I am fucking furious
She didn't even use the entry system downstairs to announce herself, just came right up to my front door and knocked on the glass.
She introduced herself by name, which I recognised from the meeting with the Head on Friday. I said that I hadn't received her letter notifying me that she would be coming and she said that she was just here to deliver a pack. I said thank you and held out my hand to take it and she took a step towards my door as if to come in. I told her that I wasn't in the habit of letting strangers into my home without prior arrangement (thank you for that advice Kaytee ) and she stood there awkwardly before telling me that she would discuss it right here on the doorstep if she had to
She then went into lots of detail about what I HAD to do to satisfy the LA that I was providing a full time education for my son. Apparantly I'll be having 'Tom' visit me every 6 weeks to 6 months to check that I am providing an education that is deemed appropriate by education laws, including a full curriculum and some kind of regular group activity for DS with other children of his age.
When she had finished I told her that like any sensible person, I had made myself fully aware of my legal duties as a HE parent and that I didn't have to do any of the things she had told me. I suggested to her that I could fulfil my legal duty to provide information on DS's education in many ways, not limited to letting 'Tom' have access to my child. I told her that this included writing a report, meeting without my child in a public place, meeting without my child at my home or meeting with my child in my home or a public place.
She interrupted me to tell me that Tom didn't work for the LA (so what?) and that he would only want to visit to check that we were providing a full curriculum. She gave the example that DS might be doing everything except reading and so in that case Tom would ask DS how many books he'd read in the period of time since his last visit and details about them to make sure he wasn't fibbing . I sarcastically suggested that Tom would be better off visiting DS's old primary school and checking on the students there because for some odd reason my son had managed to get to the middle of year 2 without being able to read. I also reminded her that the education I provide has to be suitable to my child's age, ability and aptitude and it is not the duty of the LA to assess him.
There was loads more but I can't remember it all. At the end of her visit I asked her why she had sprung her visit on us rather than requesting a visit by telephone or letter. She just gave me excuses about her schedule not allowing definite appts. at first but slipped up after that, when I told her that it was a rather antagonistic way of approaching a first meeting with a parent that they should want to establish a good relationship with. She said (in confidential tones) that some parents just don't want their children to be known to the LA (how extraordinary!) and some mums find it easier to have their children off school and don't provide any education at all so they can do domestic tasks or work. I told her that I thought it was just as feasible for a parent to send their child to school and still expect them to do unreasonable domestic tasks or work, and that I thought it was quite an odd assumption to make of all people that choose to HE as the vast majority do so because they are passionate about education.
Well that's my rant out of the way. I'm considering writing a letter to this woman's boss complaining. Well not complaining really, more pointing out that I was offended that I was being treated as if I was under suspicion for taking my child out of school. The really stupid thing is that I was far more prepared to accept home visits before todays event. Now I don't want anything more than absolutely necessary to do with the LA as I see todays visit as underhanded and bullyish.