What are your experiences of a HE child returning to school? Help me out here, it's all a bit scary...

[sorkycakey]

She is 7 and has recently started to play outside on her own with friends who are schooled.
TBH we were half expecting this and have now received the request to go to school. We always said we'd HE until we were past the ridiculous SAT's and see how we got on (fabulously btw).

We're now at that point and she has asked to go to school to meet more people. Probably the best reason I suppose.
Dd1 wants to go to school. Is there anything to consider?

We've told her she must do the full year then re-evaluate whether it's for her or not, to give it a proper chance. 'Course if she sobs everyday I'm not going to insist she stays, but just think she should be aware she can't decide one morning to go, then not attend the next iyswim.

I've contacted the admissions office and they're sending out some forms to fill in, they have one space left in her intake.

I'm now wondering what else to do to prepare her. Should I ask to meet with the headteacher and discuss her return? Is a gradual return starting in September for the best or chuck her straight in f-time?
Will they want to evaluate whether she has the same skills/knowledge to enter her peer year?

Her brother has declined the 'opportunity' to attend school, stating he's too clever to go , but I suspect once she attends, he may change his mind too.

Did your daughter go to this particular school before being Home Educated?

No she did one term in Reception at another school and then came out to be HE'd at the Christmas. The school with the place is the local Primary

why don' you si down & write with her all the positives & the negatives about school & that way she will be able to understand where she is going. She is only 7 & you have to question does she fully understand what it's all about.

My ds1 was at school until he was 7 then home ed,until he was 9 he returned to a different school happily - he was reintroduced by just going in mornings for a week and they evaluated him as he went along that week.

Ds2 was home edded for almost a year until he was 7 and he returned at the same time as ds1 and he was treated the same both settled really well.

ds became ill aged 9 and was home educated again until he went to secondary - he went to secondary (same as ds1) for a taster week with lots of other kids and settled in great.

Children really are very resilient.

I think 7 is very young to be deciding for herself she wants to go to school as its a big decision and what if she doesnt like it/it doesnt 'suit'?

The list thing seems a good idea I think id be inclined to wait and see if she carries on enthusing.

Cn I ask on a personal level do you feel a bit sad? I know I will when ds3 decides school is for him.

She might be 7 but she knows her own mind. We have sat down with her and asked her why she wants to go to school and also what she thinks it will be like.

The school head has rung this morning and offered for her to attend some transition dates after half term, resumably because she's going into KS2.
I asked about any assessment and she said that wouldn't be necessary.

We'll see how she gets on with those dates I suppose, thanks for all your responses

I think 7 yrs is old enough to know that she wants to try it, especially if she knows that she can drop out again.I think you are very sensible to explain it has to be a fair trial. It sounds to me as if the school are very good-transition dates are a great idea. I think you should opt straight for full time. Flexi time is the worst of both worlds IMO. My nephews found it was very difficult socially if they weren't there the whole time but once they were there full time they were fine.Hope it all works out.

Hi Sorky - My ds1 did a term in reception before we removed him. At nearly seven he was a different child - much more confident, wanting to play out with friends, starting a sports club etc. He started school at our suggestion and absolutely loves it. It was in the middle of the term but he settled in without any problem.

I miss homeschooling him but I love seeing him happy at school. He is doing sats now and I worry how much of this year has been teaching to the test but he doesn't seem to have found any of the work boring.

I think if she is ging to have some trial sessions that would give her a good feel for what it will be like. I think I would go for full time trial days then straight into full time school if she likes it IF you think this would suit her. Plus Year 2 after sats are over is probably quite good fun and it might give her a chance to catch up with anything if she is at a different level before starting ks2 which I would imagine is a bit more formal in its approach.

Hope it all works out for you both.

my dd wanted to try school at age 7 after never attending. After much discussion, we let her provided she go for a full year with the option to come out after that.

We found an excellent school nearby that we are really surprised by and happy about and she is loving it.

We put her in for full days and she was fine with that. They gave her some extra tuition in their phonics program, only because they were doing certain things with the sounds that she did not know, but she was reading way ahead of her age level.
But I loved the fact that they were willing to work with her if and when she needed it.

It has been such a positive experience for all of us I really can't see her wanting to return to HE.
I miss having her around all day, but love to see how happy she is.

good luck!

Thanks ever so much for the advice and experiences. Her little bit of uniform arrived this week so she is quite excited about that
She did say she didn't want me register her with the LA just yet as she wants to have a trial and see if she likes it. She also wanted to check that she could return to HE if it wasn't for her and she seemed a bit concerned about this so we've agreed she will give until Xmas, if she goes in sept, and only if she's truly miserable will she withdraw from school otherwise she's agreed to do a full year.

I know I will miss her dreadfully but it isn't about me, I just want her to be happy.

She's doing 'secret work' to go over everything in KS1 to make sure we haven't missed anything and well start KS2 in the 6 weeks to give her some confidence that she's ahead iyswim.

We're due to get the transition dates after half term, so I'll let you know how she gets on
thanks again

Good luck-hope it goes well for her-she sounds a very sensible DC.