1, she never replied. I never heard anything from anyone at Oxford Open Learning again until they requested this review 9 months later. I felt disappointed as the course was expensive and feedback is an essential part of improving service.

This option is a means to an end. You need to be self-motivated but if you stick at it, you can get good results.

Had excellent support from my Biology tutor - couldn't have been better, but Maths tutor was totally unhelpful, and had to help myself, basically! Supporting material was very good for both subjects.