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Covid

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Original poster

You have a choice, and can home school....

75 replies

Lua · 28/08/2020 19:48

... I hear this all the time. The question is: is that even possible these days?

What happened to home schooled kids in year 11 and 13 this year, does anyone know? Kids not at school would not have had teachers grade, right?

Is it really an option to keep some kids at home?

OP posts:

Ethelswith · 28/08/2020 20:12

Well it isn't for me. There's no way I couid begin to cover A levels in subjects other than my degree subjects and one language. And DC options aren't those

NailsNeedDoing · 28/08/2020 20:17

Of course it’s possible, it just takes a lot of time and money and a high standard of education yourself if you want to do it at gcse or A level.

Not sure about y11, assume it’s the same, but Y11 were just told to stop working because exams were cancelled and wait and see what happens to grades.

NailsNeedDoing · 28/08/2020 20:18

Sorry, meant y13 were told....

Devlesko · 28/08/2020 20:19

Of course it's possible, even if you aren't a teacher yourself.
It's them that are learning, you as a parent facilitate.
You don't need to attend school to learn, you can do it anywhere.
Me and dd used to work in the park unless winter/ bad weather.
You might not want to, that's a different thing, it's certainly possible. Loads of websites to help them, free resources online.

BadPoet · 28/08/2020 20:20

Some got CAGs through their exam centres, and some chose to take autumn sittings instead. It depended whether you had (or could get) the 'right' (and this was stringent) evidence together for the exam centre to submit - those who had taken courses with distance learning providers were at an advantage.

EndoplasmicReticulum · 28/08/2020 20:21

Some home schooled kids were not able to get CAGS and therefore got no grades.

RhubarbTea · 28/08/2020 20:22

Yes home schooling is legal But generally educating children is best done by a) motivated enthused parents or b) motivated enthused tutors or teachers.

I homeschool my DC and parents of older kids do various things, it varies so massively. Some enlist private tutors, in non pandemic times some kids will attend group classes and workshop, online school or lessons, GCSE's and A Levels by correspondence or at college part time... It's really hard to generalise.

I was home educated by someone who didn't know what she was doing, left me to it completely and it was a bad experience. So I have seen both sides of it. That said, parents shouldn't feel that they need to replicate the 9-3 school day as home as only a minority of home educators do that.
Home ed during a pandemic is also different to normal so it's hard to compare.

I hope that helps a bit OP, and anyone who is curious.

Jamhandprints · 28/08/2020 20:22

Of course home education is possible. Exams can be taken at Exam Centres if wanted. Otherwise there are lots of resources, groups and forums to help and its not uncommon.

lifesalongsong · 28/08/2020 20:22

Interesting question, I hope someone knows the answer.

Home schooled secondary students aren't usually taught all subjects by their parents are they? I thought they still had subject specialists just not in a school. I'm sure some parents could do it but that's the norm is it?

toffeecashews · 28/08/2020 20:27

Her children are older than school age now but a woman I used to know home-edded her 5 children, she was part of a group of home educators and different people taught different subjects from what I recall. It's a shame we lost touch really. Lovely woman J--etc
and I will say no more but I think she's on here.

june2007 · 28/08/2020 20:46

A lot of home schooled kids join a 6th form or a college for A levels or GCSE,s .

LouiseNW · 28/08/2020 20:50

Not really. I’m at hone and would be willing but our eldest, going back for second year of As next week, knows more about his fairly niche subjects than I do already.
He has asthma, his dad has been shielding. Every day back in College will feel like Russian roulette but we have no realistic choice, if he is to have a career.

LouiseNW · 28/08/2020 20:51

Why did I say eldest? I meant youngest 🤯

Waxonwaxoff0 · 28/08/2020 20:55

Wouldn't be possible for me. I did badly at school, barely scraped through GCSEs and did no further education. Luckily DS is only going into Year 3 so I've just about managed over lockdown but it certainly isn't something I could do long term.

herecomesthsun · 28/08/2020 20:58

We should have the choice in the current situation of being able to choose to take children out temporarily and have some support. Other countries do this (that have a decent government that cares about the welfare of children and families!)

Bluewavescrashing · 28/08/2020 20:59

Everyone thought teaching was easy. Then 2020 came along...

Alex50 · 28/08/2020 21:05

Do you have to pay to enter exams? If so how much?

worldweary45 · 28/08/2020 21:07

I home schooled my eldest to gcse and then he went to 6th form for A levels

This year we would have struggled for grades and it would have delayed things for 12 months but there is no rule that says learning stops at 18 I did a degree whilst ds was doing GCSEs

Homeschool not right for everyone -my younger 2 both needed the routine and social interaction of school but it definitely worked for my eldest

Original poster

Lua · 29/08/2020 22:32

Well, the lack of CAG grades is eaxactly what I meant....

I have no intention to teach my kids, but I am sure they can do it on thei own at this age. But, if this year is going to be anything like the last one, if you don't have teacher grades you would be in trouble...

I was also just curious to know what has happened wit the poor kids that were on their own for whatever reason... Have not hear anything about it,but there must be some out there...

OP posts:

EndoplasmicReticulum · 29/08/2020 22:50

Some have been left with no grades - their only option is to take exams in the autumn.

herecomesthsun · 29/08/2020 23:02

Why can't we have a choice and homeschool temporarily while we're in the middle of a fucking pandemic? And just go by the syllabus? If we'rem in the (fortunate) position to be able to do that?

EndoplasmicReticulum · 29/08/2020 23:14

The point OP is making is that if child is in year 11 or 13, if you homeschool as in deregister, rather than working from home as happened this year, the child is not then part of the school system. If the exams are cancelled again next year they are at risk of not getting a grade as will not have CAGs.
This happened to some homeschooled students this year. Some were able to be awarded grades by the schools where they were registered to sit exams, but not all.

EndoplasmicReticulum · 29/08/2020 23:16

www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/read-this/some-homeschooled-students-have-been-left-no-level-grades-heres-what-happened-2947792

formerbabe · 29/08/2020 23:23

Educationally I think I could home school my dc through primary years and perhaps first couple of years of secondary school. I'm pretty competent at maths and could teach myself new concepts in order to teach them. Humanities are fine and I could brush up on science. I'm completely useless at languages though.

Mentally though I could not do it. The past few months has destroyed me! I'm an introvert. I need some time by myself. The only time I get without my dc is when they're at school. My dc have massively missed their friends and the social side of school. I can't provide them with everything they need and to attempt to do so would be detrimental to us all.

catsarecute · 29/08/2020 23:39

I really feel frustrated when I hear the attitude of 'you have a choice' and to deregister and home school if you're not happy with the school's system (I know that's pretty much what you are saying too OP). And it feels as though people who say this have no empathy or understanding of other people's perspective on this.

Most working parents can't home educate for a start. And deregistering kids because you're worried about coronavirus, rather than deregistering because as a family you've decided that home education is what's best for your child, doesn't do anyone any favours. Also, lots of parents don't have the subject knowledge, or perhaps the resources, or relationship with their children to be able to homeschool effectively.

Having said all that, coronavirus is a genuine risk and who knows what will happen as schools go back (I can take a guess but would love to be proven wrong).

I think schools should be able to give pupils a leave of absence without parents risking fines, and meaning that the school place can be kept open to return to school when it is safer. There's a petition doing the rounds for this.

If you're still worried but need/want your children to return, think about what would make things feel a bit safer, and speak to people who can influence this where it's out of your control (school, councillors, MP etc).

It's such a hard decision to make and it's worrying times :-(

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