Removal from school and HE

[carrotsdotty]

hello,

I am torn i want to start HE my 9 and 7 year old. We have had 4 years of bullying since reception of my 7 year old, and he is no longer happy at school.

After several visits to school and the head, it has been said from their point of view that even a change of school may not change the problem with bullying as my DS is quiet and reserved, he also has a physical disability which means any school would have to be able to accomodate his needs, i.e. he cannot get up stairs.

I want to HE and have since they were in nursery, however my DD is happy at school and i do not want to disrupt her education whilst at the same time i think HE would benefit my DS.

I guess i am looking for other home educators points of view and how to de-register from school if that is what we decide on, the pro's and con's so to speak.

Any advice would be very welcome.

[BrittaPerry]

You could just educate your DS for a while and see how you get on. Maybe even just for a set time, to get his confidence up, and then re evaluate.

[IslaValargeone]

I would also suggest just educating your son then and leaving your dd at school if she is happy, many families do both.
4 years is a long time to be bullied and unhappy at school.
I am rubbish at links but I am sure one of the experts will be along shortly to point you in the direction of deregistration letters etc. It isn't as daunting as it might seem.

[carrotsdotty]

thankyou, i have just spoken with our LA home education team who are going to meet with us. I think it will just be my son for now. Thanks again.

[ToffeeWhirl]

You can leave your DD at school and home educate your son if that's what suits you and them. I home educate one son and the other is still at school. They are both in the best place for them at the moment.

I'm shocked that your son has had to put up with bullying for four years. Poor boy - and how awful for you too. The school sound rubbish, to be honest. They should not be allowing it or blaming it on your son's quiet disposition and physical disability. It is their responsiblity to ensure that their pupils are safe at school and they are failing in their duty. It is absurd of them to suggest that your son will suffer the same problem in another school. I'm sure there are many schools where this situation would not be tolerated.

Have you posted on Special Needs as well? The regular posters there could probably give you advice on getting support for your son's physical disability at school (have you looked into getting support for him via a Statement?).

There's a link to an example de-registration letter here. I simply emailed my DS1's headmaster with an attached letter, then posted him a properly signed copy for his records as well.

We have a thread for newbies on this board if you decide to go down this route and care to join us.

[carrotsdotty]

thankyou toffee i will have a look on the other board and thread, he currently a step down from getting a statement i believe, its called school action plus. Yes the school is poor and thats being polite, he will be leaving now thats a definite, he's so withdrawn from how he used to be. Ill be de-registering at half term. Again thanks all for the advice its been very useful.

[julienoshoes]

Hello carrotsdotty

Just so you know, you don't HAVE to meet with the LA at all, you can choose to, but don't have to.
LAs like to meet with home educators but the law says you can choose how to give information about the education you are providing. Many families choose instead to send in written information instead.
To be bluntly honest I've met many LAs over the years and have never found anything that they could give to a home ed family that we couldn't get quicker faster and better from the home ed community.

I do hope you have a good LA....and there are a few, but be aware that many LA representatives lie about what you should be doing.
If you do choose to go ahead with meeting the LA, it is worth having a read of the "Elective Home Education :Guidelines for Local Authorities" published by the DfE in 2007. It lists what the LA can and should expect...sadly often different from what LAs tell new to HE families.

Have a look especially at the following sections of the guidelines;
Section 3.6 says that some home educating families choose to have a home visit, but others choose to send in written info instead...and it makes it plain that the LA do not have the right to meet your children, nor to see examples of work.

Section 3.11 makes it clear that the LA should give you a 'reasonable time' to settle into your home based education to see how it is working for you, before asking for information about it.

and Section 3.13 tells them that "Home educating parents are NOT required to:

teach the National Curriculum
provide a broad and balanced education
have a timetable
have premises equipped to any particular standard
set hours during which education will take place
have any specific qualifications
make detailed plans in advance
observe school hours, days or terms
give formal lessons
mark work done by their child
formally assess progress or set development objectives
reproduce school type peer group socialisation
match school-based, age-specific standards.

so they shouldn't be demanding any of this. You can choose to do any of it, but don't have to do it like this at all.

Once you have deregistered it's your choice how to educate your child, and your choice regarding how and what information to give to the LA.

Fiona Nicholson has a whole wealth of information about home education on her page, and plenty about home educating children with SEN

My best advice would be to find home educators local to you, and if you are on FaceBook at all, come and join the HE FB page and chat to us there. (send a note to the admins though, so we know who you are)

[morethanpotatoprints]

carrotsdotty.

I can't add anything thats not been said yet apart from maybe cancel the appointment with LA unless you find they are good. This is only because if they give you the wrong info they may put you off.
It is an awful long time for a child to be bullied, poor thing , You will find lots of support here and throughout the H.ed community. Anything you need to know there will be somebody who can help. Hope you find a good solution soon.

[FionaJNicholson]

Hi

Just checking you're in England?

As others have said you don't have to give reasons for home ed or to prove that you can do a better job than school. And if he doesn't have a statement (though it sounds as though he should?) but is only on School Action plus, you don't have any extra hoops to jump through with SEN paperwork.

Assuming you are in England, you just write a deregistration letter to the school. (That's all you have to do in Wales as well, but the regulations you need to quote are slightly different)

More info here edyourself.org/articles/helaw.php#takingchildoutschool
edyourself.org/articles/deregistration.php
(Specifically for England)

[Saracen]

To expand on something Julie said, you are allowed a reasonable time to settle into home education. You do not have to hit the ground running, with all plans in place from day one. Many families say that a period of relaxation without any attempts at academic work ("deschooling") is extremely helpful, particularly in the case of a child who has had a rough time at school.

So if you are quite sure that HE is the way to go, there's no particular reason why you need to wait for half term unless you want to. You could take your son out of school with immediate effect, just by submitting the deregistration letter. He does not ever have to go back.

[carrotsdotty]

Thanks everyone, the links have been a real help particularly the newbie thread and the legislation. Yes we are in england, we have talked to both kids last night about school and DS wants to leave he seemed very happy about it to be honest, DD wants to stay on for the time being so we are going to go with that. I think ill make an app with the head teacher as my DD want to stay. But looks like it will be friday as DS wants to say goodbye to his favorite teachers. Ill be sniffing around this board a lot now.

[Saracen]

Oh good, I'm glad that the decision has been an easy one for both of your children to make. It sounds like they are both clear about what they want and it's great that you'll be able to give that to each of them, home ed for one and school for the other.

I look forward to chatting with you more in the months to come!

[morethanpotatoprints]

carrotsdotty.

So pleased for you, as you can see from the newbie thread there are quite a few of us only just completing their first half term and many experienced ones. If you have any questions or just want some support there are so many here to help or chat to.
i'm sure things will look up for your ds now, he deserves a break, poor lad. . Oh and as yet, not heard any judgy people neither, so extra bonus

[catnipkitty]

Congratulations on your decision. I had 2 at home being HEd and 1 at school for a few months and it worked out fine (tho I was very happy when the 3rd one decided to leave school!).

Good luck!

C x

[carrotsdotty]

Thanks for all the best wishes

I have another query (worry) now i have just been having a look on some of the sites listed and came across a legal bit which says once i de-register it is possible that we could be referred to social services if a professional has concerns. Only concerned about this due to his physical issues if school decide to be difficult iyswim. Has anybody had any experience of this??

[morethanpotatoprints]

Carrotsdotty.

I haven't had this experience, sorry. But if nobody replies here start your own thread as I know several have

[Emandlu]

Which professionals, and concerns about what Carrots?

[carrotsdotty]

its was on ED Yourself under law and what happens after removing a child from school, to be honest i think it is mainly on about child protection issues, i think i got the wrong end of the stick before and have re-read it. Just finding some of it a bit confusing. I was wondering if a head teacher could refer just because of the decision to remove DS. Think i need a break from reading and a walk

[SDeuchars]

It is possible for headteachers to be difficult and for them to refer you, but I wouldn't worry about it. If someone from the LA contacts you about home education, ask them to put it in writing so you can be sure who is contacting you [and so you can get opinions on it].

If it is social services and there is a concern about DS's well-being, you need to take it seriously and answer the concerns.

If it is education, you can tell them that they should contact you again (in writing) in three months, once you have established home education. That would take you to at least March or April, at which point you can send a short document with:

• your educational philosophy (why you are home educating and a general statement of what you want to achieve - DS with self-confidence and ability to steer his own path)
  
• a statement of provision (what you do - including clubs or other activities; it does not need to include school-subject-related material at all)
  
• a list of resources (what you use - TV, PC, library, kitchen, etc.)

[Emandlu]

I don't think they can refer purely on the basis of you withdrawing your child from school. However, if they already have safeguarding concerns then a withdrawal may mean they refer. But home education in itself is not and should not be a safeguarding issue as far as I am aware.

[Piggy2012]

I home educated my daughter upto GCSE level and she did far better at home than many of her friends. My sons, however, went/are going through secondary school and it is/was a disaster. The law states that an Education needs to suit the pupil's need and not the finances of the LA (Human rights Act can help here)! There may be an alternernative as your son has physical/educational needs in the form of the private system. If you can find a school that suits his needs then the LA have to look at the school and if appropriate, pay the fees. Do not start me on bullying, we have had years of it here with Police involvement!

[carrotsdotty]

There have never been any safeguarding concerns and he is seen regularly through the hospital and physio's etc, so i don't think that will be an issue. We are still going ahead. Thankyou to SDeuchars for the list. piggy that is my fear that it may get worse as he gets older and im worried about his safety and mental state.