Home ed for a set time limit

[ArriettyMatilda]

I am considering home educating toddler Dd when she becomes school age. My main issues with school are academic based learning before age seven and being adult led rather than child led learning. My concerns with home ed are about dd taking gcses (as I couldn't pay for them) and about myself not returning to work. I was considering home educating until at least seven years old with a view to going to school by secondary age. It doesn't particularly stop it from being adult led but I'm not sure how to get around this, but equally dd may be ok with that. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Has anyone done similar and what were your reasons?

I know loads of families who home educate for exactly the same reason.

Sometimes their child feels ready for school (to the child and the parents) in year 1 or year 2 or year 3 or whenever, and the parent pops them in school and they have a lovely time, and all was groovy.

My understanding of it is that the child very quickly finds their level in school (teachers don't always like it because a home educated child will be ahead of schooled peers in some aspects and behind in others, but it's no different from a child whose been educated abroad, really).

The people I know who are home edding because they don't want to formally school their 5 year olds tend to avoid, well, formally schooling their 5 year olds. There's a lot of forest school, sports clubs, playdates, exploring things with their parents and friends. It's a great lifestyle :)

Just be ready for your child to get to 7 and beyond, and for neither of you to think that school is going to be the optimal environment at this point... there is another obvious entry point at secondary age, another one at year 10, and another one at year 12. But you'll be so used to following your child's educational needs by that point that you are unlikely to be willing to force her into school if it's not the best fit for her at any of those entry moments.

ommmward it's reassuring to know that it's worked well for other families. Do you home educate? That lifestyle sounds brilliant in theory. I'd love to follow dds interests and learn with her. Its hard to know what it will be like as I have no idea what dd will be like in three years time and what it would be like if we had more children.

I had considered that as a possibility, but if it's not the right decision a few years into home ed then I'm fairly sure it won't be from 5 years old. I guess if it was really important we'd find a way for her to study for gcses and a levels, as I wouldn't want to limit her options for higher education and work.

Yes, we home educate.

The thing about home educating is that it doesn't really start in September of reception year. It's just a continuation of how you've been interacting with your child in the pre-school years - you go with the flow of what works for you and for the child and for the family. It's not like you have to find a whole new way of interacting. If you already enjoy going swimming together, or to the park, or for walks in the woods - well, that stuff just continues (and isn't restricted to weekends and school holidays...)

Lots and lots of home educators are there as their children approach secondary age, or approach year 10, thinking about how to get them formally qualified for the next things they want to do. You'd be in very good company at that point!

It just sounds so right. But it is going against the norm which is quite hard for me to get my head around. Dd is just getting to an age where we enjoy a lot more together. I feel like as she gets older we will enjoy each others company more and then suddenly she'll start school and we'll lose all that time together. I don't want her to be pressured with homework and tests, I want her to learn about things she is passionate about and therefore develop a true love for learning that will continue for her whole life. Is that too much to ask of home educating?

I don't think it is too much to ask of home education. But you just have to be ready to let go of what you think it is important to learn, because your child might have other priorities. And the joy of learning lifelong is most likely to happen if the child gets to pursue what they think is important (and that might not look"educational" to an outside observer)