Home educating

[wellsey]

Hi all am new here and am looking for some advice on home educating. I have a soon to be 4 year old son and am keen to home educate him (a descision that has not been popular with extended family!) My biggest concern is him missing out on the social aspect of school. Any advice and support would be gratefully recieved!!

Where abouts do you live wellsey?
Many areas have thriving,active local home ed groups.
Locally we have meetings at least weekly during term time. Sometimes we just have so many things on there isn't enough days to do them all!
My 14 year old has the chance to do sailing/kayaking/ice skating/grass sledging/swimming/rugby. We can go to a workshop on Angles, Saxons and Jutes and a trip to the theatre to see Petrushka. We can also do Crafts, Music and a Drama workshop-and all of that is just what is on offer this month!!
there are also camp and gatherings all over the country that you can attend if you want to.
My nieces beg their mother to home educate them as my daughter has such a fantastic social life!

Not all home educated children can/do attend local groups but children can have an active social life by attending after school activities-such as
Scouts/Cubs/Beavers Guides/Brownies/Rainbows
Woodcraft folk Girls/Boys Brigade/St John's
dancing/singing lessons.

It is only in school that children are expected to only socialise with children of exactly the same age -and then only for a short time at breaks. Very artificial. Home educated children on the other hand live in the real world all the time and socialise with people of all ages.

Check out the Education Otherwise website
www.education-otherwise.org/ and the Home Education UK website
home-education.org.uk/
both have links to local groups-and also to internet support lists.
they will also answer a lot of your questions.
There is also a fabulous webpage for home educating families with children under 8 yrs
www.muddlepuddle.co.uk/

Join Education Otherwise and you'll get a contact list, with people in your are as well as lots of other help and support.

Hope that helps.
Let us know if there is anything else we can help with!

Going to crash this thread.............sorry.
Julienoshoes, how do you homeschool. Do you join the home ed group and get sent the material that you have to teach them??
What about tests, do you have to send them away to be marked?
Do the children have to be tested by an outsider every now and again, or "assessed"???

How exactly does it work???

It is something I've thought of from time to time. DD1 is 3.

I'm not a home-edder, but I know several people who are (and obv my children know their children).

I can't see that the social side is a problem unless it already is - ie assuming that you already have friends with children, and are happy mixing, then you pretty much carry on as normal. Continue playdates with existing friends and neighbours. Join various classes (eg swimming, gym, drama - whatever interests your ds). I'm actually quite keen that my dcs have friends who are not at school with them - school can get a little competitive at times, and it is great for the dcs to hang out with children who they don't see every day. Don't feel that you have to limit friends to other home-educated children, especially in the early years. Admittedly a lot of their friends will be in school 9am-3:30, but there is still plenty of time in afternoons, weekends and school hols to pursue valuable friendships.

Sorry - my response was to the OP.

BandofMothers - I'd suggest having a look at the Education Otherwise site which will have a lot fo the infomration on it. The home-ed sites are ways of finding support - they don't (as far as I know) send you materials etc - it is for you to decide what and when you want to teach. You also decide what tests if any you want to use (no SATS required!), though for GCSEs and Alevels you will need to register with an exam centre (usually a local school or 6th form college).

Some home-edders keep close to the National Curriculum, others never look at it.

Again the Eductaion Otherwise site will have info on how your childs education gets assessed by the LEA.

If you need to know anything, CAT me.I'm a local contact for EO and have home educated for 6 years.

myturn. Don't know how to CAT, and am off to bed soon. Would like to take you up on that when I have time to do it properly.

How can you send them for gcse's if you don't know if you've taught them all the things they need to know for it.

Plus I am shite at maths, so how would I teach her that up to A-level standard??

At the very top of the page you will see 'Contact a Mumsnetter'. You will be able to send me a message that way.

Oh, ok. When will you be around next?

Prob late tomorrow evening. (Working Monday and Tuesday) then from Wednesday onwards lol.

dd1 currently due to start GCSE's so hopefully will be able to give you some info re that. Will be nice to chat.

Cool. Haven't dragged myself away yet. How late is late?

From 10pm no doubt.. am a night owl!

Thank you everyone who has answered, sorry I am replying so late but I don't always get chance to get on the computer! Am going to check out some of the sites you suggested Julienoshoes. Given me a bit of inspiration to see that so many other families are home educating, and that I am not some strange mother who will be depriving her child of education!!

Glad to help.
I remember feeling like I was the only strange woman-then I found there was a whole community of home educators out there!!!
If there is anything else you need help with, just ask

Julienoshoes I just wondered where you are in the country. Our local group is quite good but yours sounds fab!!

I live in Worcestershire

All the activities are organised by different parents, so it doesn't all fall to one person.

We could (and do sometimes) join in with Birmingham or Gloucestershire activities too!