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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.

Home schooling

6 replies

Loraine65 · 26/06/2019 10:02

Hi my son is 12 he as an anxiety disorder which he is medicated for he is also awaiting an assessment for autism spectrum disorder my question is I have had to pull my son out of school because of the constant bullying and the fact that I had to get police involved. I went and took my son to nelf appointment told them that he is being educated by edplace on the computer they said I have to contact the ewp at medway Council to ensure that my son access the appropriate education. Does this mean that my son will have to go back to main stream because he cannot handle that nor going out as the aniexy kicks in and then the depression can u advice me please

OP posts:
itsstillgood · 26/06/2019 16:59

No you have just come across someone who does not have a clear understanding of the legalities of home education.

I assume that you have formally deregistered him from school by sending a letter to the school telling them that you want him removed from the school roll? If so the school must do this and notify the LEA that your son is home educated. you do not have to contact anyone, informing the school was enough.

You will hear from the LEA at some point soon. They will probably ask to visit but you can say no and provide other evidence of his education. I would advise joining support groups on Facebook to help you, local groups are good as they know the LEA and there is a group home education, help dealing with your local authority (or something like that). The majority of people have no trouble with their LEA but it helps if you know and are confident of your rights. The LEA can not just send him back to school. They have a right to make enquiries and when they do you should respond asap but mostly they will then back off for a year or more of lucky, if they have concerns they have to give you notice and time to address the concerns. An SAO (school attendance order) is the ultimate end sanction, they are not a common occurrence, far more likely to be threatened than happen.

I recommend the website edyourself.org for details on the law.

Tip, it would probably be better to simply say he is being home educated. Firstly not many people outside education will know what EdPlace is so may query, secondly if (very unlikely) anyone followed up you may no longer be using it - it is not unusual to start off using one resource and finding it working well for things to change weeks/months later and you need to adapt, finally it sounds quite a narrow education but you will be doing so much more - walking for PE, reading, cooking, discussing etc. All of which are equally part of his education but it often takes time to adjust to recognise that.

Loraine65 · 27/06/2019 08:54

Thank you for your advice the inclusion people are on board as I had meeting with them with my son and his education that he is doing he is finding really easy I am up to date with all the curriculum but I need harder work and the programme he is following is year 9 and 10 he is only year7 can you advice on what is required for him please

OP posts:
TitchyP · 27/06/2019 09:04

OP I see you are in Medway, there are loads of HE support groups and meet ups and local FB groups that can help you. There is a large HE community in the area.
I'm assuming he is formally deregistered from school? In that case, terms of 'requirements' there are none really, the authorities cannot easily force him back to school. If he is working online above his school year and you have proof of that I wouldn't worry.

Loraine65 · 27/06/2019 09:39

Thank you the EW want him back in school but he is not having it as he said if I go back to main stream it will be history repeating itself I'm not going and if I am made I will kill myself. he is only 12 and I can't send him back he is under cams and on medication I'm worried for him he does sit and do the work I give him but if anytime he gets one question wrong he has a melt down saying he is useless I can't send him to skl I really need help on this sorry to keep going on I'm just a worried mum who wants best for my son

OP posts:
TitchyP · 27/06/2019 11:35

Have you deregistered him or is he still on school roll?

Saracen · 28/06/2019 07:41

Hi Loraine,

As others have said, provided you have sent in the deregistration letter to take your son off school roll, it really is very difficult for him to be forced back to school. Local Authorities may threaten this, but it hardly ever actually happens when parents supply appropriate information and then stand their ground.

The Facebook group itsstillgood recommended is called "Home Education and your Local Authority: Help with dealing with officialdom" and is really excellent. Some of the people who post there know everything there is to know about the law and are very experienced at helping parents to write letters if necessary to put wayward LAs in their place.

Someone on that group recently posted a very cheeky letter they had received from Medway in which the LA person wrote inviting themselves to the family home, not explaining that this visit is optional. You would be well advised to decline any such offers, especially since your son is anxious. You are well within your rights to do that, but should always answer any communication from the LA in some way.

You mentioned that you have been getting your son to do some formal academic work and that "he does sit and do the work I give him but if anytime he gets one question wrong he has a melt down saying he is useless". There are many ways to educate children. If he is finding this particular school-type approach so stressful, you could experiment with other ways. Many families find it helpful to take a complete break from all enforced learning for a few months after removing a child from school, instead exploring the child's interests and taking all the performance pressure off.

If you and your son like this approach, you can continue with it in the long run. If you decide between you that he would do better with a more formal approach then you might gradually introduce that in the autumn once he is feeling better, starting with the subjects he likes best in order to build his confidence. The process of understanding your individual child's learning needs is an ongoing one. You don't have to identify an approach immediately and stick with it. I would say that if he isn't enjoying it, it isn't right for him and you need to keep trying other ways.

You have far more freedom and flexibility than schools do. Think first about your son's actual needs, not what you think the LA would expect you to do. If you are meeting those needs, you are fulfilling your legal obligations. Then it is just a matter of explaining that. There are many other HE parents in online forums and probably in your local area who will be happy to help you figure out how to explain it in a report, so don't worry about that. Just concentrate on your lovely boy and how to make him happy. That is what really matters.

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