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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.

Original poster

Home Education - how many hours 'schooling' do you (as a parent) need to provide

32 replies

KatyMac · 23/05/2008 13:23

Please

TIA

OP posts:
forevercleaning · 23/05/2008 13:26

I tend to do more 'formal' type stuff in the morning, then out and about during the afternoon. Everyone differs, some choose not to do any formal work, and are guided by the children themselves (who are learning all the time in any case).

How old are yours?

Original poster
KatyMac · 23/05/2008 13:42

I'm a chilcminder & I have been asked to care for a home educated child during school hours & I wondered how that would work

OP posts:
forevercleaning · 23/05/2008 13:45

I would ask the parents what they expect of you, as it could put you in a difficult position.

Are they expecting you to 'teach' their child?

Original poster
KatyMac · 23/05/2008 13:55

That concerned me

Along with the legal situation iyswim

OP posts:
AbbeyA · 23/05/2008 14:00

I would ask the parents what they expect. It is impossible to say, it is a way of life more than schooling. I wouldn't have thought it involved workbooks because it would be deadly boring.
You haven't given the age, if they were 4 or 5 I would do it all through play.
If it was me I would tell them what I was going to do and if they didn't like it they could go elsewhere.

Original poster
KatyMac · 23/05/2008 14:03

7

I am concerned my priority would be for my under 5's but I do extend it during the holidays & after school for older children

OP posts:
AbbeyA · 23/05/2008 14:05

Would you be the main person doing the HE, or is it just a few hours?

Original poster
KatyMac · 23/05/2008 14:08

I'm a childminder - I hope I am being asked for care - I don't (really) provide education

OP posts:
AbbeyA · 23/05/2008 14:11

I should make it quite plain, in that case, that you are providing care and you will do what you usually do with school age children. If they are providing HE they can do it when they have the DC.

forevercleaning · 23/05/2008 14:12

Perhaps its best that you give the family concerned a very clear idea of what your position is, in that you are a childminder, happy to help out, but that you are not setting out to 'home educate' as you have other under 5's to care for.

They can make their decision on that basis.

Original poster
KatyMac · 23/05/2008 14:48

I guess that is really why I was asking about 'time' - if I have them too much will that reduce the amount of time the parents have to HE?

(sorry for the gaps I am minding atm - the children come first)

OP posts:
ShrinkingViolet · 23/05/2008 15:17

in terms of actual hours - legally HE has to be "full time" but there's never been a definition of what full time actually means. In order to claim Child Benefit for a 16+ child you need to be providing either 16 or 20 hours week (can't remember the exact numners as it doesn't aply to us at the moment). But if you take school eductation of 9-4 for 36 weeks per year as being an equivalent, then the parents would have 16 weeks of all day every day, plus every weekend, plus, say 7-9 every morning, and 4-8 every evening.
So if school education is 1260 hours per year, these parents would have 2208 waking hours of holiday and weekend time, plus 1080 hours of term time available for HEing.
I'd check thogh exectly what they are expecting from you in terms of education though, and make sure your contract is very clear as to what you are providing.
As a nosey aside, why do they want school hours childcare only?

Original poster
KatyMac · 23/05/2008 15:22

Not really sure - but I guess I just wanted to be sure that by having the child I wouldn't precludes the parents from HEing

I think it can be done & done well......just not by me

I think it is only for parts of the school day - not sure yet

OP posts:
AbbeyA · 23/05/2008 15:27

If it was me, I would be very clear that I was a child minder and that you will provide the same care that you provide for after school or holiday children.I would leave anything educational to the parents and not get involved. If you make it quite plain then they can worry about the hours-it is not your problem.
If they want you to supervise educational things then I should charge extra and if they want you to initiate educational activities I should charge extra again (because this all beyond your normal provision).However, only if you are willing to be used this way.

Original poster
KatyMac · 23/05/2008 15:33

I don't think I am tbh

I can extend most of my activities for older children & regularly do - but we will be based around the needs of the LO (mean tho' that sounds)

Don't even know how much time we are talking about yet tbh

Plus I have quite a structured day & that doesn't always fit around the ethos that (I perceive) some parents may have about HE

OP posts:
Blandmum · 23/05/2008 15:36

Taking a starting teachers pay of around 19,000, and the 1260 hours of child contact time, a teacher earns around £15 an hour.

If you go ahead with this, and frovice education for the child, make sure you don't short change yourself!

StarlightMcKenzie · 23/05/2008 15:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

AbbeyA · 23/05/2008 15:45

If they were to get a private tutor it would cost a lot more. I have only had one,last year, and paid £15 for three quarters of an hour and I think that was quite a reasonable price in my area.
I think your important thing is to get it clear with the parents from the start, don't get pressurised to do anything you are uncomfortable with and if you feel able to do some of the educational side then charge the going rate.

julienoshoes · 23/05/2008 16:44

There are a number of child minders who offer childcare to children who are home educated.
Usually this is to allow the parent to go to work for some hours during the week.

I think I could say almost 100% definitely that what the parent is looking for IS 'childcare'.

Remember when someone home educates they do not have to do so between the hours of 9-3 Mon-Fri in term times.
I would certainly say that most of the education that happens in our house happens outside of those hours.

And I would imagine, you will have been chosen after discussing the sort of things you structure in-presumably the parent would be very happy with this.

For instance, if I had been a single parent when we deregistered our children, then I would have been looking for 'childcare' for two/three days a week allowing me to work and claim CTC and this is certainly what my a very close friend of mine has just arranged.

The museums/workshop/activities and any other education she will do in the five days a week that she is not working.

I agree this is worth discussing further with your potential client-but I might be able to get you a contact for a childminder who does do 'childcare' for a home educated child-would this be helpful??

Original poster
KatyMac · 23/05/2008 17:02

Yes please - I would love a contract - or even just a chat with someone else that does this

Having discussed this with her at length - it is childcare she wants - with some socialising and 'external' boundaries

OP posts:
julienoshoes · 23/05/2008 17:11

Thought that might be what was wanted.

Is it at all possible for you to send a message to me through the info@ link of our local home education website??
Any message sent there will come directly to me.

Then I can get a childminder who is experienced in caring for a home ed child to contact you directly.

Original poster
KatyMac · 23/05/2008 17:24

Will do

I hope you don't think I was being rude/uninformed asking - I just wanted to be sure I was doing the right thing

OP posts:
julienoshoes · 23/05/2008 18:42

I think that asking was exactly the right thing to do!

Squack · 23/05/2008 18:55

How odd, i've never considered the possibility of utilising a child minder when HE'ing, but why not it's no different really to afterschool club type arrangement really is it?

Mehetabel · 23/05/2008 18:59

I home educate my own children and also used to childmind. I also looked after other home educated children.

I was always quite specific that I was only providing childcare, not education, for other people's children, as different people can have such different ideas on what constitutes education, I didn't think that was my role.

Having said that I found that the activities I did anyway with the minded children fit very well into an informal educational experience for all the children, the older ones did the same activities but just at a different level, so they would do slightly more complicated crafts, and be a bit more involved with the cooking process when baking etc as appropriate to their age. Visits out can usually work for both younger and older children. The only place you may find a problem is taking the littlies to playgroups as many don't like an older child to come along.

I certainly wouldn't look at doing workbooks or anything of that sort if I were you - if the parent wants them to do anything like that then they should provide suitable materials of the right age and interest for the child themselves, with you there simply to supervise.

I don't think you will find it a problem, more than likely the parent is not expecting you to deliver any sort of educational provision at all. It should all be discussed before you start anyway.

hope this helps