I'm thinking of partime homeschooling

[jennytoo]

Hello, I'm new to mumsnet. I'm thinking of homeschooling parttime. Is anybody else doing this? Is the school likely to agree? My darling daughter is in year 1, is very bright, and fidgets and stares in to space a lot at school. She doesn't want to be homeschooled as she says she would miss her friends, but she has agreed to give parttime a try. I'm worried that she won't really like it. I'm thinking of trying two afternoons a week to begin with. Anybody else in Watford homeschooling?

Have you talked to the school at all? I'm not sure that this is possible as these afternoons would count as absences from school. Would definitely try Education Otherwise or other home ed groups who tend to have summaries of the law etc.

The school would have to agree to this as it is flexi-schooling. If they agreed then for the afternoons that your dd is not in school she would be marked as being educated off-site. She would still be on the school roll and you would have to follow the NC. For more information about flexi-schooling take a look here

Thanks Juuule for that helpful link.

You're welcome

I have flexi-schooled. My eldest two were HE-ed, then one chose to go to school f/t and the other carried on HE for a bit and then chose to go to school p/t - which was agreed with the local comp. It worked out fine.

He's since chosen to go f/t and starts on the 8th Jan.

However, I wouldn't recommend it as it's not quite one or t'other and she may find herself with quite a bit of work to bring home etc. (not a problem here, he didn't really get any homework, but I've heard that other schools do send work home). TBH I think one or the other, but not both together (JMHO).

I also think that there might be a concern from the school's POV (with two afternoons off a week) that she might be missing out (again, an ob. from having flexi-schooled and also dealt with a difficult LEA and also fromt he experiences of others). Flexi-schooling is at the Head's discretion - so be prepared to be asked that sort of question.

My eldest two did so well HE-ed and despite us having never followed the Nat. Curr. etc. have excelled upon returning to school too (teachers commented that you'd never guess they'd been HE - probably thought I locked them under the stairs ).

My youngest two will be HE-ed from the off - even originally sceptical dh agrees that HE is a success

I agree dottyspots, I know one girl who does flexi but I would feel a bit in 'no mans land'.
There is hostility from schoolies towards HE rs and then a lot of HE rs I've met think school 'is rubbish'.
I personally wouldn't know where I fitted in!

I'm sure it must work for some though, especially if both parents have to work.

I'm surprised at what you say about flexischooling. My daughter is only in year 1, so she's unlikely to get any work to bring home, though I wouldn't mind if she did, she would get so much more out of doing it with me than she would in the classroom setting. To me it seems the ideal solution to her situation.