Has anyone flexi schooled from the start?

[Stanleycupsarecool]

Our DC is only 1, before I got pregnant I had always assumed i would be sending our DC to our local state school and that would be that, but since then I have met a lot of other mums, many of whose are teachers and I have started to hear what a dire situation schools are in (mumsnet hasn’t helped).

I see a lot of homeschooling accounts on social media, but doing home Ed full time wouldn’t be an option for us due to finances, and while I do see a lot of benefits I also feel like it would be intense.

I have seen an accounts about flexi schooling and feel like it could be a real option. It would still give DC the social learning aspect, but allow us to focus on the things we feel our DC needs on the home Ed days rather than compromising her needs with 29 other kids. I also feel like it would be easier to integrate DC back into full time schooling if that was something we needed to do, rather than going from exclusively home schooling.

Both DP and I are university educated and I feel like we could both do one day a week each and send DC to school for the other 3 comfortably until the start of secondary school. Then we could look at bringing in a tutor or moving to full time school.

DP really isn’t on board with the idea, and thinks that we should move to best catchment area we can afford and hope for the best, supplement with tutors if needed.

The primary school we are in the catchment for isn’t bad on paper, seems to be on par with rest of town, but is in a deprived area which DP thinks will mean DC gets less attention from teacher due to social issues at school. We can request to go to other schools, but obviously if that is denied we don’t have much time to make a decision and I’m not sure how much difference another school would realistically make.

I think choosing to homeschool two days a week would be a better investment in our daughter’s education than spending loads of money moving to a nicer catchment area.

But I also have a lot of questions on flexi schooling and I am struggling to get answers. How do you prepare the home content to run in tandem with the schools? Has it impacted your child’s ability to make friends by only being there some of the week?

My step children flexi schooled all through state primary. One attended school four days a week and the a combination of days and mornings only. You need to join that Facebook group in another year or so and then see where the progressive head teachers are. The map relies on parent's providing up-to-date information about schools that have said yes.

There are many independent schools especially those that specialise in arts or sports that may also consider a flexible arrangement.

I think best option is to move to an area where the schools are better. Mine are at a brilliant village school and there are school trips, visitors coming to the school to do special events, great curriculum and lovely school environment. I am aware it’s not like this for all primary pupils.

You said in your first post that you would do one day a week each and school for three days. If core subject teaching is in the morning, that’s two mornings when your child will not be part of it. You might, I suppose, ask the teacher for the content, but that’s asking him or her for additional work to do.

I imagine you wouldn’t want to do mornings only, as that would disrupt your working days.

Schools are focused on attendance because the government and Ofsted force them to be. Missing school has an impact on attainment, but it’s not targeting situations such as yours when a child has illness or medical appointments. Letters and procedures are standard and schools are often between a rock and a hard place.

Flexi schooling might be brilliant, but it might also mean that your child misses out on developing sustained relationships, some of the ‘softer’ experiences and curriculum.

As others have said it’s very hard to find schools that are open to flexi-schooling. In their promotional material everything sounds really flexible & child centred but in reality most schools don’t have the resources to cater for this. Our DD is autistic & even though it was recommended in her diagnostic report, the school just couldn’t see past their obsession with attendance. She is now home schooled.

Thanks everyone for your input. The FB page is great, but has shown that it is very difficult to get a school to agree to flexi schooling in the first place.

I just wanted to investigate it now, would hate to have my heart set on this for the next few years and then for it to be rejected.

I think it’s now going to a be decision of moving to different catchment, but working more hours/longer commutes which mean we might not be able to as many extra curriculars/ have as much time to support with homework etc. Or staying where we are in the hope that having slightly more time each day to focus on DD will make the difference (I think I’m leaning towards the later).

OP a lot can happen in schools in 3-4 years. Maybe investigate all schools that are local to you; not just your catchment school, & see what they're like. Ask for opinions on FB & in your friendship circles etc. Visit as many as you can, as you may find the one you don't like on paper actually 'feels' right when you're there - or vice versa.
My DC don't go to our catchment school - we visited it & really didn't like it. Tried the next nearest & loved it, yet on paper it's got many disadvantages to the other larger schools, but it's a fantastic environment & community that punches above its weight for its size.
Check out the admissions criteria & PAN, whether they're over or under subscribed etc.
I felt the same way you do about our local secondary when I had my DD nearly 10years ago, but since then it's been turned around & I've got no qualms about her going there now.

As others have said, not many heads agree to flexi schooling. Please also be clear that it would not be a reasonable request for teachers to be in regular communication with you about what they have taught and how your child managed. It would be up to you how you manage their time out of school.