Kowel Gwenen

Helping remove barriers to qualifications

In 2023, after leaving a career in mainstream education, Chrissi began tutoring young people who did not attend a school. These young people were amazing but didn’t have anywhere locally to sit their qualifications. It was at this point the idea for opening Cornwall’s first private exam centre was formed and plans for the bursary which now supports this started to come together.

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The Kowel Gwenen Fund

Every young person deserves the opportunity to gain the qualifications they need to move forward in life.

For some young people, accessing GCSEs or Functional Skills qualifications can be difficult. The barriers can be practical, financial or linked to their individual educational journey. For families outside mainstream education, the cost of examination entries can be one more barrier standing between a young person and the qualifications they need.

Kowel Gwenen was created to help remove some of those barriers.

Based in Bodmin, CB Tutoring and Exams provides a supportive and accessible environment for young people to sit their GCSEs, International GCSEs and Functional Skills examinations. The centre works with major awarding bodies, including AQA and Pearson Edexcel, and exists to make examinations more accessible to young people who may otherwise face significant challenges accessing them locally.

Why does the fund exist?

We know that education does not look the same for every young person.

Some young people are educated at home. Some are outside mainstream education. Some have taken a different route through their education and need a more flexible approach to gaining their qualifications.

Whatever their circumstances, their educational journey should not prevent them from having the opportunity to achieve.

Kowel Gwenen was established because we believe that young people should have access to examination services that are supportive, accessible and designed around their needs. Our aim is to remove practical barriers, reduce anxiety and help young people approach their examinations with confidence.

But we also recognise that for some families, the financial cost of entering examinations can be a significant barrier.

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What is the Kowel Gwenen Fund?

The Kowel Gwenen Fund has been established to help remove that financial barrier.

Each year, the fund will provide examination support for six local young people, covering the cost of their Maths and/or English GCSE or Functional Skills examinations.

The fund is about more than paying an examination fee.

It is about giving young people the opportunity to gain the qualifications they need, regardless of the financial circumstances of their family.

It is about empowerment, inclusivity and creating opportunities.

It is about making sure that a young person’s circumstances do not become the reason they are unable to sit the examinations they need.

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Who can apply?

Applications are open to young people who:

Live in Cornwall

Are 16 years old at the time of sitting their examinations

Are seeking support for Maths and/or English GCSE or Functional Skills examinations

Meet the financial eligibility criteria for the fund

Families receiving one or more of the following may apply:

Universal Credit

Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Child Tax Credit

Working Tax Credit run-on

Guaranteed Pension Credit

Support under the Immigration/Asylum Act

Applications may also be considered in cases of financial hardship not listed above.

What does the fund cover?

The fund will provide support for six young people each year.

For successful applicants, the fund will cover the cost of their allocated Maths and/or English GCSE or Functional Skills examination entries.

The support is intended to help young people access the qualifications they need to progress with their education, training, employment or future plans.

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