Are there any benefits of Primary school that HE can't usually provide?

[carolinecordery]

Hello all, I haven't registered my DD for Reception, which she would be eligible to start in September.
I was just wondering if you thought there were any benefits of primary school that HE can't provide. What things are good about primary school that are only available through attending?
I'm planning to HE and am convinced of the benefits of doing so, but want a rounded picture. It's easy to think of loads of things that would be, relatively, a bit crap about primary school, but is there ANY really good reason to go? DD's non-resident dad would rather she went.
Thanks, Caroline

I didn't know it was there - I was looking. If people are not happy with schools you think they would take a few minutes to google.

One of the reasons we won't be is we simply can't afford for me not to be working.

You merely have to google in 'do children have to go to school?' and it comes top. It is hardly difficult.

If you google Home Education Legal Rights (whichnif you were a prospective home educator you would presumably do) the directgov thing comes up 6th.

Hardly hidden- hardly lies.

"I dare say that you can in HE groups but they all have similar backgrounds-their parents all agree with HE to start with."

No that's not my experience either.
The people we have met since home educating has been much more diverse than when our children went to school with children from the local population of our small town-especially when they were at primary school, when all of the families are of very similar social bracket and income.

Quite frankly, if they don't like school and can't be bothered to google a few things I don't think they are going to be very good home educators! How can you felicitate the DCs if you can't manage it yourself.
You could pick up the phone and ask the LEA - they would be obliged to tell the truth- it isn't a secret.
I don't see what more the government can do than list it as a choice on their website.

I deliberately chose a school with very diverse backgrounds. However - I understand your point and they can be similar.

I didn't say that direct gov was lying, I said that LAs were.

and many people are unaware that home education is a legal option in the first place, so they wouldn't know to google it

I put in 'do children have to go to school' - I don't think you can get simpler than that!

OK I was a bit flippant before re Hippocrates / hypocrites but it does seem to be a reasonable point in relation to the first question.

At school children get taught by / meet a wide range of people through the years, with (and I know it may be wishful thinking in some cases) good educations in different subjects, differing abilities to inspire/encourage, differing points of view and enthusiasms. I find it hard to imagine myself being able to provide the breadth and variety of a school education. I'm not an english grad, not a good scientist etc. (and I do teach at postgrad level so I'm not uneducated/qualified), I just can't imagine thinking that I could provide it all. If a teacher of my children had made the above mistake I'd be pretty pissed off to be honest, sorry, but it just seems to highlight what would be my own greatest concern - the quality of the education you can provide.
Sure to be flamed but seems so key to me.

There are lots of avenues. The CAB would be an obvious one. If they are unhappy and desperate it seems madness not to find out alternatives.

Read the education acts is another way. Off hand I think it comes under 1996 one. As a home educator you are no help if you say 'I can't find out because I assumed' - you are going to have to help the child find out about things you don't know about or you will miss a lot.

Frankly, if you don't know how to find out if you are legally entitled to home educate, I wouldn't want you to be responsible for anyone's education!

( the "you" in that sentence is generic, not particular!)

Lucelulu. One of the main reasons dh and I are considering HE is because of the dumbing down of the standards expected throughout the system. Our dd is apparentely slightly above average for her age according to their criteria. However, she can't spell, read nor write to the level we would expect her to.
I believe the standard at home will be far greater than primary and secondary state provision.

But I was one who didn't know-not for years, and if you read this section of mumsnet with any regularity, you'll know that I am not the only one.

I don't think I did too badly....

Exactly seeker! They are desperate - presumably their DC is miserable and yet they can't google few things. They then pathetically say 'we didn't know'. They shouldn't be home educating IMO. Other than the government wasting tax payers money by posting letters to everyone, I don't see what more they could do.

I think people are more aware that home education is an option nowadays, but not all, or are certainly not aware of the legalities and details behind it.

Though when we first looked into it, some fifteen years ago or more, many people did think it was illegal and that seemed to be the experience of other home educators too.

My LA only recently, and under much pressure, changed the wording on their schools admissions to include HE as an option. They didn't get it all right, they still say you must contact them if you wish to HE.

Good luck OP. Sorry your thread seems to have gone awry.

How old is she, and to what level are they expecting she will spell read write etc?

I'm presuming that was pre easily accessible Google, Julie?

morethana- that may be true- but there's more to life than academics. And what happens next, when you have accellerated her through?

Yes I do see that re. school standards, I haven't got to school age yet (2.5), so am basing thoughts on my own school experience (state and good). That's also the reason why I'm reading/writing here- these questions soon will be pertinent.

I suppose that, as with everything, there will be people great at what they do and those that are pretty dreadful (school and HE)

I realise that there are some qualified teachers who HE their own children.

However, I am surprised that being taught by a highly trained, qualified and experienced teacher does not feature in most lists of the benefits of attending a primary school.

Seeker, we just want her to be at a level we find appropriate not a litery genius. Its not about what level she is according to sats or tick box teacher assessments but learning what she wants to learn. Today she said her favourite subject at school was Godgery, when I asked for clarification she said you know we do it with History all together. The poor kid meant Geography as part of humanities. She is 8 not 5. They have no idea what they are doing and are not there to gain any learning experience at all, as far as I can see. I don't dislike teachers they have to follow the curriculum but as far as I see it "If you aren't part of the solution you are part of the problem".

There are also some home educators who are qualified in the subject areas in which they teach, though are not teachers, as in my own case.

And where I feel it will benefit the children, we employ tutors. It works very well for us and the results speak for themselves, the girls being ahead of their schooled peers, academically.

A good friend of mine is a primary school teacher (inner city state), she managed to get a university place and teaching qualification with two E grades and an N. Not my idea of qualified.

Teacher training doesn't cover an awful lot of education or child development though. It includes latest government policy and initiatives based on politics and winning votes rather than vidence-based practice, and classroom management strategies.

Sorry, my point was that not all teachers are highly qualified, there are varying degrees. Just like home educators