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Home ed

Find advice from other parents on our Homeschool forum. You may also find our round up of the best online learning resources useful.

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Original poster

Anyone apply for a school place for September but are now going to HE instead?

20 replies

MrsSimonNeil · 17/04/2016 13:44

I applied for a primary place in January and have had that place confirmed yesterday. I think I'm going to decline it though at HE my ds. Anyone in the same boat?

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AmyInTheBoonies · 17/04/2016 18:54

I made a late application so won't here until June but whatever I am offered I am planning to home educate for reception and year 1 at least.

Scary but I think it's for the best as dd is summer born and not ready yet for school all day.

Original poster

MrsSimonNeil · 17/04/2016 19:46

Hi Amy, I don't think my ds is ready either. He's a December born so not a young 4 but I'd rather he was able to play at home than be struggling to sit still on the carpet at school. I'm am nervous about it though, mainly because he has some lovely friends at pre school and I don't want him to lose that

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AmyInTheBoonies · 18/04/2016 11:53

I think even if dd was six months older she would be too young for all day school. I feel the same about losing friends, dd isn't in nursery but we do a pre school class most days and have play dates with those children. They are all moving on to school so we will be a bit out of the social scene come September.

Have you met up with any local home edders yet? We have but have not clicked with anyone yet which is a bit worrying. It's a bit of hard line to walk because on one hand I know dd is too young for school but on the other hand don't want to end up not being part of a group who socialise together.

Any how we are committed to home ed, probably with the local school system how it is until year three. Hopefully it'll be a rewarding experience but I do feel a bit nervous today with all the news of reception places etc!

raracleopatra · 18/04/2016 12:17

Hello, I am thinking of doing the same, my ds is August born and absolutely nowhere near ready to start school and I really feel it would do him no good at all. I am perfectly happy with this but have also felt a bit nervy today especially as we have been given a place at our first choice!

OddBoots · 18/04/2016 12:23

I realise the education system has changed a lot in the past few years and the 'competition' for places is greater but I thought I would poke my nose on this thread and say this is exactly what we decided to do with ds, he started school in Y2 having been home educated until that point.

He is now Y12 and about to sit his AS exams, he appears to have suffered no ill effects from it, in fact his is more confident, self motivated and happier than most of his peers.

My dd (now Y8)was a totally different character and she started school at the usual time and seems fine too - I think as parents we often know our own children well enough to judge what is right for them.

raracleopatra · 18/04/2016 12:31

OddBoots- that is really good to hear that, my other children are in primary and started at the usual time too, but they are all so different and I really feel school is not the right place for my youngest at the moment.

Original poster

MrsSimonNeil · 19/04/2016 07:53

OddBoot thank you for sharing that! I read something yesterday on a home ed FB group where someone was in a similar situation. It said staying at home is not taking a leap, staying at home is. ..staying at home. Going to school is taking a leap into the unknown. It helped me put it into perspective

I have met a few HE families as I already HE my 12 yo. But i haven't made any connections with little ones yet. I'm hoping to start taking him to groups soon and introduce him to HE

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Original poster

MrsSimonNeil · 19/04/2016 07:54

Raracleopatra have you declined your offer yet? I haven't - I don't know what's stopping me though

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raracleopatra · 19/04/2016 11:39

Mrs - No I haven't yet either, it does feel like a big step even though I know it's the right thing to do! I wasn't sure who to inform actually- the school or the local authority? Or maybe both?

LikeSilver · 19/04/2016 14:02

Can I join in? We got our fourth choice offer for DD yesterday. We're unhappy, we're going to look around it tomorrow but have decided that if we aren't blown away we will HE - initially as we wait for a place at our chosen school but are open to continuing if it's the right thing for us.

Dead nervous! My heart is in HE but DD so loves nursery.

Original poster

MrsSimonNeil · 19/04/2016 18:42

Come and join us likesilver! We can give each other moral support. I just told my mum which is another step in the right direction for me. She wasn't surprised though.

We've had a lovely day today, I took ds out of pre school today and we met friends and went swimming. He enjoyed it so much, there will be so much more time for this type of thing in September

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Cupcakesandscones · 21/04/2016 10:31

I was just about to post something very similar to this thread myself! My son is 4 - he is summer born and will turn 5 in June. I did not start him at school last September and have received criticism along the way...crazy to think that 4 year old children are expected to attend school in my opinion, much prefer the model of some other European countries of a later school age. Anyhow, I struggled to find a reception place for him this coming September as one particular LEA expected my son to simply go into Yr 1. But I have now found a place and it has been accepted by she school but not yet formally by the LEA. Does this mean I need to de-register him?

However....!! I have some serious concerns about our educational system and still feel that my son would benefit much more from a home education, which we have already started. For instance he is crazy about science/medicine and loves travel and museums...these are things we will undoubtedly lose a handle on should he start school. Also worried about the whole academy thing and the quantification through constant assessment. The school he would attend is on the same site as his pre-school and the area comprises a farming community and is not worldly. But on the plus side it has really small class sizes!! My son doesn't have friends outside pre-school as we have nothing in common with the other parents and tbh they are not very welcoming. To compensate on the social side of things, my son will be joining a tennis club, football, and possible a drama class when he turns 5 - and I assume friends will be made through those.

I was thinking of home educating him until he is 7. A couple of snags though...I am currently 29 weeks pregnant and will need to find a part-time job in September. Anyone got any suggestions?

raracleopatra · 21/04/2016 11:34

I'm drafting a letter to the la at the moment but feel so nervous! Why is it so hard!? I just want to be sure I'm doing the right thing I suppose. My plan long term I think would be for ds to start school in about y2 maybe, if it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

Cupcakes - i totally agree that the whole school setup is wrong in this country, full time formal education at just turned 4???

witcheshat · 21/04/2016 15:18

I am not against home education, in fact I think it's ideal for some children. I think it is a shame though not to let a child try school . If a child has made friends at pre school, surely it is best to let them progress on to school together and see what happens. They may love it but if it doesn't work out you will always have the option to home educate at any time in the future.

BarbaraManatee · 21/04/2016 15:35

We didn't apply for a school place for DS1. He'll be 5 in October & we've planned to HE since before he was born. I've had a few wobbles about whether it's the right thing for him but he didn't cope well in pre-school & we're in the process of getting him an ASD diagnosis so I think keeping him close where I can model/explain social behaviour for him is the best option. We're going for a fairly autonomous approach for now which seems to be working well. Not sure yet how long we'll HE for, we're just taking it one step at a time.

Original poster

MrsSimonNeil · 21/04/2016 15:58

cupcakes it sounds like your son has got on really well with HE this past year and you have lots of activities in mind for him. Like you I'd like to HE ds until at least age 7, maybe more. I agree with you that full time formal learning at age 4 is bonkers. I know some children cope with it very well but others really struggle. If school was a more flexible environment for learning I'd definitely consider sending him but in reality this is not the case.

Is there anyway you could work evenings and weekends around HE or send him to a HE childminder while you work? ( I don't know how common these are but I've heard about them) I'm just coming to the end of my training course and I hope to be able to work around HE, I'm sure it wont be easy though.

rara can I ask what letter you are writing to the LA? I was just going to decline the place on the online admissions form

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raracleopatra · 21/04/2016 16:55

Mrs - I don't know I was just guessing I ought to put it in writing but maybe I don't need to?

Original poster

MrsSimonNeil · 22/04/2016 10:32

I have just declined our school place and there is a space for you to add why you are doing so. I just wrote a couple of sentences stating that we will be home educating until we feel that a school environment will be beneficial to our son. (this may be never!)

I feel elated and terrified at the same time!

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baddyface · 22/04/2016 10:45

Congratulations MrsSimonNeil.

We home ed our 7 year old. We took her out of Y2 a few weeks ago. It's great. Much easier than I thought.

We have to to decide what to do with my younger dd who has a place to start in September. I'm torn to be honest as feel that my older daughter has made some great friends at school and don't want her to miss the chance to see children every day at school and make equally good friends. Although I do really know that I will make sure she has opportunities to do that while we home ed. it's just scary actually making the decision and telling the authorities isn't it?!

raracleopatra · 22/04/2016 13:38

Mrs it sounds like your offer letter must be different to mine, well done on taking that step!

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