To ask why a significant amount of home Ed kids are joining school at KS2?

[Nonunsnonunsnone]

This might be area specific but we have had 10 or so kids join my kids school in the last six months who were previously home educated, either completely or since 2020. Being the nosey bitch that I am, I would rather ask MN than ask them directly.
I would have thought that any initial enthusiasm for home education would have been extinguished by the pandemic, it hit immediately.
It doesn't seem to be an easy choice for some (parents crying at the gates with others telling them it does get easier) so is it the economic climate?
FWIW I am not in favour of homeschooling as I don't believe that any of the hippie settings would have picked up on my DC's learning disability and possible autism as she would have just been left to paint all day and 'work at her own level'. I see some children who are homeschooled in my volunteer work who have pretty obvious needs but are just left to be 'wild' or 'free spirited'. I'm never quite sure who is being protected from the real world, the child or the parents.

My kids aren't of that age yet, but I always loved the idea of homeschooling for the years 1&2, while it's mostly learning by play, and even with my education level, I'd be easily able to teach them the things they'd need to learn to then join year 3 at a slightly more mature age and having had those extra 2 years at home with me.

@Icedlatteplease - I agree. I personally think the bbc and OU should develop a full online curriculum to gcses (at least for maths, English, science). With videos, resources etc. Also funding for home Ed kids to take gcses and easy access to exam centres.

This could be used for people who wish to homeschool or children who have to miss school due to illness. Local Authorities could fund tutors to supplement this online learning and give support to people with specific issues. We would have to be careful that this isn’t used to off-roll students who would wish to be in school, but it may provide a much more effective education for some.

I wonder where the op is……

So, what you're saying is that it didn't take a teacher to teach your daughter to read. Because you used one of the many online resources that are available.
Which was exactly my point.

Loads of home-educators use Reading Eggs, too.

It's a myth other countries start later, so her research skills are already pretty sub par. I suspect she bangs on about Finland a lot.

I'm one of those people who let DD2 leave primary in y6 at the start of the pandemic. Schools offer of learning didn't work for her so she gravitated towards self-directed learning. She also has ASD and found this way hugely helped as she wasn't anxious about school, friends and social norms.
She recently returned to school in a specialist setting and has gone from not achieving in mainstream to being able to start her GCSEs in some subjects a year early, one being a language that she isn't taking in school but is still home-edding to achieve.

She chose to return to school as she had caught up to a pace she is comfortable with, has gained confidence and wants the challenge again.

I meant I couldn't do it myself like a teacher can, if I didn't have the money for reading eggs then she wouldn't have learnt until she could have figured it out for herself. Teachers learn how to teach so they can teach effectively themselves.

Funny my first thought was twat too. Judgemental, ignorant twat.

If you are genuinely interested in home-ed, then why post so aggressively?
It doesn't surprise me at all that some parents feel their children's needs have changed by the time they reach age 7 and that now school is the bettter choice, whereas home education was best before. As children get older they are generally better able to manage a more structured approach and large settings, while benefiting relatively more from the social aspects of school, more specialist facilities and activities. And yes, some parents might be able to sustain the cost of not working for a while, but not indefinitely. In my experience it is very common to switch at some point. Age 7, 11 and 16 would be the natural points.

Actually it is still considered really extremely hard to self-study for A-levels. I only know three young people who have done it, all of them highly academic. Nearly everybody goes to college or sixth form for A levels. On the other hand, most home ed families don't seem to feel the need to use school for GCSEs. Even families who initially expected that home educating for GCSE was too daunting usually realise it is quite possible after all.

But you're right that the availability of resources and advice on the internet is instrumental in making it viable to prepare for GCSEs independently. It must have been incredibly difficult previously. Even finding an exam centre would have been quite a challenge without the vast network which now exists.

I know someone who went to Oxford having been entirely home educated until A-levels. He then took A-levels, or the equivalent, part-time at College, including evening classes, spread out over longer than 2 years. So he never attended full-time education outside the home, but still needed some outside input.

It will depend what A Levels you do. Some are easier to self study for than others.

@Dinodigger
"We home educated for the early years as imo 4 is far too young to be in school. My 10 year old is sitting her 11 Plus today after deciding to go to school last year. Her ASD and ADHD were diagnosed too whilst she was home educated."

And you think you wouldnt have been able to figure the asd and adhd out if she went to school?

For her asd but also for her adhd i think you should have sent her to school at 4. As both disabilities affect social skills (as well as fitting in and making friends)
Sending them to school late is possible a detrimental choice especially when they go to highschool and it will be totally overwhelming for them (and that in combination with hormones and teenage attitudes) .

Sheltering a kid comes from a good heart (most of the time) i believe. But not (always ) to the benefit at the kid at the later stage in life

Given that it was me, and not school (who repeatedly said he was fine) that picked up on one of children having autism it would have been picked up at home! My DSs best mate is home school and he just rocked out 9 GCSEs over 2 years all grade 8 or 9s.

One of my DC was home educated at secondary age. Didn't do GCSEs or A levels, did OU courses (he's very bright!) then applied to uni. Got a first and won a bursary for his masters. Has an excellent job, flat etc

We have a very rigid idea of how education should be in this country, and it just doesn't work for all children and young people

@Marvellousmadness For her asd but also for her adhd i think you should have sent her to school at 4. As both disabilities affect social skills (as well as fitting in and making friends)
Sending them to school late is possible a detrimental choice especially when they go to highschool and it will be totally overwhelming for them (and that in combination with hormones and teenage attitudes) .
a bit like sending a deaf child to a music school is a good idea because it will just help them hear???? I don’t think you really understand what these disabilities are.

We have moved on a bit from that. You cannot educate ASD or ADHD out of your child.

You can teach some child to mask. This is an exhausting process that often has detrimental impact on their mental wellbeing and ability to learn.

So many children with asd in particular thrive homeschooling. It allows them to focus on their schooling whilst easing up the pressure on the stuff they can do. Many children with ASD find socialising over the computer easier than in real life.

(Which is why a structured online classroom accessible to all could be truly beneficial. It keeps the environment the same, allows children to avoid sensory issues of school uniform and if they don't want to turn the camera on on a specific day they don't have too. For kids with ADHD there are less distractions. Many kids with asd, adhd and social anxieties thrive in the structured online schools already available. They are however all currently private and costly.)

Just one final point regarding how you might damage your child when they hit school later. It might be worth considering how many children with SN are damaged by the school system and suffering additional mental health issues by the time they hit secondary.

That was in reply to @Marvellousmadness

@Dinodigger

Can I say I think you're doing it spot on. I think treating all schooling locations as having value is definitely the way to go. Lovely that your DC has made their own choice and Is having/has had the opportunity to experience both

I have to respectfully disagree with absolutely everything that you have written here. It's utter tosh.

I am a (Montessori) teacher (and have students with ADHD), plus DC1 has ASD. Having to conform to traditional school community rules can be absolutely exhausting for some children and they can feel overwhelmed. Being told to sit down, to work at a certain pace on topics chosen by others, in a setting that is not tailored to their needs and that they have no control over can be very detrimental to some children. How do you expect a child to learn when they are feeling entirely overwhelmed and uncomfortable?
Often the social interactions are completely exhausting, confusing and generates isolation.

Offering home schooling in a secure and safe place where a child can thrive, can be a wonderful gift for the child, if it is an available option. Home schooling communities often have social meets, which can offer the opportunity to have meaningful exchanges. What is important is that the child is able to learn in a way that suits them, and at their pace.

Whatever works best for the child and the parents, and we should all be supportive of that, rather than making general sweeping statements when you have no knowledge of the individuals involved.

should have sent her to school at 4. As both disabilities affect social skills (as well as fitting in and making friends)
Sending them to school late is possible a detrimental choice especially when they go to highschool and it will be totally overwhelming for them (and that in combination with hormones and teenage attitudes) .

The ignorance! You should try having a child with these conditions. You would soon find out they don't fit your fake it till you make it ideas. You really don't know what you're talking about.