Advise on home schooling please

[Chorkie96]

Been putting off for years but am starting to have to seriously consider it now but I have no idea where to start or where to access age appropriate work etc.

How old is your child? Are they currently in school? What are your reasons for considering home education?

Assuming a mainstream school in England, then you need to send a deregistration letter to the school, instructing them to take your child off the school roll. Info about deregistering. Sample letter.

You'd need to give some thought to how you prefer to approach home ed and how your child is likely to learn best. There are such a variety of approaches - from very structured, sit down at a table and do worksheets, to completely unstructured, and everything in between; from following the national curriculum to exclusively following a child's interests; from book based to board game based to practical activity based to computer based, etc.

The law on Home Ed is here, it's worth having a read because if you are contacted by the Local Authority they often distort (or outright lie about...) their rights and your responsibilities and make a right PITA of themselves so knowing what the law actually says can enable you to push back.

If you are prepared to put your time and energy into developing your child’s interests as a priority then do it.

Hook up with local home ed families by searching home ed and your local area. Some places have specific websites other just a fb Page.

Right now instead of being at school my 6yo did and I are at Barcelona airport waiting for a flight home.

We are on with learning through travel (sometimes called world schooling but I think that’s a bit poncey) we are not rich by any stretch of the imagination but I prioritise travel and it can be some surprisingly frugally particularly if you (like us) are lucky enough to find another family to share accommodation with.

Start with your child's interests. What do they love? Learning doesn't have to involve "work".

You don't have to get it "right" from the start. Nearly everyone I know has tried various things before settling on an approach that feels like a good fit... and even then, within a few years you will still discover that as your child changes, adjustments are needed. Discard whatever doesn't suit your family and keep what does.

Do lots of networking either in person or online. Ask other parents, "What do you use for maths? Did your child refuse to write essays and how did you handle that? My child loves textile design; do you know anywhere I can take him to do some hands-on work?" It will come together eventually.

Do you want to tell us more about your child? We might have some ideas to get you started.

Because you are likely to need to experiment, avoid spending much money or committing to a particular programme before you are sure it's what you want. If you invest heavily, you'll feel obliged to stick with it even if it makes your child unhappy. Look for free or cheap trials, borrow things from local home ed friends, try things for free at the library or online.

Yes,definitely make good use of the library. Some activities will allow a trial session for free to see if your dc likes it. Many places offer reduced price admission or even free admission for home ed children. Museums are a great resource as well - not only free, but often have educational resources available and sometimes classes your child can attend.