Educating at Home

Wendrie

I find that if I ring up and ask to speak to the education department that I can usually find out about discounts for home ed. For example here in London the Science Museum at first where thrown but now allow home ed to go to any school program at the school rate (adults have to pay as "additional adults") and have even started running events aimed at homeschoolers.

Legoland was another - when they opened they'd never heard of home ed, now you can book an educational visit and get in at school prices. It is always worth ringing where you are hoping to go and asking

In the Education Otherwise Newsletter (and in other group's newsletters too I'm sure but I've not joined them) there is a list of discounts and gatherings locally where you can meet other home schoolers/home edders and find out about discounts. Example's we've used are teacher's library cards to allow you to get more books out for longer (term length) for projects, education packs from various places, discounts in local areas that aren't available to non local home edders.

My two are 11 (12 next week) and 13 (14 in June) and have never been to school. We love the lifestyle and days out when everyone else is in school is a plus for us

slobbery

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and advice - lots to investigate now!

elaine373

I dont know if this is the right place to post this but here goes. I have had major problems with my daughters(2 of them) primary school and today i am thinking of home tutoring them until september. I wondered who here home tutors and where would i start with this. Also need to know what would happen regarding educational visitors and what would i need to prove to them that they are being educated accordingly? Any info or advice gratefully received.

Nile

Hello elaine373


I've moved your thread to the 'Marriage, Relationships & Families' board, where it should get more views and responses.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [email="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/email].

Regards

Nile

Bargain_Rzl

Chipps (normally to be found on the Old Style board) homeschools her kids - perhaps you could send her a PM?

melt71

Hi Elaine,

You firstly need to put in writing an official statement that you are withdrawing your children from school as from xxx date. From memory I don't think you need to explain your reasons, but you may wish to do so. You will need to say that you are now planning to teach them at home.

As they are already in the education system there will be a follow up by the local authority. It won't be straight away, but I think you will get a visit in the future (if you're only doing it until September they may not visit you in time). They will probably just want to assess that you are actually teaching them and how - although they can't force you to follow a certain curriculum or even for the girls to take the usual tests/exams for their age, that is completely up to you.

I've emailed you a link to a useful site.

Mel

jockettuk

are you thinking of getting them into another school in september or back into the school they in now.. If its the same school as now they might not automatically get back in as you have given up there place..

Garden_Gnomess

Hi,

hope this helps...

We home educated our son for 2 years (age 9 - 11) after some very unhappy times for him at school. The school gave us a lot of grief about it but it was the best thing we could have done for him. We followed the national curriculum and he got all his 'schoolwork' done in the mornings, so had more time and energy for extra stuff like music and cooking, clubs, outings to interesting places, seeing his friends and generally being more relaxed (and yes, playing computer games!). He changed almost overnight from being miserable, permanently tired and unmotivated to being totally happy with himself and really enjoying life. Basically, he got his sparkle back.

When he went back to school in time for GCSEs he easily made lots of new friends and did well academically too. Of course, there were the usual teenage 'challenges' but he grew out of those like they all do. I won't say much about his life now as he's 23 and I feel I should respect his privacy, so just to say that he's doing well, has a lovely fiancee and a great bunch of mates.

Anyway, that's enough from me. Try this link : http://www.education-otherwise.org/

They'll put you in touch with other home-schoolers, and also give you legal advice.

There's also an organisation called Human Scale Education, which is connected to the Small School movement: http://www.hse.org.uk/

Good luck! I'd love to hear how you get on.

elaine373

jockettuk wrote:

are you thinking of getting them into another school in september or back into the school they in now.. If its the same school as now they might not automatically get back in as you have given up there place..

I am only considering doing this and not definitely doing it. If i do all this, i intend to put them in another school in september.

slobbery

Hi Elaine

I am just about to embark on this with my 12 year old son, it's his last day of school today!

I have done lots of research over the last few weeks and found the bbc bitesize website particularly excellent. By doing some of the tests it has allowed us to see what work we need to do to carry on with the curriculum in the subjects he wants to continue to study. Of course, there is no obligation to follow the curriculum at all!

There is a home eduction yahoo group in my area http://groups.yahoo.com/group/worcestershirehome-ed/
which I have subscribed to which has meetings/trips/useful links etc - I'm sure there must be one in your local area too.

With regards to Local Authority, my research suggests that keeping a diary of everything you do/books read/trips out etc and keeping any written work the children do will give them enough info to leave you alone!

Good luck for the future and if you want to pm me to compare notes etc I'd be happy to hear from you.