Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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.

Thinking of homeschooling DD15

23 replies

Zippidydoodah · 24/03/2025 18:54

Is it a terrible idea?

She’s had such a tough time, and been to two secondary schools, both of which have let her down.

I have never entertained the idea of homeschooling, but she’s desperate to do it. She’s self- motivated and sensible.

I would really appreciate some practical support here, on how to do this (if we do). She’s obviously started her GCSE years although will have a lot to catch up on.

I will look at tutors and home ed groups. I am concerned about things like science practicals and socialising. She’d miss out on a prom, etc.

There is so much to think about. All I keep thinking is that my poor daughter has had a rubbish few years and I don’t know how to help her going forward!

Any insights very much appreciated. Thank you.

OP posts:
Easterbunnygettingsorted · 24/03/2025 19:00

Ask about alternative learning provisions.. At 14 ds got a place in a college for 14-16 year old. He obviously has ASD and still struggled but the idea of the place was fab. 8 dc in a class....Skills exams not gcse levels though...

My dd suffered after Covid.. She refused anywhere... No friends.. No social life or skills. Her school had a section for dc who struggled but she refused to go... Met a lad and now due a baby at barely 18....
Allowing her a life away from her peers won't help ime...
Unless you pay excellent attention to her blossoming in all areas not just her education...

Zippidydoodah · 24/03/2025 19:17

One thing I would make sure of is that she socialises as much as possible.

Thabks for your reply, though. It’s food for thought and has reinforced how difficult it would actually be.

OP posts:
Tiswa · 24/03/2025 19:19

There are fairly decent online schools out there though they do cost

MayaPinion · 24/03/2025 19:38

I can’t vouch for this personally, and there is a significant cost (about £10k pa) but this could be the sort of thing you’re looking for:

https://kingsinterhigh.co.uk/fees/

Saracen · 25/03/2025 01:56

Given that your daughter wants this and she's self-motivated, it is very likely she will make a success of it. You and she would need to accept that in some ways home education will give her fewer opportunities than school, and in some ways home education will give her much better opportunities than school. It looks different. Here are some examples of differences:

She's likely to have to change syllabus for some or all of her subjects. Some GCSEs cannot be done by private candidates, and they sit the equivalent IGCSE instead, as do most kids at private schools. In some subjects like maths there is very little difference, and in other subjects it's quite different.

Unless she does exams at college (which would be free), you'll need to pay fees for her to sit them, on top of whatever you may pay for her to learn the material. You'll need to find one or more exam centres which take private candidates and can accommodate the particular subjects and exam boards she wants. Arranging that tends to be a headache, but you'll manage it. You may have to travel for it.

Through home ed there is a vast vast range of subjects to choose from, and in some cases such as English Language you can choose the exam spec which suits your child's strengths.

Home educated kids often spread GCSEs out and take them over several years. Unlike at school, there's no particular pressure to sit all exams in a single session, or to be finished with them at 16, so your daughter could take an extra year if she needs it. For several reasons, most home educated kids do fewer subjects than schoolchildren, usually just enough to get onto the college course they want, typically five or six. But of course, the point of education isn't just to acquire exam results, and typically they will also be learning subjects which they don't take exams in. For instance, one of my kids learned a foreign language without doing a qualification, and studied art independently to a high enough standard to gain admission to university based on portfolio alone.

Home ed is a more efficient learning model, so she'll have more time on her hands for hobbies, a part-time job, or to study subjects in more depth. Driving her own education is great preparation for university and the world of work. (Years ago, I worked in the admissions office of a university abroad. We actively sought out home educated kids, because their background meant they hit the ground running.)

Happyinarcon · 25/03/2025 03:31

Definitely do home ed, it cut out so much stress and running around for my family and my daughter was able to focus exclusively on learning. She also did some volunteer work in her spare time which kept up her social engagement

growinguptobreakingdown · 25/03/2025 04:44

Op is she year 10?We almost did home Ed for my daughter at that age although it would have been using private tutors/joining an online school such as King's inter high.It's a tough year to choose to do it and we kept her in as her GCSEs had started.Now we have a year 11 who has not been in school for 3 months.There are benefits from us not taking her out at 15 -she got some foundation for her GCSEs, she gets to sit her GCSEs at school, she has medical evidence so school are really supportive. But it has been at a cost to all of us -incredibly stressful couple of year.
As it is she will do her A levels with King's Interhigh.I can't homeschool myself so it's costly...around £5k a year for 3 A levels.I really worry about her friendships-she doesn't get invited to parties, go into town after school, won't attend prom.If you can keep her in do - but if not there is a homeschooling group on Facebook which is great and check out the £2 tuition hub for really cheap /good online schooling.

growinguptobreakingdown · 25/03/2025 04:45

Link is here :
the2poundtuitionhub.com/

user1492757084 · 25/03/2025 04:53

The Distance Education program gives very good guidance and deadlines etc. Each lesson is provided.
I suggest just a one year or one term break from school.

Otherwise, I would book your daughter into a very well run boarding school that has one year learning from out in a woodland or rural campus. It is a magnificent experience.

Userxyd · 25/03/2025 05:00

user1492757084 · 25/03/2025 04:53

The Distance Education program gives very good guidance and deadlines etc. Each lesson is provided.
I suggest just a one year or one term break from school.

Otherwise, I would book your daughter into a very well run boarding school that has one year learning from out in a woodland or rural campus. It is a magnificent experience.

What do you mean by this - what's a one year learning program? Can you post any links- most boarding schools are c. £50k per year aren't they?

growinguptobreakingdown · 25/03/2025 07:01

user1492757084 · 25/03/2025 04:53

The Distance Education program gives very good guidance and deadlines etc. Each lesson is provided.
I suggest just a one year or one term break from school.

Otherwise, I would book your daughter into a very well run boarding school that has one year learning from out in a woodland or rural campus. It is a magnificent experience.

Are you in the UK?Sending a child that is struggling with school away to boarding school probably isn't what the op is looking for.Not only because of the expense! Not sure what the distance education program is either.

shellyleppard · 25/03/2025 07:04

Definitely contact your county council about 14-19 study programme. I took my son out of school when he was 15 . He's now at college and absolutely thriving. Good luck x

GoldfinchesInTheTree · 25/03/2025 07:10

Our local council can do home tutors for alternate provision. One can do 5 gcses. I'd explore this first (although can be a fight) as it saves so much money!

Zippidydoodah · 25/03/2025 08:17

I’ve just seen I have lots of replies. Thank you, thank you! I will read them when I’m back from school run 🙂

OP posts:
catsruleok · 25/03/2025 16:36

Hello - interesting reading.

OP I don't want to jump on your thread but we are in very similar circumstances.

I was logging on to Mumsnet to see if there was any advice if we should just concentrate on Maths and English only

School refuser with ADHD & year 10

Starlight7080 · 25/03/2025 17:18

Mine is currently gcse year and one thing i will say about homeschooling is it is expensive. If you are sticking to the take gcse exams plan.
Each exam costs a lot and thats after online schools/tutors .
Or you can teach everything yourself but I'm dyslexic and although I help alot i couldn't be fully responsible for all subjects .
But mental health wise it has been the best option for us

Userxyd · 25/03/2025 20:07

@Starlight7080 how expensive? I guess you're saving on travel and uniforms and lunches but paying for textbooks and exams?

Saracen · 26/03/2025 09:40

Starlight7080 · 25/03/2025 17:18

Mine is currently gcse year and one thing i will say about homeschooling is it is expensive. If you are sticking to the take gcse exams plan.
Each exam costs a lot and thats after online schools/tutors .
Or you can teach everything yourself but I'm dyslexic and although I help alot i couldn't be fully responsible for all subjects .
But mental health wise it has been the best option for us

Exam costs vary dramatically according to the area and which exam centre you use. We paid just under £100 per subject in total for exam board fees and centre fees. Most people do pay more. Join a local HE Facebook group to see what's available in your area, or ask in neighbouring areas if you are willing and able to travel farther afield.

You'll probably want to buy some revision books at least. Some people use tutors or online schools. It really does vary, according to your child and what you feel confident to take on yourself.

The overall cost is somewhat reduced by the fact that it's common for home educated kids to only sit half a dozen subjects, because if you choose them carefully that is usually enough to get into college or meet the requirements of jobs such as police.

It is a lot of money to find at short notice if you find yourself unexpectedly home educating a 15yo. In the case of parents with younger children, I tend to suggest home educating until 14 while trying to save up for exams, with the backup plan of maybe sending them to school or college for exams.

For older teens who are deeply unhappy at school, home ed may be the best choice even if it doesn't lead to a handful of GCSE passes at 16. It may not be ideal, but if they survive with their mental health intact, that's the main thing.

Zippidydoodah · 26/03/2025 11:21

@catsruleok don’t worry at all about jumping on the thread! The more the merrier!

The cost of online school will be prohibitive, so I will need to shop around for tutors/groups etc. I guess then, I should do some maths and see if it would actually save any money or if we should just think about the online school after all! It’s a mine field.

OP posts:
Saracen · 26/03/2025 11:47

Have you found your local home ed group yet? That would be the place to start. You can ask them about local exam centres, in-person tutor-led study groups or one-to-one tutors, and what the provision is like at colleges in the area. You may also like to join in with social events for home educated teens, if your daughter's existing out-of-school activities aren't going to be enough for her.

Go on Facebook and into its search bar type "home education" followed by the name of your city, county, or nearest big city. Let us know if you have trouble finding it, and somebody should be able to help. Facebook is also good for national home ed groups focusing on exams in general, or specifically by subject.

Userxyd · 28/03/2025 06:38

@Zippidydoodahis it also worth looking into flexi schooling? Basically school part time with home schooling in between. I read about it a while ago and not sure how many people do it or are allowed to do it, especially in the GCSE years, but it might be worth considering. I suppose your DD might not entertain it as it still involves being in school but it might’ve been helpful while she was younger to help avoid her wanting to leave entirely. Or was she given the choice of reducing the gcse load, say taking 6 instead of 9 and using that spare time in her schedule to work in peace and quiet in the library or go home if she can?
Keep us posted on your decision - I think it’s really helpful to know about alternatives to mainstream schools these days with so many MH and other problems that are basically caused or at least exacerbated by MS schooling.

Zippidydoodah · 28/03/2025 07:42

I’ve joined the Facebook group for home education in my town, and it’s very quiet, although I know there is a large community of home schooled kids here.

My daughter actually asked about flexi schooling but I told her I didn’t think it could be an option for her. Maybe it’s a possibility, though. I guess I need to come up with a plan and then approach her school with it?

OP posts:
Saracen · 28/03/2025 11:38

Zippidydoodah · 28/03/2025 07:42

I’ve joined the Facebook group for home education in my town, and it’s very quiet, although I know there is a large community of home schooled kids here.

My daughter actually asked about flexi schooling but I told her I didn’t think it could be an option for her. Maybe it’s a possibility, though. I guess I need to come up with a plan and then approach her school with it?

You could ask on that Facebook group whether there are others you can join either now or when/if you take your daughter out of school. In my area there are probably around 20-30 local home ed Facebook groups. The main one is county-wide, and then there are special ones for kids with autism, in specific towns, Muslims, Christians, unschoolers, for teen activities, and local exam centres. Unfortunately, for privacy, many of them will only let you join once your child has been deregistered from school. We also have a gateway group which is easier to get into where we answer people's questions so they can decide whether home ed is right for them. Some of those groups go quiet for no particular reason, maybe people are posting on other groups instead, or the parents who started the group because they were energetic about finding friends have moved on.

So it may be that the quietness of the group you've found is no reflection on what's actually happening. In my area, exams aren't much discussed on the local FB groups, but people talk endlessly about them in person or by messaging their friends. General curricula questions (which English Language IGCSE to take, when to register) are discussed on national lists.

I've heard that because most headteachers have a knee-jerk "no" to flexischooling without necessarily having thought through how it could work, it is best to learn all you can about how it can look in practice, and come to the first meeting armed with a good plan and answers to the likely objections. There's a huge national Facebook group (Flexischooling Families UK) you could join. Oh, you could also ask on the local Facebook home ed group whether anyone else has flexischooled at secondary in the area, and specifically at your child's school. Hearing that another local head has agreed to it may make your headteacher more receptive.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread