Does anyone know the views of Derbyshire LEA with regard to Home educators????

[becaroo]

...I live in Derbyshire and am seriously considering taking my 6 year old ds1 out of school (for many reasons).

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience of the Derbushire LEA with regard to their attitude to home ed?

Have applied for a place for ds1 at juniors as it is very oversubscribed and I want him to have the choice wether or not to go but am appalled at the brochure and what they will be expecting a very shy, quiet just 7 year old to do....

Thanks x

It is possible to find out the policy from the council website. Sorry not muh help for you but it is frowned of generally so it might be worth while to talk to the parents information people as they are good. the cheshire lot were really good but they split cheshire in half and now it is crap.

becaroo I am in Derbys (actually Derby so different LEA) and AFAIK they are OK with home edders as long as they do it as they should - certainly I know of a numebr of people who home ed.

What is it about the school brochure that so scares you? Remember it may be talking about 11yos too iyswim.

Have you looked round the school?

Hi. It states 25-35 mins homework every night with tests on spellings and multiplication tables every week - and if they get less than 90% they get detention at playtime....I think that is awful. He will only just be 7!!!

It is a good way to ensure that children who dislike literacy (liek me ds1) will hate it even more and will be very unfair on those children that get no help at home.

I am very upset about it. I think its draconian.

Clary
You said:
"They are OK with home edders as long as they do it as they should"

I am fascinated to know what you think 'doing as they should' equates to?

becaroo
Send me an email via our local HE group and I'll send you the address for the East Midlands Home Education Yahoo group, so you can join and ask there. They definately have memebers in Derbyshire and will be happy to talk to you.

Becaroo - 25 min shomework a night is certainly more than my jnr-aged DC get. However weekly spelling and times tables tests are the norm in a lot of schools AFAIK.

Just to compare, my 2 get one lot of homework a week (on a Friday) which usually takes about 30 mins MAX plus a 10-minute verbal thing on a Thursday night.

julienoshoes: What I meant was as long as the children are receiving what they deem a proper education.

As far as I am aware the LEA has powers to go an look at what home educators are doing. I'm guessing they don't actually do it that often but the power is there.

I know that home educating is not as such banned in Derbyshire because I know (of) some people who do it.

Does that answer your query?

I was just trying to be helpful to a poster who had not had her question answered. I make no pretensions to HE-ing so shall now bow out gracefully.

Thanks ladies, will have a look at the local yahoo group julie x

Clary
Didn't mean to be arsey

It's just that so many times LAs give out the wrong information.

LAs have no duty to monitor home education routinely.
They may make informal enquiries if they have reason to believe an education is not being provided.

It is up to a parent to decide how they will home educate.
It is up to a parent to decide how they will give information (if asked) to the LA.

Many home ed families do not do formal schooling.
Many families (like mine) have no formal written work to show
Many children (incluidng mine) do not wish to share their intellectual property with anyone from the LA-so we didn't.
Many children (including mine) choose not to meet with anyone from the LA. Many parents therefore listen and respect their childrens choices and don't have home visits.
Instead many (like me) send in written reports and 'educational philosophies' instead.

A 'proper education', according to the Law, is one which one is suitable to a child's age aptitude and ability, including any Special Needs they may have
It's up to me, it's MY duty, not the LA to decide what a proper education is for my children.

Home education cannot be banned in any county in the UK.
It has equal status to that of school, in law.

Really not getting at you, just my soap box feelings as many LAs do mislead people about home education.

julie It is great being in touch with someone who knows the law on HE and the rights and wrongs of it all. As someone new to all this i find it terrifying! The badman report has done HE no favous, has it????

I love the idea of autonomous HE like you do but my dh would freak out!!!

If I do HE with ds1 it will be structured for literacy and numeracy and I will go with the flow on other "subjects".

Have now read "Free range education", "how children learn" and "one to one" - are there any other books on HE that you would recommend (or not!)??

Thanks x

no worries julie

becaroo
Home Educators haven't finished fighting the Badman recommendations-not by a long chalk.

Every family will find the way that suits them best.

have bumped a number of threads that are hopefully useful to anyone new to considering the idea of home education-including one on 'Books on Home Education'

hth

www.cgpbooks.co.uk are very good I find if you decide to still follow the national curriculum. Their delivery service is excellent as well. Next day delivery.
I have been using them as I've been HE for about four and half years now as I pulled my DS out of school when he was 8 due to lots of bullying problems from both the teachers as well as the other kids at primary school. Best decision I ever made to HE. My DC wants to go back to school now so now I'm on a different journey trying to find a suitable school for him. Just follow your instincts. The thought of deciding to HE is scarier than the actual act but you won't look back.

The local authority may try to intimidate you at first as they did with me. They insisted I had everything set up at home like it was a classroom and demanded loads of things but I soon put them in their place. Most HE parents are free thinking, not institutionalised, independently minded and so switched on and passionately care about their childrens education that you will very quickly find yourself in very good company where your little one can just be himself and find himself in the process of his own learning. The whole world after all is a classroom!!