to homeschool for a year just for a new house

[SenoritaFajita]

We’ve fallen for a new build which ticks almost all our boxes, and will be ready to move into this summer. We’d look to live here for at least the next 15 years.

The house is close to the office for both DH and I (we alternate wfh days) and also to DD1’s school.

However… DD2 will be starting Y6 in September and it wouldn’t be feasible for us to drive from the new house to her current school (total 2 hours driving back and forth each day).

As long as her 11+ results are as predicted, DD2 should be going to the same secondary school as DD1.

I don’t want her to start a new school in Y6 so I’m considering pulling her out of school altogether and homeschooling for the final year. Realistically this would mean Oak Academy for the 3 days I’m working, then I have 2 days off where we could do more “fun” and interactive learning.

She herself has said she wouldn’t mind missing out on her residential, final year performance and prom… but will she regret this? WWYD?

I am going to echo what others have said and think this is an awful idea! Pulling her out of one of the most crucial and fun years of primary, so she can sit on her own in a new house for 3 days a week watching videos is rubbish! There must be a better way!

I’d send her to the local school so she can make friends. Year 7 can be hard enough, I wouldn’t be isolating her in year 6

Can you stall the move? Though 30 mins to school is realistically not worth doing something so drastic as homeschooling in my opinion if she’s otherwise happy. Do you have family nearby she could sleep at one night a week maybe? And split the drop off/pick up with your partner so it’s only 1 hour for you. There may be other parents to car pool with too or a bus if your DD is mature enough?

Although of course she will have taken the 11+ before your home schooling scenario won’t she if she is entering year 6 in September and you will be moving in the summer (another one who is skeptical of that). So that is something at least.
but no I still wouldn’t do it.
30 minutes drive is totally doable and I am quite surprised you think it isn’t. It never occurred to me not to drive that for him when we were in this position.

Just a thought, if it’s only 30 mins just keep her where she is and if you work from home could you look for one of those hot desk offices where you can have a desk for the day to work from, do calls etc and time you day so you effectively save an hour of the travelling? May not work depending on your work but worth a look maybe, there are some great spaces near me for this!

Y6 is an important transition year, including transition days at new secondary school, she needs to be there

My children go to school 30 mins away. We’ve been doing this school run for nine years so far. I’m sure you can manage one year!!!

My parents moved 400 miles away when I was in year 6.....can honestly say it worked out great as I met new friends in a local primary school, most who had a house near mine so I had new friends to play with with going to a big new school wasn't scary as I knew people.

Home education can do a better job than school, and give access to more opportunities than school children have.

For example school children have probably 1 school trip a year, some home ed groups organise one every week.

Absolutely go for it! Get involved in your local community and she will thrive

Bad idea, very bad imo.
I went to Australia for a year aged 10, made really good friends. My Dad was posted there for his job.
2 hours drive is nothing tbf, nice chatting time, or put her in feeder Year 6 for a year

My parents moved back to England when I was about to start my final year in Primary School and it made such a difference. I made some really close friends that I moved up to Secondary with and one of them is still a friend now and I’m in my mid 50’s.

I'm not sure what your Local Authority would say about your idea of Homeschooling. We were interviewed as to what we would be teaching and I've heard of people being asked to submit lesson plans. I'd probably consider doing the two hours driving or look at WFH somewhere near the school. Imagine turning up in Y7 to find your old friends who now have memories of Prom and Trips that you weren't a part of. Or possibly friendship groups of which she's no longer a part of? It could also be the case that by the time you've actually moved into your new house, it's already way into Y6. If they're new builds you could also buy off-plan for a house that won't be ready until 2024 which would mean not having this problem at all.

Can't you just do the drive? We do that now. It's not so bad.

The idea is fine but Oak Academy is crap, done on a shoestring and extremely boring. You would be doing your daughter a disservice. However an online school like Wolsey Hall, or one with live classes depending on your daughter's preference could work very well. They would keep her on track to meet her aspirations, then sign her up for plenty of extra curricular activities locally so she can make friends locally. You'd need to budget for fees. I spend about £5k a year on fees and extra curriculars - a lot yes, but significantly less than private school for a better quality and more personalised education.

Good luck

I’d move her to new school and it will help her make new friends before moving to big school.

I feel children learn so much technique, timings, fine-tuning etc coming up to 11+ and this would be a big miss for her

Good luck whatsoever you decide

Year 6! No. She’ll miss out on a load of social stuff, all the academic stuff and don’t underestimate what you’ll have to do.

I don't think it's such a ridiculous idea. The 11+ exam is so early on in year 6 that most of the prep happens over the summer holiday anyway.

I'd be looking to enrol her in plenty of after school/weekend clubs near the new house so she has local friends, whether or not they end up at secondary school together (I personally think it's a really good thing to have a separate group of friends outside of school anyway).

I think all the options are probably fine - I would have bitten my parent's arms of to homeschool in year 6, I currently drive my kids to school 30 mins each way (WFH and sometimes coffee shops or the car if meetings overlap with driving), and they've both changed schools multiple times with no fuss.

Have a really good, honest conversation with her, a good think about the drive possibility, and see what falls out.

It’s a big gamble for a house. Your child’s future is more important than a house….

This sounds like a rough deal for your daughter. Can’t you rent a desk near the current school or something.

I love this response, no attitude just Palin simple oops I got it wrong, your kids are obviously very lucky 😉

I’m currently Head of Year 7 and have been in charge of transition at my current school for the past 5 years. Your idea of home schooling is a terrible one. Oak Academy will not compare to the lessons in school, and your daughter really will miss out on the social aspect.
If you can’t keep your daughter at her current school, move her to the one closest to your house. This way she will meet new friends who she will move up with at secondary. It also means she won’t miss out on her county transition day and all the transition work primary schools put in.

Lock form wasn't bad for everyone, my son just did his work so he could get to the fun stuff.

You should find a wfh place near her existing school, it would worry me if my child didn't want to do all those year 6 things. Either she doesn't know what she'll be missing or she is struggling anyway socially (so shouldn't be home schooled!)

I'm so sorry I've just seen your update- glad she'll get to enjoy her last year 😀