First contact from LA this morning

[ChildOfGallifrey]

This arrived this morning. Please advise! I don't mind them visiting but I'm very nervous as I can't complete all of the form as I'm still finding my feet and gently easing into HE so I'm essentially de schooling.

I don't want to get their backs up by refusing a visit as I've heard horror stories if harassment.

If you've only just de-registered then it's fine to ask for more time. I think most people do this and I know our local LA is fine to wait another 6 months or so before contacting people again.

Don't worry, I think it's just standard procedure. To be honest, my LEA were so busy that I think they were quite happy to delay visiting. I simply sent them a letter with a rough outline of what we were studying. As you are deschooling, you could just detail your son's interests and say you'll be supporting him in those and following a child-led education. And it's fine to say that you are settling in and need more time before having a visit. You don't have to agree to a visit at all if you don't want to, but I always have and have been very pleasantly surprised. Maybe we have a particularly understanding team in Sussex, but we have had nothing but support and encouragement here.

As above (but too much personal info is visible in the letter).

5 I've reported my post.

I think I'm going to send back a statement asking for time to settle but also include my aims for the future and how I intend to HE (semi structured) and places I wish to visit in line with his interests and that majority of learning will be visual as due to his ASD it helps him to understand and retain info. Also including that I've since discovered he is advanced in science and maths so KS2 won't cut it but English is below average for his age so will educate accordingly. Would that help prove the "educating to age and ability"??

Sounds good to me.

My version of a similar document listed:

• online maths games
• reading books for pleasure and writing inspired by that as opportunity arises
• trips to library and to [nearest big city]
• going to the woods to explore
• holiday sports camps
• scouts
• model making

And the LEA were very positive about it all. She said that the cases she was alert to were where the parent had nothing to say about how they planned to meet the DC needs. She said she could see DS had access to all key areas (maths, literacy, world awareness, physical activity and opportunities to spend time with other DC) - and that that was plenty 'structured' enough in the HE context.

Over and above what they needed (but it made DS proud) - I showed her some family snaps - which were things like DS with chocolate all over his face mixing a cake, DS wearing a football strip going off to play half term football, DS up a tree, DS with a model he'd made. It was clear that DS was happy and engaged in what we were doing.

Thanks 5, I've just signed up to Reading Eggs, Study Ladder and Literacy Planet. I've also been taking lots of photos of little relaxed things we've been doing like making pizzas, geocaching and playing cards. I'm trying to document a lot of it for our memories just as much as for LA evidence.

Yes - DS is no longer HE - but just recently he was looking through his HE scrapbook - reminiscing. We got a big display folder from Rymans, and used it to store pics and ticket stubs and some of his writing and drawings and stuff. It was good for my mental health at the time to keep a 'showcase' of the fab things we did - and now it's a treasured memento.

Hi

I missed the original post where someone said too much personal information. Are you OK to say which LA this is? (I may know what the form looks like)

You don't have to fill in a specific form if it's inapplicable to your situation. You can send a letter or email saying the form doesn't fit what we do. Many of these forms haven't been revised for years and years, it doesn't necessarily mean that the person you talk to (if you decide to go ahead with a visit) will subscribe to the values and assumptions on the form eg timetable subjects socialisation etc.