interested in starting HE , can I ask a few questions?

[globalmouse]

Not now, but in a year or so. He is enjoying his first school, and I do extra with him at home, but I don't like the local middle so may end up HEing then instead.

So, a few questions if that's ok

1. Do I need to tell someone I am HE ing?
2. I work part-time (lone parent, no option to stop work). I hear other people also work and HE - what do you do with your child while you work?? Do they go to a childminder?
3. How do I meet other HE ers to let ds socialise?

I don't have any worries about the curriculum etc as I am a qualified teacher! We already naturally do some HE anyway, just wondering how I can make it more full time...

Hello globalmouse
Are you in the UK? There are threads here about deregistering children if you are in England and Wales or in Scotland. I'll go bump those and other relevant threads for you.
Essentially n England and Wales, you'll need to deregister your son from school-if you take him out of a school, you could just say you don't need a place in the Middle School, that you have made alternative arrangements. If you deregister, you send a letter to the Head Teacher notifying that you are home educating. There is no need to tell the LA. It's the schools responibilty to do that.
In Scotland you need permission to deregister but that may not be reasonably witheld.

There is a thread covering finding local Home Educators-but if you put 'home Education+name of county' into a search engine, you may well come up with a local HE group. So for example if you put in 'Worcestershire home Education' into google, you'll get a link to our local group

There is a single parents/Home Education email support list for parents like you, home educating (or thinking of doing so) on their own. I know you'd find loads of support and advice there.

and as for the curriculum.........you do know you don't have to follow one at all don't you?
We home educated all three of ours from a similar age right through to Further Ed/Higher Ed, informally/autonomously without a workbook/curriculum in sight.