Home schooling, where do I start

[SassySheila]

Sorry, I'm shamelessly posting in AIBU for traffic!!

I have a year 6 school refusing dd, I've considered home schooling over the years for various reasons but never actually taken the plunge, one of the reasons is we live quite rurally.

I'm now seriously considering it due to dd's school refusal and anxiety, plus I strongly suspect she's somewhere on the ASD spectrum so sometimes struggles socially.

The think is I don't know where to start 🤷‍♀️

Could any homeschooling parents out there point me in the right direction.

[SassySheila]

I drive and we live about 45 mins from Cambridge where there is lots of groups. I've also found there are some families in our village who home school.

There are also the activities that dd normally does after school such as dance etc.

[Alittlenonsensenowandthen]

We took ours out in year 5 and best decision we made. It gave them two years of wonderful freedom and an extension to their childhood. We put them back in year 8 which was a joint decision. You've nothing to lose in year 6. If you and she hate it your can reverse the decision. My advice is remove her from school, de school for a while and the make decisions. Find your nearest meet ups, have some fun and enjoy the journey.

[Grandeur]

@SassySheila

I drive and we live about 45 mins from Cambridge where there is lots of groups. I've also found there are some families in our village who home school.

There are also the activities that dd normally does after school such as dance etc.

The after school activities sound good. But if the other groups are 45 minutes away I doubt they would realistically be attended often enough. Hopefully you will make the appropriate choices and decisions for your daughters development though.

[eyeteevee]

With respect, if she struggles a bit socially already then homeschooling and reducing social interaction could ultimately make this worse, especially if she has ASD and is slow to pick up on social skills.

Only if you want to prioritise socialising over mental health.

I home Ed my 12 year old because social interaction turned her into a quivering wreck.

[Grandeur]

@eyeteevee

With respect, if she struggles a bit socially already then homeschooling and reducing social interaction could ultimately make this worse, especially if she has ASD and is slow to pick up on social skills.

Only if you want to prioritise socialising over mental health.

I home Ed my 12 year old because social interaction turned her into a quivering wreck.

I home Ed my 12 year old because social interaction turned her into a quivering wreck.
Yep, and that sounds like a good decision for your DC. However, OP said her DD sometimes struggles a bit socially, not that she's a quivering wreck. Thus, reducing social interaction could potentially worsen the situation for her. Some reading comprehension on this thread would be great.

[eyeteevee]

Some reading comprehension on this thread would be great.

Some understanding that we are not all as able to pick things up as yourself would be equally as great.

[motherofawhirlwind]

Just to say have just started my ASD / ADHD / OCD and depressed 15yo at King's Interhigh and the change in her is amazing. She's joined a local youth group and is still seeing her local friends. She's happier, in control and attending (couldn't even cope with part time at school).

[SassySheila]

I probably understated her anxiety.

dd has serious anxiety with text book OCD (I work in mental health). She also has Tourette's symptoms.

I have her seeing a private specialist child therapist (the CAMHS process, hoop jumping and waiting list is horrendous).

[SassySheila]

She also has a small group of lovely friends that I would make sure she stayed in contact with.

[Thatsnotmycar]

@SassySheila

I probably understated her anxiety.

dd has serious anxiety with text book OCD (I work in mental health). She also has Tourette's symptoms.

I have her seeing a private specialist child therapist (the CAMHS process, hoop jumping and waiting list is horrendous).

You wouldn’t need to sit on the normal waiting lists with an EHCP.

[ElspethTascioni]

I agree with @Thatsnotmycar Request that your LA carry out an assessment for an EHCP tomorrow. The bar for assessment is very low (only if she may have SEN that she may need special educational provision for). If you can get her an EHCP, that will be helpful even if you need to de-reg her - increasingly people are getting their home Ed paid for with EOTAS packages (education otherwise than at school) if their kids have SEN and you can get the expert reports (OT, Ed psych, SLT) to say it’s reasonably required.

[Thatsnotmycar]

@ElspethTascioni

I agree with @Thatsnotmycar Request that your LA carry out an assessment for an EHCP tomorrow. The bar for assessment is very low (only if she may have SEN that she may need special educational provision for). If you can get her an EHCP, that will be helpful even if you need to de-reg her - increasingly people are getting their home Ed paid for with EOTAS packages (education otherwise than at school) if their kids have SEN and you can get the expert reports (OT, Ed psych, SLT) to say it’s reasonably required.

Yes, DS1 has an EOTAS package with tuition, therapies and other provision worth well over £100k pa. If we EHE we couldn’t afford to provide all the support he receives. It’s important to distinguish EOTAS to EHE as with EOTAS the LA retain responsibility for providing provision.

[lookingformyleopard]

Cambridgeshire is an awesome place for home ed. we moved here partly because of this! There's loads going on in Cambridge but there are also things happening in surrounding villages so depending on whereabouts you are you might find something quite local.
There are Facebook groups (Home education Cambridgeshire is a good place to start) but also lots of stuff organised in WhatsApp groups too.

[DizzyBoots]

@Thatsnotmycar Section 19 tutoring can only last 2-4 weeks then reintegrate into school. im going through that at the moment with my 14yo after a 3 yr battle with various hoops to jump with the school and LA. im about to finally crack up so i think home schooling is the best option now for my child.

[Thatsnotmycar]

@DizzyBoots

@Thatsnotmycar Section 19 tutoring can only last 2-4 weeks then reintegrate into school. im going through that at the moment with my 14yo after a 3 yr battle with various hoops to jump with the school and LA. im about to finally crack up so i think home schooling is the best option now for my child.

Absolutely not true. Your LA may like to think that, but that is not the law and provision can be enforced.