Can children go to school part time?

[mummy1973]

I work part time because I don't want to be knackered and want to pursue my own interests. So this led me to thinking about my 2 children and how exhausted they become and how they don't have enough time for doing their own thing. In an ideal world I actually think they'd do well being at school less. Is this at all possible or are you in the school system or out of it? They are year 2 and 5.

Info here on flexischooling. A friend does it with her DD. I asked my local school about it and they said absolutely not but we decided to HE full time anyway. Not sure on whether schools can say no or not, maybe someone can make it clearer than me!

It's totally up to the head of the school whether they allow it or not. But do read up on the legalitites etc so you can answer any particular objections - quite often I think it's the first time they have heard of it, and there is always a tendency to say no without thinking it through.

You also need to think through whether it would be disruptive to your children though - does their schedule at school work well for this kind of division? eg if they only do mornings, what do they miss out on? What about the social side? etc.

Very useful. Thank you both. Would be interested to hear from anyone who has done it.

It can't hurt to ask!

There is another option if you feel school is too much for your children but you do need some childcare to enable you to work. You could home educate them and make separate arrangements for childcare, for example by using a childminder.

Home education typically takes far far less time than school-based education, so you could easily do all the education yourself, meaning that the childcare provider only has to do childcare.

Quite a number of home educating parents do work part-time or more, using a variety of solutions to the childcare issue.

Up until recently children could, but since September they haven't been able to (at least in the UK)

We have a few children at our local indpendent school who are flexi schooling. They come in for a few mornings for some specialist things like languages and music.

You CAN still part-time school! The only thing that's changed is some of the conditions and how schools log the abscence but it is definitely still possible!

We did it for a few years and are thinking of doing it again.