About to start

[extraordinarAleigh]

Hi all, I'm new here and I am about to start HE for my 9 year old DD. So many reasons have brought me to this decision - mostly pure dissatisfaction with the way schools are now. For instance, my son was doing his one of his A Level exams last week. They had to change classrooms 3 times during the exam and then he was pulled out of the exam for 30 minutes to help another pupil with his practical for the same exam! But it is also other things - my DD is so tired and miserable when she comes out of school, she has 'tummy ache' every morning before school, she says that she gets bored because the teacher never explains things and spends all the time with the kids who are slightly behind and the brighter ones get ignored. But when I do any kind of learning with her at home she is a different child; animated, hard working and interested. School has knocked all the joy of learning out of her. I have 2 older DC, and school has not been kind to them. My older DD had her head split open by another girl, and I was forever at the school...incidentally the girl who did it (with a bottle) was taken to Alton Towers and my daughter was moved class. My son, who is doing his A Levels, hates school...he starts study leave this week and is then finished with school, he is going to college to study music. His self esteem has been slowly eaten away by school life; it's not just girls who are b**chy I can tell you! I'm not for one minute saying mine are angels...haha, chance would be a fine thing! But I have seen them becoming more and more miserable with every passing year and I don't want my youngest DD to spend the next 8 years being the same.
My only question is when to do it. I was going to see out the school year, but honestly...I don't see the point in her going in if she's not going to continue. But I do want to give her the chance to say goodbye to her class, so it's either the end of this week or half term.
I'm really looking forward to it, and so is she.

[Saracen]

Fantastic! I'm glad the headteacher took it well. In one sense it wouldn't have mattered if he/she had been ungracious, but it would have left a bad taste in the mouth.

Sounds like you are off to a great start.

[extraordinarAleigh]

Bobbysgirl, I have replied to your PM, and thanks so much for all the information.

Morethan, thanks. DD handed in a letter to the school yesterday, and I received a reply from the head today telling me that her name will be removed from Monday, and wishing her the best of luck for the future, so that's that done. Now it's just tomorrow to go and we're all set! DD wants to start on Saturday! We are going to go into town and buy some supplies over the weekend, and then take it from there. She wore her school uniform for the last time today as it's mufti day tomorrow in exchange for bringing in a bottle for the May Fayre.
Right, dinner is calling...

x

[morethanpotatoprints]

Just wanted to wish you good luck for tomorrow.
Don't forget contact details of those you want to stay in contact with. It can be hard to get these again.
It will be very different, but you will soon adapt and your dd will be thriving in no time.

[bobbysgirlfirst]

extraordinarAleigh
I have sent you a private message now I am back on the main pc, with all the info I have.
You should be able to see it in your 'inbox' at the top of this page

[Saracen]

How to send a PM:

Look on the blue bar just above bobbysgirlfirst's post. Click on "Message poster" to send her a PM.

[extraordinarAleigh]

Niggle...haha, I got it! Lots going on, thanks

Bobbysgirl...how do you send a PM? Sorry, being a bit thick here.

[bobbysgirlfirst]

There are lots of happenings in the West Mids too. Send me a pm and i can supply details of where to get the newsletter that contains details of events all over the region, the yahoo email support group, and the FB groups.
You'll be very welcome!

[Nigglenaggle]

Plenty of groups available that is, and curse you phone!

[Nigglenaggle]

Plenty if it's the East Midlands. Check out East Midlands home educators. I think Birmingham has some thriving groups too.

[Nigglenaggle]

Plenty if it's the East Midlands. Check out East Midlands home educators. I think Birmingham has some thriving groups too.

[Nigglenaggle]

Plenty if it's the East Midlands. Check out East Midlands home educators. I think Birmingham has some thriving groups too.

[extraordinarAleigh]

Hi Morethan...I'm in the Midlands, so no clue on the nn I'm afraid! I have written the DReg letter and will be taking it into school tomorrow and DD will finish on Friday.
She told one of her friends today, and the girl said 'oooooooohhhhh....your mum's going to have to go to court'! It did make me laugh.

Well, here goes...!

[morethanpotatoprints]

What area are you in OP, I don't mean a precise.
There may be others in same area, I wasn't sure if your nn had anything to do with it.

[morethanpotatoprints]

When my dd decided to leave she took the letter in and we left 2 weeks later at the end of the school year. We first considered H.ed just before Easter and took this time to research and make sure it was right for us.
I think it depends on how well you get on with the school, we had no problems at all and dd although sure of what she was doing was sad to leave school.
We go back every week to collect her friend who comes to play, the teachers are really nice and welcoming to dd, as are all the parents and other children.
For us it was right we left on good terms and in the right way as it had been a good school for dd and she had been there for 4 years.

[extraordinarAleigh]

Saracen, I'm prepared for that, among other objections that will be raised! I know for a fact that she will be happier and rediscover the joy of learning away from school. We live in a village so she will never be far away from her friends anyway, and we will join local HE groups. I first started thinking about it last year, when a teacher questioned DD inappropriately about her father, whom she has had no contact with because he was abusive towards her. The teacher knew the circumstances but asked DD (alone, he took her away from her group and walked with her so he could question her in private) why she wasn't allowed to see him, did she miss him, did she want to see him...DD can't remember much about her father as we have been away from him since she was 3. But this dragged up all sorts of problems...she started wetting the bed, having bad dreams etc. So I started thinking about it then, and nothing has happened to persuade me to reconsider. The teacher wasn't even disciplined - the school's excuse was 'he's deeply Christian and has strong opinions on family unity!'

[NeverendingPotato]

It's good to have time to say goodbye to her class, that really can be at any point. What does your daughter think?

When I took ds1 out, after multiple conversations obviously, he left school one day and said that was it, so it was. But he did say later on he wished he could have said goodbye, but it was only once and it hasn't affected him given that it was such a relief for him to just not go anymore and his closest friends there he saw out of school anyway.

Only you and your daughter know what is the most suitable time!

[Saracen]

Wow, I can see why you don't have faith in the school system. I have never heard of an exam session as badly managed as your son's!! I'm sure lots of people will say that just because your older children had a rough time at school, that doesn't mean your 9yo will as well... but it sounds like she is already not thriving at school and you think HE could suit her. I think you are absolutely right about that!

If you and your daughter have decided home education is the way to go, there's no need to delay just for the sake of it. Every day your dd spends at school is a day when she feels anxious and bored, when she could be happy and learning at home instead. Her time is too precious to throw any more of it away. Why not ask her what she wants to do? Even if she does want to say goodbye to her friends, she doesn't necessarily need a whole week in which to do it! She may even say, "Actually I don't want to go back for a single day - can we just go to the school gates after school one day so I can swap phone numbers with my friends and say goodbye to my favourite teacher?"

Have fun!!