Homeschooling in Scotland from August

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I am thinking of homeschooling my 2 children (age 9 and 5) in August due to the social distancing and blended learning measures that are going to be in place. I think these will be really damaging to the kids and if they are only going to be in 2 days a week with no gym, access to books etc then they may be better off at home.
I would be happy to send them back if schools were going to be as they were pre covid.
Does anyone have any experience of homeschooling in Scotland and could offer any tips or advice?

Have you read the thread where parents of kids who have gone back in England have reported back? It sounds like despite the shorter and simpler routine and classroom, the kids were happy to be back and spend time with their peers. You could do PE out of school hours? Many kids play a sport or dance or you could go down the Joe Wicks at home sort of routine?

No I haven't read it but I will have a look thanks. The kids did clubs before they all stopped and hopefully if these return then they would go back to them, they are both pretty active and love being outdoors.

Some of the measures the schools have inplace that I have seen seem to be damaging to the kids and unnecessary when in other countries schools have returned with no distancing in place. We were told there would me more outdoor learning but if they are only in 2 days a week and learning outside I'm not sure how much they will actually learn.

Most of the pictures on Facebook and the like aren’t real.
Who said the children wouldn’t have access to books?
We don’t know yet what schools in Scotland will be like come August, how many days/ times etc children will attend or how many at a time. I think you should wait until these details have been released by your school.
Although, I appreciate your concerns. My DD is due starting P1 and it’s killing me that it’s going to such a different experience for her.

I'm recommending to parents in England that they wait and see, because there is no hurry about deregistering when the kids aren't currently required to attend anyway. BUT in England we have deregistration upon demand, whereas in Scotland you need to go through a procedure to obtain LA consent. So if you are worried that your kids might be made to go back to school when you don't want them to, it could be better to start that process now so it is finished by August. Have you in Scotland had assurance as we have that for the time being parents who choose not to return their children to school will not be fined? If so, you could wait.

Here is a Facebook group you might like to join, to chat with other parents who are thinking along similar lines: "HE UK: Free Home School Lockdown Resources & Support" It was started by a very knowledgeable and politically active home educator to help parents whose children are temporarily off school due to Covid-19 and there are a number of experienced home ed people there, together with some 5000 school parents.

Some of them are now thinking of home ed in the medium to long term for various reasons, though of course many are eager for their kids to get back to school.

We have been advised 2 days a week and from a teacher that there would be no toys, lego etc available for them, hopefully this might change.

I am hoping that by August things may have changed, especially given as schools in numerous countries in Europe have went back without distancing.
Saracen thanks for the facebook group, I will take a look.

We don’t have the fines in Scotland anyway @Saracen

First day back at school - how was it? www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3926188-First-day-back-at-school-how-was-it

This is the thread

@FelicityPike

We don’t have the fines in Scotland anyway *@Saracen*

Oh, I didn't know that! Interesting. So what happens when a child who is registered at a school in Scotland racks up a large number of unauthorised absences?

@Saracen The attendance officer goes to their address and tries their best to establish the reasons. Parents can be prosecuted, but I don’t think this happens very often. Social services become involved too.

@flamingochill thanks for the thread, nice to see so many positive stories

OP and others may be interested in the 'Home Truths' report recently published by the Scottish Home Education Forum, which sets out the legislative framework and findings from its reseacrh into local authorities’ home education policies, practices and relationships with home educators in Scotland.

scothomeed.co.uk/home-truths-home-education-research

The SHEF website also signposts to active local support groups.

scothomeed.co.uk/community/support-groups