About to deregister dd1 - need some advice about the letter please....

[TooTicky]

She has one year of primary school left. I am going to home educate her for this year and have just been reading the sample deregistration letter on the Education Otherwise website. I just wondered, where it says about removing the child's name from the register, does it just mean the register of that school? I still want her to be able to apply for a secondary school place in the ordinary way and I don't want her name removed from the system altogether. Am I making any sense?

[HonoriaGlossop]

i think it can only mean the register of a particular school. there's no 'master list' of names that stays with the LEA for them to look at when it comes time for her to apply for secondary; you'd just have to apply in the normal way via a form I believe.

[TooTicky]

Thanks

[ShrinkingViolet]

to agree, you're just removing her from the register of that school - make sure though that you keep up to date with the application process for secondary as you'll not get the forms automatically (and in my area, it's Oct/Nov to apply) so check your LA website.
It's a scary thing to have done - so best of luck - have you joined any of the home ed email lists? and found local HE groups (I find I need ours for my own reassurance rather than for the children!)

[Spidermama]

Good for you Tooticky. This time last year I was completely set on de-registering my kids. I had a last minute change of heart but I really do wish I had the courage to do it.

I don't know the ins and outs but I did meet many families with thriving teenage children some of whom opted in and out and did varying degrees of adherence to the school curiculuum but tended to find they needn't bother.

Good luck to you.

[TooTicky]

Thanks. I have joined one group which seems friendly and active. Hopefully dd1 will be able to make some friends (sadly lacking at school).

How old are your dcs Spidermama? I'm not a full-blown HEer as the boys will still be at school and I expect to send dd2. However, if the school was shitey I probably would try and HE all of them.

[Spidermama]

TT mine are 9, 7, 5 and 2. I found festivals a good source of home edders. Also you have to remember they don't all group together. Home educating by its very nature negates the need to come together for education.

My kids have been doing loads of great spontaneous, autonomous learning throughout the summer holiday. It seems a shame to be shoe horning them back into the teflon brigade so they can spend at least half of each day waiting. Waiting for people to hang up their coats, waiting in the dinner cue, waiting with their hand up in class etc etc.

I trust you know all about Education Otherwise? I found them a great resource. Excellent literature too.

[TooTicky]

Funnily enough, we've just come back from our first ever festival. I did wonder how many of the people were HEers. Didn't get talking to any though. With 4 dcs there isn't really much time to talk to anybody else is there?
Yes, I have looked at the Education Otherwise site. And the lovely headmaster is being so helpful and supportive, even though I know he is disappointed.
My dcs are 11 today , 8, 5 and 2.
I do need to get dd1 together with some people though. She has been friendless for so long

[Spidermama]

Festivals are a great source of friends I find, if you choose the right one for you. I agree there's not much time to do anything much with four other than looking after their needs. Still, I think they get a great deal out of it. Sometimes you can meet other people who are simply facilitating their kids' needs.
With the small festivals I find my older two hang out with kids their age and just go off for hours. I'm talking about the really little, family festies with just a few hundred people.

I hope your dd had a good birthday yesterday. Sorry to hear she's friendless.

[TooTicky]

The festival we went to was just the right size. It was the Ragged Hedge Fair just outside Cirencester.