Reluctantly home schooling my Y9 son

[whimsicalname]

We've moved back to the UK from the US over the summer, and despite applying for schools have not been offered a place at all for our Y9 son. We are appealing next week but it will potentially be weeks before he has a school place.

Whilst I admire many home educators immensely, I have always known it was not for me. I am not very patient with my children and would rather be at work myself. So now I find myself at home with a bored and homesick (for the US) 13 year old.

Really I'm just after a bit of guidance and reassurance. I'm trying to walk a line between him doing some studying but also having some fun. At the moment he's working through some KS3 work books interspersed with trips out for example for a bike ride today, he did some volunteering at our local adventure playground last week and is going to work with a friend of mine who is an architectural conservator tomorrow.

What else should I be doing?

Have you been in touch with your local education authority. They do have to offer you a school place. This doesn't have to be at a good school or your most local school but the have to offer you something. However if you turn the place down they don't have to offer another, they have met their obligations. Also you can go on lots of waiting lists. If a school has place they should offer it to you.
As for now there are some free websites such as Khan academy. If you are in London I believe some of the museums have special sessions for home educated children.
Maybe get him to research a project and then put it into action
Also get him to join some out of school activities to make some friends e.g. Scouts , sports clubs etc

What you are doing sounds just fine, especially as you aren't planning to have your son out of school for long. You say your son is unhappy and homesick, so Mary's suggestion of helping him join activities where he can make new friends sounds like a good one.

This could be a good opportunity to visit museums and other places of interest when they are fairly empty, but only if you both want to.

By the way, since you have requested a school place and not been offered anything whatsoever, technically your son is not being electively home educated. He is having a temporary break in schooling. So if anyone from the LA asks you to provide information to them about your son's education, you can safely decline to do so. There's no need to waste your time writing reports, corresponding with them etc.

Good luck! Hope this doesn't drag on too long and that your son settles in to life in the UK soon.

Sign up for K12 online. It's excellent!