Home education- what do I need to know ? Realised I don’t want to send dd to school!

[Olivebreadandespresso]

Can anyone point me in the direction of good sources of info / advice ? My LA website hardly says anything !

dd is a June baby was prem and has SEN. I was unsure about school
anyway as she couldn’t manage nursery at all, we don’t have an EHCP and in all honesty I think she will be happier and healthier at home/ at home Ed groups etc being home educated at her own pace.

I just don’t know where to start !

The best advice is on Facebook. Search for groups with the keywords "Home Education" - you will find the huge national groups and the local ones for your area.

Thankyou I’ll have a look. I thought it would be on the LA website but there’s hardly anything at all so I wasn’t sure where to get up to date info!

I just want what’s best for dd. The thought of PT work, wraparound care that she won’t cope with let alone the school day plus her appts etc was making me so stressed. I feel I need to focus on her . She has just been awarded dla till age 12 at a high rate so I can claim carers and that together is nearly the same as what I was earning so I can afford to then just put dd first for her primary years

Well what was your question? Because I have no idea what you were asking.

Try Educational Freedom and Education Otherwise websites.

You didn't have a clear question no. Your comment is irrelevant to anything OP is asking.
OP, as PP said look at social media, hopefully you'll find a heap of groups local to you, you can start putting feelers out and getting some support 🙂

You weren’t terribly clear at all.

Is there a reason why you don't have an EHCP? If she needs a lot of support, her needs could well be best met in a specialist environment.

How do you know this? The mother is the best environment for every child

OP there are a lot of really good SEN schools that have access to therapies that you as a parent may struggle to access. As well as this school can be really important for social development. I think as a parent it can be difficult to comprehend just how much children learn at school, even just from watching other kids.
I'm slightly concerned that you're doing this as you can then claim carers allowance and that's easier all round than working and having dd in school. How do you know you're doing what's right and best for dd when she hasn't even had the chance to try school, especially when you don't know anything about what's involved in educating a child.
Get her an EHCP and find a school that meets her needs. If after 6 months, or a year it's not working for her then consider home ed.

How do you know this? The mother is the best environment for every child

That is just……..not true.

Not really. The OP was asking for advice about how to go about the process of home ed, and you were asking the OP about her work, her experience and what appeals to her. Don't see why you were asking that, and I can't understand the relevance to the OP's question.

Home education for all on Facebook is a very informative and supportive group.

There is a home ed board on MN. It is possible for your son to start reception the September after he turns 5 - no pressure, just letting you know this is a possibility. You could always apply for this and then decline your place later if you don’t want it.

That statement is absolute nonsense.

In some cases the mother provides the best environment for her child. In other cases, she absolutely does not.

I think you need to consider lots of things:

1. do you have the ability to home educate in all subjects to the end of primary? Not just in an academic sense but in an emotional sense. I’m a teacher, and if I had to look after and then teach my own children 24/7 I think I might want to dig my own eyes out.
2. can you afford it? Home Ed can be expensive, by the time you’ve added up groups / resources / access to events / lack of wages. This isn’t just about making ends meet from your previous wage. This is going to cost a lot of money compared to state school.
3. if your child has complex SEN needs, is there any possibility that a special school will have access to the specialist knowledge and provision of (for example) physio’s that you won’t have? If so, how will you bridge the gap (thinking about point 2)?
4. you will need to work hard to build up a social circle.
5. you need a plan for secondary school. If you are expecting them to start year 7 in school then they need to not have spent the whole of their primary education looking at the Egyptians (for example) because they love it, but are completely unable to access the year 7 curriculum.

If you can afford to home educate and not work, why would dd need wrap-around care?

I think it would be useful to do as much research as you can, looking at FB and other groups, to see what’s on offer and how to go about it.

I would also suggest requesting an EHCNA, so you could get a very clear idea about what her educational needs are, how they could be met at home and whether there is specialist support you might need and be able to access, such as S&LT, physio, support with physical needs if required, not forgetting opportunities to join groups and socialise with other children.

Find a home ed group in your area.
My dn was home educated.
He's never been to any school.
He's doing a btech in music at college now.

He's a sociable, talented young man with good gcse's and as well educated as most other dc.

The mother is the best environment for every child

That is absolutely not true. And what a huge pressure to heap on to people who have to go to work to pay bills. HE is a big decision and one that should not be taken lightly.

There are plenty of children who are definitely not in a better environment because they are not at school.

Not all mothers are equal.