Home schooling

[Beaubell]

Hi, can anyone please offer some much needed advice regarding home schooling? My daughters anxiety is through the roof at school and after a meeting today I have heavy heartedly agreed to home school her. I don’t know where to start or how to structure the day etc? I’m sure I’ve read somewhere about 3 hours a day is an idea? Do you do maths/English/science every day? Any help or anyones structure of their day would be massively appreciated…. Oh and she has ADHD, many thanks

Hey OP.

My heart goes out to you. It must be a difficult decision for you to make, but it may be in the best interest of your child.

In terms of structure, I would advise the following:

1. Sign up to a site like Twinkl. They have access to 1000's of resources (UK curriculum). You can search by age group and subject too. The resources are prepared in line with the National Curriculum and will allow your daughter to learn similar things to those she would learn at school. Although, I believe it isn't essential to teach the NC when home-schooling. I do believe however, it is helpful to try and do as much of it as you can.

1. Set up a routine or timetable. I think an idea would be to sit with your daughter and come up with a timetable (use the laptop to find templates and really ask for her input) that way she won't feel like she has no say and she will feel involved.

I've included an example of a blank template (this is an example, you can change it)

Also, you mentioned your daughter has ADHD. I would suggest 45 min lessons. (When I went to school lessons were 45 mins long anyway, as research has shown that an hour may be too long for children to concentrate for (consistently). Therefore, 45 min lessons may be a good start. Include lunches and breaks (maybe more breaks than usual if she has ADHD to break up the day a bit so it isn't information overload

You do not have to do English and maths everyday, 4 times a week should be fine.

In my opinion, you should try and include PSHE in your lessons, one of the worries with homeschooling is that children may not learn the social/emotional lessons that they would in school. So things like, self-esteem, healthy eating, staying safe online etc (plenty of resources available online)

Lastly, I would suggest keeping everything neatly in a folder, as, as far as I know, random checks may be made to your house to see if your daughter is being home-schooled in an adequate manner. (This isn't to catch you out, of course you're not a teacher, but this is just to make sure that she is at least receiving the basic education that she needs).

You can also use the above to remind your daughter that if a check is done, and she isn't cooperating with home-schooling, the Local Authority has the right to state that she should return to on site school.

That's all I can think of. You'll be fine. I think that setting up a routine is the most important aspect of this new journey.

Sorry forgot to include the examples.

Here you can see some of the free resources Twinkl offers (for proper learning you would need to buy the basic membership at least, as the free resources are limited)

An example of a home school timetable, you can tweak this to suit you and your daughter

There are no random checks!
If someone from the Education authority comes to your house you do NOT have to let them in.
You just do a yearly report to them.

Seek out Ross mountney on twitter, and educational freedom website, and courageous homeschooling handbook by Sonya Chappell (on amazon).

Have the school suggested you home ed her? Or is it completely her (and your) choice?

Hi OP

We have navigated this transition over the last year!

There are loads of home education groups on Facebook, including one called Home Education & your Local Authority: Help Dealing with Officialdom which has brilliant advice on what to do / what not to do!

Generally, people either do their own thing with Twink / IXL memberships + their own interests + attending local social groups for home education.

Or alternatively, if they or their children want a school experience (but from home), online schools are an option (fee paying).

My DS attends Kings Interhigh & it is quite brilliant! (I don't have any professional connection to Interhigh - just our experience)

He previously attended a very selective independent Grammar & honestly Interhigh competes very well in terms of small class sizes, really diverse & interesting lessons.

My DS attends as his professional work outside school doesn't fit with regular school.

There are other online schools, of which I have no experience.
The downside is the cost which some people can't afford. There is no help from your Local Authority with fees for alternative schools.

Home education is such a daunting prospect, but for some children, it is absolutely the right choice. DM me if you need support!

There are no random checks! You don't need to do x hours of anything. School at home is only one model of home educational & there are plenty of others.

You might want to look into "de schooling" your daughter, prioritising her mental health & your relationship before worrying about academics.

Find your local home Ed community (the Facebook group may be closed/private just let the administrator know why you want access) & meet up with real people. You will find there are as many ways to home Ed as there are home Ed families.

Good luck

Thank you so much for your informative and well needed advice. You have been so helpful, especially with the web sites, thank you again

Thank you so much for your information, really appreciate it and especially for the support!! I do feel quite alone. It’s so reassuring knowing there are others out there home schooling

www.educatiootherwise.org They will help you.

Lots of good luck with this new venture!

It was our choice to home Ed my daughter but the lady who was from “attendance” that was present in the meeting today was quite abrupt and clearly had another place to be! This didn’t help my daughters emotional breakdown but she said at the end; maybe think of home schooling her, that’s another option to consider (which I had already said would be a last resort). Fortunately my daughters head of year is brilliant and really tried accommodating my daughter but to no avail. Once we made the decision to home school, my daughter de-aged about 20 years and now looks youthful again!!

There are lots of free resources out there but it can be tricky finding them!

You can find lots of information here:
educationalfreedom.org.uk
They also have a fb group and are very helpful

Another helpful group on fb Home Education for All H.E.F.A

There are loads of other fb groups for H.E. Your local one might have meet-ups or groups for socialising.

Good luck!

Thank you so much for the link!! I am going to need all the help I can get lol! My daughter is buzzing at the moment but I’m pre melt down. It’s nice to know we’re not alone though. When we first spoke about this it was very daunting but I’m gradually feeling a bit better

I'm delighted to hear that your daughter is feeling so much happier now that she knows she doesn't have to go to school! That is a fantastic start.

I would actually say pretty much the opposite of everything @ttcbabyk says. As others have mentioned, there are NO home inspections, random or otherwise. You do not have to have meetings with the LA. The LA is likely to ask for information about the education you are providing, and you can send a report describing what you are doing.

Threatening your daughter with a return to school if she doesn't "cooperate" is heavy-handed and inappropriate. If she isn't engaging with the education you're providing, you can tinker with your approach until you find a way which works better. There are many ways to learn, and they don't have to resemble school or involve a child doing "work". The LA does NOT have the right to force a child to school. Only a court can do that, and only after a lengthy process during which you have many opportunities to make clear that you actually ARE providing a suitable education, or to improve the education if it wasn't suitable. It is wise to engage with the LA and provide them with information, but you and your daughter don't have to live in fear that she'll be made to go back to school.

I don't know many families who keep everything neatly in a folder because they fear inspection. Use a folder if it works as a tool to help YOU with education. If not, don't bother.

Not everybody wants a routine or timetable. Our only routine is the one dictated by external activities we go to, such as sports, chess, bushcraft, and music lessons. We look things up on the internet at the moment we are wondering about them, read books when we are in the mood, and go out on trips when the opportunity arises. Recently my teen observed we were at risk of wasting a beautiful sunny day and reminded me that I'd promised to take her to prehistoric burial site, so we just went. At the dinner table she came up with some maths puzzles to try to fox her dad, and watched his technique.

There are various drawbacks to home education, but I don't think I've ever heard a home ed parent say before that their kids learned better social and emotional skills at school than out of school - very much the opposite! Learning of such skills is more effective when it's embedded in daily life out in the world, rather than being imparted via lessons in an institutional setting. You can address your child's specific needs through targeted individual discussion and exposing her to the types of experiences which will benefit her.

One common piece of advice for those who are new to home education - especially children like your daughter who have come out of school after having a traumatic time there - is to start off with a complete break from any adult-directed learning. Let your daughter have some space to recover and relax, until she feels ready to focus. Encourage her to do the things which make her happy: cuddling the dog, drawing, making a birdhouse, jumping on the trampoline, visiting relatives.

During this time she will still be learning, just in an informal way. You can observe her to start to understand better how she learns. Does she like to get hands-on? Does she silently observe or ask lots of questions? What time of day is she at her best? What types of situations overwhelm her, and what's the best approach for defusing them? What are her interests? When she's with friends, what does she enjoy doing with them?

Meanwhile, you can meet some local home ed families to find out about local social and educational opportunities, and chat with them about the many possible ways of educating. Think about what you might like to try with your daughter.

If your daughter seems to thrive with a totally child-led approach, you can continue like this indefinitely. It has worked well for both of my kids, who were home ed from the beginning and are now 22 and 15. Alternatively, you can start to experiment with other, more formal approaches, perhaps starting with your daughter's favourite subject and introducing more as time goes on. If what you're doing isn't working, try something different. Changing tack isn't a sign of failure; it indicates that you are responding to your daughter's individual needs.

It is a truism among home educators that "there's no wrong way to home educate". I nearly agree with that. I think the only wrong way is a way which makes you and your daughter unhappy. Tinker with it until it feels right. You know your daughter best, and you'll see when she's thriving. Trust yourself.

Gosh thank you so much for all the brilliant advice. I signed up to mumsnet and cannot believe the support and advice I’ve received. Thank you so much again. My daughter is absolutely promising she’ll listen and concentrate . She asked me yesterday when are we going to start home Ed? I said; how about Monday? I think she thought we was going to have the 6 weeks holiday beginning in march!!!!! Part of me is excited but lord knows the other part is really anxious but time will tell I guess. But at least I won’t have the wretching and tears every morning and then when I do actually get her to school the phone calls all day begging me to come and get her as she’s locked herself in the toilet. I definitely feel home Ed is our only option for all our sakes

Not sure of her age but you can download all the national curriculum specs (or could do when I homeschooled) from the department of education website so you know what the learning goals are - you are under no obligation to stick to them but I found it gave me structure I then adapted to suit us (I taught both DD's different ages and different sn).

I would agree with Saracen, definitely don't be threatening your daughter that the LA will send her back to school of she doesn't conform to a certain style of education.
You need to provide an education, you don't need to provide an education that looks like school. You need to find a style of education that works for your family, that will take time and maybe a little bumpy as you let go of preconceptions and she learns to trust you and herself.
Definitely don't be signing up to anything that costs money until you have found your feet a bit. Home eded for 16 years, 8 GCSEs down, 4 to go, never followed the NC, rarely completed a worksheet, hardly ever file stuff - a bit for GCSEs if it's going to be helpful. Nothing wrong with doing those BUT not necessary at all.
We've always been fairly structured but we have routine more than timetable, that has evolved.
Step back, decide to enjoy this - home ed is fab - be kind to yourself. Join groups on Facebook and find local support.

It sounds like the school and LA have successfully tried to off roll DD by pressuring you to deregister.

If you don’t want to EHE but DD can’t attend school due to her anxiety the LA have a statutory duty to provide alternative education under s.19, the Education Act 1996, so if you don’t wish to EHE tell the LA the pay need to provide medical needs tuition.

As well as this you can apply for an EHCNA. The benefit of this is it can include more provision including therapeutic interventions.

I heard of this company called EDClass who help students who suffer with mental health issues. They have English, Maths and Science lessons and allow you to study whenever you want.

I am toying with the idea of home schooling my daughter. She doesn't like school and is always in trouble. She argues with her teachers and is lead on by her friends.
My worry is she is in year 10 and is doing her G.C.S.Es. Has anybody got any advice about how to go about her taking exams when she is being hone schooled?

Am looking into home school for my socially anxious about to go in to year 10 daughter 😢and I feel completely lost and stressed , I have spoken to the LA and have been given a ton of information and websites ( inc this one ) but I genuinely just don’t know where to start , any pointers gratefully received. 🙏🏼

You might want to start your own thread so people will notice it. I'll make a start at answering your questions, but I am about to go on holiday and may not be able to follow up much.

If you are fairly sure home ed is what your daughter needs, my advice would be to pull her out immediately and then take your time to figure out exactly how to proceed. She can progress at her own rate, so don't put too much pressure on yourselves to have it all sussed from day one.

Or are you unsure whether to take her out of school? What are your main concerns about home education, and how is school working for her at the moment?

Normally I'd advise "just try home ed, you have nothing to lose, if it doesn't suit then your child can just go back to school" but Y10/Y11 is a less straightforward time to start home ed. Leaving school becomes more of a no-going-back decision: the school system is so inflexible that once your daughter has been out of school for a while, it would be very hard for her to re-join GCSE classes there.

I'd suggest making contact with your local home ed group so you can meet up with people and ask questions in person. That is often the quickest way, as you can have proper long discussions. You can also find out what is on offer locally in terms of educational and social opportunities. Most everything happens on Facebook, so go on FB and type into the FB search bar "home education" followed by the name of your town or county or nearest big town.

Anyone thinking about exams have a read here.

Home ed exams wiki