I currently Home Educate, Flexi School and School Educate my 3 children - AMA

[homeschoolED]

As the title says, I have one child in full time school, one child who is flexi schooled (part time in school and part time home educated) and one child in full time home education.

If you have any questions, ask away!

This is such an interesting thread and you have clearly put more thought and effort into your kids' education than a lot of people do. Lucky them!

I think about this a lot.

My own DC does not learn a lot in school unless she particularly likes the teacher. But she's not interested in academics at all and DH and I are teachers and don't want to give up our jobs.

She's just not motivated enough to learn much left to her own devices.

We've tried so hard over the years to get her interested in reading and learning. It just never "takes".

I have always thought she'd have done a lot better with the very old fashioned "follow an experienced tradesperson around" type of apprenticeship.

Is it expensive putting your child in for GCSEs?

Do you not feel it will be limiting, your child only having six?

Yes it's expensive - around £250 a subject to sit them as a private candidate I believe.

No I don't think it would limiting, why would it be?
My schooled child is only doing 7 GCSEs.

I'm not English and didn't do GCSEs myself but was definitely under the impression most people did more like 9 or 10.

Why do you think 6 would be limiting? Most college courses require 4, maybe 5.

If one of your children is bright and capable of taking more than 6 GCSEs, say closer to the 10 that they would take in mainstream school, how will you approach that? Are you capable of educating them to that level?

I think your method is fine if your children are not very academic but I struggle to see how you fulfil the attainment potential of a bright child.

What aspirations do you have for your dc? Do they have special needs that mean they are not able to achieve the same number of GCSEs as their peers or are you choosing to limit them just to make it easier?

What would be the purpose of taking 10 GCSEs?

A well rounded education 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm not sure what you mean by achieve the same number of GCSEs as their peers, which peers are you talking about?
Most British school children don't pass 5 GCSEs do they?

My schooled child is taking the same number of GCSEs as his peers, he's on the higher academic path at his school I think it's called the ebac? English, maths, science, foreign language and a humanities subject.

Is your view of a "well rounded education" purely about the number of GCSEs you sit?
I think we just are coming at education from a different perspective!
Exam passes are purely to enable you to move on to the next stage.
Education doesn't need to be limited to what GCSE subjects are available to you.

To give them more options and open more doors for them in terms of higher education, apprenticeships and starting out in careers. It’s a competitive world out there, you don’t appear to be aspirational and that choice is being made for them.

What higher education, apprenticeship or career are you thinking of that requires 10 GCSEs rather than 6 or 7?

Well sixth form entry to my kids state secondary requires more than that for a start.

How many do they require?

Fortunately of my local Sixth forms, one requires 6 GCSEs, one requires grade 6 in your A Level subjects plus 5 in maths and English language, and one requires two 4s & three 5s minimum with 6s required for some subjects.
Local colleges, one requires 4 passes and one requires 5 passes including maths and English.

I just looked it up and only 12% of 16 year olds took 10 GCSEs last year, so I don't think it's really a necessity 😂

This is my opinion too. The school day is not only about academic education it’s so much more. It’s learning how to live / interact with others independently. I’m one of 6 children and some of us but not all were home educated.

I would have mine in straight jackets and stuffed in a cupboard 😆 🤣 😂

Minimum 8 with grades 6s and 7s.

You seem content with life and I’m sure your kids are happy and well cared for and that is the most important thing. It’s just noticeable that you say early that your are low to moderate earners working less than full time hours and it seems a bit like that’s the future your ear marking for your children whether they could achieve more or not.

So I guess my question, as I’ve drifted off the AMA, is would you put one of your dc back on the mainstream path if you couldn’t meet their needs at home? I’m sure you would, you don’t seem rigid in your approach.

That’s kind of my point though, if you had one of the 12% that could, why limit them to 6 because you think that’s enough?

Presumably you live somewhere where there are lots of other 6th form and college options too though?

There's nothing to stop any of my kids getting 3 A Levels and going to university (I did), you seem quite fixed on needing a large number of GCSEs but that doesn't seem to be an issue anywhere in my county.

If they really want to do 10 then they could but it seems pointless if they're not needed for 6th form, college or university 🤔
It's not possible to take 10 GCSEs at the school though so they'd have to be home educated to do it.

Im interested in understanding the GCSE thing a bit more too - it was my understanding that you put them in for a wide range because if a child goes to college and does one thing but then changes their mind later in life, they then would have that foundational proof to get them onto further education to do so, rather than having to take a GCSE at a much later date. But I will admit I have not researched this understanding so id be interested in understanding what you found in your research to make the decision and what resources you used - things change so quickly after all! Is there a central place you can get advice on this specifically?

I think one reason to do more is to give them more options at A level - I think some courses require a GCSE in the subject, and whilst for others it may not be compulsory, it would be helpful.

At that age, more options are good as kids can change their minds!

I’m not fixated on 10, that’s just the norm in the non-grammar state schools near me. I just think 6 is low if they are a bright child capable of more.