Does home education suit some children more than others?

[Smallestbillygoat]

I'm thinking about home educating as my eldest DC is unhappy at school. He has SEN and has basically never consistently liked school. He says it's a 'prison' or 'torture' and finds the social side hard at times He has passionate interests of his own and loves doing his own projects etc.

OTOH my younger child adores school, is almost always very happy to go, seems to love the vast majority of schoolwork, activities, socialising in big groups etc.

I've been reading around about home educating a bit and a question occurred to me - does home education suit some children more than others? It's sometimes put forward as 'better' than going to school (or visa versa!) but perhaps it's really just down to the individual child?

Absolutely! There are many families like yours where one child prefers home ed and another prefers school. In referring to whether school is a good fit for a child, home ed parents may refer to their children being "school-shaped" or not.

And then there are children for whom some schools might suit them better than some home ed setups, or vice versa. For instance, it's possible that your younger child thrives at this particular school but would be unhappy in a different one. Likewise it's possible that your elder child will thrive being home educated in the way that you will do it, but would hate being home educated in the way some other parent would do it. So, maybe your younger child is more likely to prefer school in general, but in extreme situations might prefer home ed. Maybe your elder child is more likely to prefer home ed, but in an extreme situation might prefer school.

Finally, there are some kids who just struggle with life in general, and others who can sail through without much trouble wherever they go. I've known kids who were happily home educated and who then went to school and were similarly happy there. I've known other kids whose parents say, "Oh no, I wouldn't home educate her: she loves school" but then discover they like home education just as much as or more than school.

It isn't impossible that if you remove your older child, his younger brother will look at what he's doing and think that actually that might be even more fun than school. It is a common scenario that parents take one very unhappy child out of school and then end up with siblings - who had apparently loved school - joining them during the following year or two.

This is such a helpful answer thank you @Saracen! Love ‘school shaped’

Yes without a doubt. Just those first sentences you have written sound so like the typical school hater/avoider/refuser I have worked with, the vast majority of whom go on to be diagnosed with SEN (usually HF autism). School often does not suit these children and cannot help but to fail them, honestly.
Your boy sounds like an ideal candidate for HE.

I think that is probably true yes and I think it's also true that different schools might suit some children better than others for example the type and size of school can make a difference

Definitely, I admin a Facebook group for families who have children in school while home educating others. There are lots in that situation. Quite a lot do end up making the jump for all kids at some point but the majority manage to make it work.
I spent

Oops I spent 6 years with a child home educated and a child at school. Academically home ed has been better for both but one needed the social side and the routine of school, for the other that would be a nightmare. He is quite social but needs to manage it, all day everyday with people the same age would overwhelm him.

I have 3 children. My eldest loved school - thrived in the school environment. She stayed in the school system and did very well.

My two younger have SEND and struggled in school. Poor support from the school led to bad experiences, compounded by bullying that was not acted on by the school. They home educate as it's what is best for them.