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Home ed

Find advice from other parents on our Homeschool forum. You may also find our round up of the best online learning resources useful.

Home Education

9 replies

Franw1979 · 19/01/2012 08:59

Hi all,

I am completely new to this. I have taken the decision to remove my child John from education and to home school him. He is currently in Year 9 at school and whilst I would rather he stay at school at this important time, I am having so much trouble getting him to school so feel this is my only option. I am completely happy to teach him at home but I was after advice on what to teach him. Does anyone have any links to curriculum that I could follow so I can begin teaching him. What I should be doing? I really don't know where to start. What happens with his GCSE's as well. Thank you for reading if you have got this far.

Fran x

OP posts:
musicposy · 19/01/2012 09:24

Hi there, I home educate my 16 and 12 year old. My 16 year old came out at 12 and I remember the same feeling of confusion and panic!

What does he want to learn? I might start by picking a couple of subjects he enjoys and going from there. If he wants to do GCSEs (though not all home educators do and there are other qualifications such as OU) you could get a couple of GCSE textbooks and just start reading through those together. They are not difficult to take, though finding a private centre will be your main work. Many home educators do IGCSEs which are equivalent (used by lots of private schools) as they are exam only. DD1 has just been accepted at 6th form and they didn't bat an eyelid that she has a mix of GCSEs and IGCSEs.

I would take a bit of time to find your feet. Don't panic about having to cover everything. You will get more experienced as you go. If you're worried about maths and english, you could buy some Y9 books to work through. Otherwise I would go with his interests to start with. There is so much available on the internet he can learn things without buying any books if need be.

I don't know if this is any help - do ask again if need be!

Franw1979 · 19/01/2012 09:29

Thank you so much for replying musicposy. I guess I just have to take it one step at a time instead of thinking about his future then. I have a visit from the home education team in the next couple of days and a brochure being sent to me so I'll take it all from there x

Thank you x

OP posts:
musicposy · 19/01/2012 09:31

For my younger daughter (Year 8) we use this series for maths, which goes up to the end of Year 9. They explain everything really, really well, so even if you don't have a clue yourself, you'll be able to work through it. DD1 did the whole series and got an A in her GCSE maths last year, so it was a good foundation. The Letts Essentials series we like too, especially for science.

This might get you started on the basics. :)

musicposy · 19/01/2012 09:34

Don't be railroaded by the Local Authority if they are visiting you. Some LAs are good and supportive of home ed but some are truly awful.

It's perfectly acceptable for him to be taking some time out deschooling (basically finding his feet and getting over school, particularly if it has been a bad experience) so don't let them demand you are covering x, y and z right now because they have no legal right to do so. Hopefully they will be fine. But here is a great place for advice if you get any hassle!

Franw1979 · 20/01/2012 14:05

Well I had a visit from the Education Welfare Officer yesterday who basically told me that my sons school do not want to let him go as he is so bright. He also basically told me that I wouldn't be able to home educate my son as I wouldn't have the motivation to do it. He convinced me to send my son to school today even though I sent a letter yesterday informing them I would be taking him out of school with immediate effect. Talk about putting the pressure on! Still waiting on my visit from the Home Education Team.

OP posts:
CrabbyBigbottom · 20/01/2012 15:53

Why is it that you're taking him out, Fran?

That seems like really inappropriate pressure from the EWO. Was he pleasant about it, or was he guilt-tripping and bullying you?

You realise that you don't have to have a visit from the EHE Team if you don't want to? I've just had one and it was absolutely fine, but first I got a pleasant letter saying that they'd heard I was de-registering DD, and that I'd need a few weeks to readjust and find a routine, so they'd be back in touch then to get some information from me (but to contact them in the meantime if I needed any advice). They certainly weren't pressuring me to come round straight away. Shock

shineynewthings · 20/01/2012 16:40

So let me get this straight: The school don't (naturally) want to lose your son as he is really bright. However the fact that he is bright is nothing to do with the way you have brought him up so far, because you have neither the motivation or wherewithal to H.E. I would have thought these two statements are contradictory.

I didn't think this kind of bullying back to school stuff still happened. He has no right to guilt trip you into sending your son back to school and definately no right to start making jugments about your 'motivation.' Unless there has been a change in the law recently that I am unaware of, once you send in the formal dereg letter you are not under any obligation to send your child back to school.

But are you really sure that home ed is what you both want? Because if it is, there will be all sorts of people trying to pressure you to conform to 'normality' as they see it and you do need to be able to stick to your guns.

I would try to find other home educators in your area for support and advice. Where in the country are you?

julienoshoes · 20/01/2012 16:51

Franw197-which LA do you come under?

This is NOT acceptable behaviour from the LA-and a very good example of why so many of us suggest you be very wary of any contact from the LA!

Personally I would not be sending my son back to school on Monday-you have taken back personal responsibility for your son's education.
I definitely would not be having a home visit from a LA which behaves like this.

I'd write and complain saying:

After deregistering my son from school as per my legal right on....I received an unwanted visit from an EWO [name the person here if poss!] who put undue pressure on me to return my son to school.

I am fully aware of my responsibilities under Section 7 of the 1996 Education Act which states;
"The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to
receive efficient full-time education suitable ;
a) to his age, ability, and aptitude, and
b) to any special educational needs he may have,
either by regular attendance at school or otherwise."

I was fully prepared to have a home visit with the Elective Home Education Team, but I am no longer prepared to do so, after witnessing the Ultra Vires actions of this Local Authority.

Instead I will be taking time to settle into my home based education, as allowed in law, where the courts have accepted that there is the allowance of a period of peroration is necessary when they quite sensibly took this into account in the Perry Case in which Lord Slade said:
"Prima facie this opportunity will appropriately be given (as was done in the present case) if the Authority, having first allowed the parents a sufficient time to set in motion their arrangements for home education,"
(R v Gwent County Council Court of Appeal (Civil Division) 10 July 1985 JUDGEMENT BY-1: SLADE LJ

I will get back to you by the beginning of the summer term and give you more information about the home education we are providing.

Please keep all further correspondence in writing and do not send any Local Authority Officers to my home again.

Yours sincerely

'Ultra Vires' means beyond the law-and this is very much that!
Write this letter and give your self some breathing space to decide how your home based education is proceeding-by the beginning of the summer term you can decide how you want to provide them with the information they entitled to ask for.
Some families do have home visits, some have visits somewhere neutral like the library.
others do not meet with the LA at all-we sent in a written report instead, and that kept the LA at bay, in 10 years our children never met them (they didn't want to) and never shared any of their work.

The choice of how to provide this information is entirely yours!

I would be very very wary of this LA, that allows their EWOs to behave like this!

CrabbyBigbottom · 20/01/2012 17:15

Fantastic letter julie.

Just wanted to add, OP, that the second letter I received from my LA gave me a whole list of options, from a home visit with DD present, through meeting elsewhere/without DD, writing a statement of educational philosophy, with or without samples of work, and finally no contact at all! The overall tone of the letter was friendly and positive about EHE. I know that a group of HEers in my county have worked really hard with the council and LA to refine their policy and stamp out the kind of tactics you're being subjected to, and it seems to have worked. The lady who visited was very positive about EHE.

Don't let them bully you - you shouldn't tolerate anything less than the standard of interaction I've described; that's how every LA should be dealing with HEers. Wink

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