Websites? Questions.

[AnonWeeMouse]

Long story short. Applied for school place after move, none available, elective Home Education begins.

So. I've stumbled through a bit and googled a few websites, but I don't have any experience of which ones are good.

So, which websites are the best please? Are there any good ones with a forum would be a plus.

Daughter is 9. She should be on year 5 right now. We moved in July, she should have started early september but there is no place available, too many kids, not enough schools.

Thanks for any help offered.

I wouldn't want to discourage you from being involved in your daughter's education while she's waiting for a school place, and I hope someone will be along soon with recommendations for you. My family had a more laid-back approach in which we just googled whatever the kids were interested in, visited the library often, etc. rather than using "educational" sites. So I don't have any specific suggestions for you.

However, I just want to make sure you know that the council retains responsibility for your children's education in these circumstances. If you have requested a school place and they haven't provided one, they have a legal responsibility to provide alternative education, for example by sending a tutor out. You are not electively home educating: EHE means you chose to home educate.

It's a different matter if they'd offered you a school which you didn't like, and you decided to home ed while waiting for a place to become available at a school you prefer. But if they have offered you no school at all, they need to provide the education. I would also expect them to be sending you recommended websites at this stage.

Also, don't tolerate any requests from the LA for reports etc about how you are educating your child. That would be the height of cheekiness, but some LAs try it on with parents like you. If they ask you for any information, remind them that you are not electively home educating, and it is they who need to be describing to you how they are educating your child!

I expect you can get help on one of the other Mumsnet boards with how to press the LA to provide a school place quicker. Fair Access Protocol perhaps?