To consider homeschooling DD from ages 5-7? School sounds horrific right now!

[Absofrigginlootly]

Yes yes I know there is a homeschooling section of MN, but I'm watching a current thread very similar to what I want to ask and it's not very active right now so thought I would try here for more traffic. So shoot me

Aaaaaaanyway, DD only 18 months old so we have a while to decide but I'm very curious to hear from parents of children currently started school/in lower primary, teachers and other home educations parents.

I keep hearing about how schools and pupils are buckling under all this SATS pressure/under funding etc, and have read quite a bit about the advantages of delaying formal schooling until aged 7.

I am a SAHM and DH earns a good wage so that's not an issue. I'm educated to postgrad level although zero experience of teaching. Have no plans to send DD to preschool, so she wouldn't be starting school until 5 years at the earliest (Autumn baby).

DH is not convinced and tbh I need to find out more before I can make a decision....but where to start? Google is not very helpful.

Any advice or suggestions most welcome :)

Also, do you not intend to return to work? Should you and your DH split you are very vulnerable. Plus. It's a good life lesson to teach your child - that both parents contribute in similar ways.

Don't you see being a SAHM as 'contributing' then?

My reception aged DD loves school. Nothing 'horrific' has happened so far. Don't forget you probably only see the extreme stories on the net. Most kids are trucking along fine.

It very much depends on the schools in your area. My DS is in Y4 at a small local state primary in Wales, which benefited enormously form having a heavily plsy-based curriculum for a number of years - it hasn't done tremendously well in its most recent ESTYN (Welsh OFSTED) inspection but is a very happy, relaxed school and DS is thriving and not feeling the pressure at all, They did do Y2 SATs, but there was so little pressure that when I produced a book of practice maths exercises and suggested that we have a little look at them, just so he knew what to expect for his test, he blithely announced that he'd already done it the previous week - so low-key was the preparation that it had passed us by entirely and he'd still passed with flying colours! So not all schools are horrific at all - ours is for the most part absolutely lovely and I know homeschooling wouldn't suit us at all andmy DS would hate it.

Tbh there is no problem with home schooling but if you make that decision check out the local home ed groups around you. These tend to be really good fun for tge children and they start meeting up from pre-school ages onwards. It's a great way of finding out if HE is for you.

I think it would be increadibly hard for a seven year old who didn't even go to nursery or preschool, to adjust to a suddenly more formal educational setting, where everyone has been together for years and knows the drill with regard to being in school.

Are you going to have more children? Would it still be practical to be home schooling when you have a toddler or baby as well?

You should reconsider pre-school, it was/is brilliant for my DC and is a great intro to school.

Were home edding from the start op, but we plan to send her to a pre school/ nursery before she reaches school age.

An important part of home edding success is being part of a home ed network where you live. So you can meet other families, your kids have friends and feel confident mixing with other children.

Home ed is fine if you want to give it a try but its not for everyone m, I would start her off in a pre school just to be sure while you think it over.

There are some great resources online about how to manage your time, structured time table vs unschooling styles and even youtube vids from home edders about lessons they have planned and how they structure their days. Have a look around!

But don't home ed just because you are worried about sending her to school. Its really hard work and your DD might love school. The replies on here prove its not all bad!

We home ed and are very happy with the decision. As teachers, parents and school governors we are confident that our kids are better off down this route.

Why won't you send her to pre-school? My DD adores pre-school. In fact, if you ask her what she wants to do today, she asks to go to pre-school.

One child didn't do preschool as she hated being away from home and is an anxious soul (happily goes to a childminder one long morning a week while we work though), the other goes a couple of mornings a week and likes it but will be home ed when preschool ends. It isn't all or nothing.

Well in my experience the early years and ks1 are really lovely and I would hate my child to miss out on that. If you are serious about home schooling pull them out of school once they finish ks1, let them have the fun of the first three years, develop their social skills, make friends, learn things like perseverance.

Reception is the best year of a child school life in my opinion

Depends on your schools available in your area, and of course it depends on your child.

I don't think YABU to be thinking about it; but (and I'm sure you will) do investigate other options too...online and on MN you do only see the 'worst' of the whole school/sats experience...this differs wildly from our local schools. When dn sat his Y2 ones he wasn't even aware he was sitting them - it was literally 'we're going to do a little test today, but don't worry about it'.

There are lots of home ed groups available if you do decide to go down that route. I know a lot of people think that home ed kids don't get to socialise or spend time with kids their own age, but from my experience most home ed parents are keen to get them involved in extra curricular activities and groups.

Also, some children absoluty thrive at school. I know the plural of anecdotes isn't data, but the kids I know in KS1 all seem to get a real 'buzz' out of school.

I wouldn't set anything in stone yet; she's still so little and I am sure you will have a better idea of what suits her needs nearer the time.

SATS have changed this year - the content is certainly more horrific than it used to be - parents who have finished with primary may not realise just how awful the year 6 SATS are now.

However, I have told ds3 not to worry about them. He's a hard worker and an anxious child he doesn't need to lie awake at night worrying about the difference between a subordinating or coordinating conjunction. So although they have a hideous content they can certainly be ignored at home.

Actually fucked if I know what the difference between a coordinating and subordinating conjunction is and I have a PhD.

Thanks for the replies, interesting range of opinions.

I never said school WAS horrific, just that it SOUNDS horrific right now... All I seem to see on the news, here, Facebook etc is how much pressure everyone is under (staff and students), how underfunded everything is etc etc

Maybe 'horrific' was the wrong word, it was just a turn of phrase but I forgot how literal you have to be on here sometimes

Im not against school. I'm just open minded and interested in finding out about ALL our options.

My career, marriage, personal finances are not really why I posted but I thank you for your concerns, everything hunky dorey on that front

Have a look at some schools nearer the time - you may like what you see.

I think a lot of teachers are having a horrific time, and it is a tough time to be in the profession - but nearly every teacher says it isn't the contact time that's horrific - and they do their best to protect the children from it.

Honestly, have a look at some schools nearer the time & see what you think.

If you aren't planning on sending her to pre-school or nursery I hope you are doing something else with her, joining groups etc. It's really important that she's socialised with other children at an early age. It's where they learn to share, play with each other, negotiate etc.

I think school is good, it's been great for both my dc and my youngest has suspected aspergers so needs extra support which the school has been fabulous with.

I think that if you plan to keep her at home until the age of 7 then you need to study the current curriculum and ensure your child is keeping up with it. Or she will struggle badly if placed in year 3 and miles behind the other children.

Also SATS aren't only for 6 year olds, they are done in year 6 as well. You don't need to make a huge deal of them. Parents in the school group on fb are fretting about tutors and extra tuition and downloading papers online and I'm just 'meh' . No one has ever asked for SATS results at a job interview.

I can't compare Home ed. to school as I have only done school..

I can only say.. My son has enjoyed school all the way through he is now year 4.. He didn't know he did SATs in year 2....

I love having him at home during the holidays and dream about Home educating him...However I would not...My reasons - my son comes home and is learning all sorts of things I didn't even do in school never mind teach him, he loves the social side of school, he has suffered separation issues. attaching to a teacher each year and then moving on to another is really helpful to him as these people haven't just disappeared... He received a diagnosis this year .. doubt it would of been picked up had he been HE... I would also say he has learned to resolve issues with others ...Lots of other things I think he has gained..

I've home educated from the start.
Had eldest do a couple of preschool sessions a week alongside home ed group activities. Youngest didn't do preschool but was mixing in the home ed world from birth.
My eldest chose to go to school at 10 and despite having never followed the national curriculum (my main reason for home educating) slotted in no problem. The only issue has been him been cruising in some subjects and boredom leading to class clownitus.
My children are 10 and 14 and I have never regretted home educating. I have bright, sociable (the younger one isn't naturally so we have been able to go at his pace), well mannered, independent, capable human beings.

Home ed isn't a bubble children mix with all sorts of ages, backgrounds, they certainly don't get on with everyone so all the same skills of learning how to get on with people still has to happen.
What questions did you want to ask OP?

How would homeschooling until 7 help her avoid SATS stress? I think doing it this way round she would be missing out on the best bits of school.

Am I misinformed in thinking SATs are for the schools , to show how good they are and have nothing to do with benefiting the children?

Or is it just my kids' school?
My eldest 2 are now in secondary and the SATs were completely ignored as the secondary school does assessment in first half term and based on results will then slot pupils into tutor groups.

SATs are overrated IMO. Schools who put children under extreme pressure about it only want to prove themselves and ignore what is actually best for the children.

I forgot what the other questions were