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Alternative pathways into higher education

Updated Tuesday, 9 December 2025

This podcast explores how home-educated learners built confidence and study skills through OpenLearn and The Open University, showing how higher education can be flexible, accessible and empowering.

Find out more about The Open University's Education courses and qualifications.

In this episode, we meet two inspiring young people who were home educated and have since begun their journey into higher education with the support of OpenLearn and The Open University. (Request a prospectus here.)

Together, they share their honest reflections on home education from the flexibility and creativity it offers, to the challenges of learning independently and preparing for formal study. Through their personal stories, we explore how open educational resources and flexible learning opportunities helped them build confidence, develop study skills, and take their first steps into university life.

Whether you’re a home-educating parent, a student thinking about university, or simply curious about alternative pathways into higher education, this conversation offers valuable insight into how learning can be accessible, inclusive, and empowering for everyone.

Tune in, be inspired, and discover how OpenLearn and The Open University can help make your own higher education journey possible. 

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