Please help me work out what to say to school.

[EccentricaGallumbits]

Have to phone school today to let them know what is going on.

I have no idea what to say though.

I can't imagine they'll be too happy if I suggest giving DD a few weeks to consider the HE idea. But what about longer term? If she decides in a few months or a year she wants to go back what then? Will they take her back?

They haven't shown any interest in her refusing to go once a week up until now but if it starts affecting their precious attendance figures they might notice.

If you're worried about what they'll say, don't phone, email. Say 'I'm deregistering DD to home educate her for the foreseeable future. Please ensure she is taken off the school roll and write to me to confirm that this is done'.

They're very unlikely to keep her on their school roll as, like you say, it will affect their attendance figures a lot, and will also stop another child from having her space.

They can only refuse to take her back if they've excluded her or if there are no spaces for her.

Good luck - let us know how it goes. The only reason I haven't responded to your threads so far is because I have no experience in your situation, having only much younger children. I hope it works out for you though - I'm sure it will. I've met so many people with children around your DD's age who've found that HE has 'made' their children IYSWIM.

Thanks for replying. Actually making a firm decision is just so bloody scary.

I can imagine. But try seeing it the other way around. Can you keep sending her to school the way things are? Is that an option? It sounds like it isn't, so there's your decision made. Now it's just working out how to do it.

EG it is terrifying - even 6months in I still have the wobbles!

Is it realistic to assume that she will want to go back to next week, in a months time?

Do you think you can overcome the hurdles you mentioned in your other thread?
If the answers are no to the first and yes to the second (that is a confusing sentance!) I would go for it!

There is loads of great advice on mn home ed threads and elsewhere on t'web about how to proceed once you have deregged - the first thing to do is let her calm down and be happy again!

What did you do, EG? How did it go?

It might be too late now to be of help, but can you find out if the school has spaces? Our decision with both DDs was made much easier because both schools had plenty of spaces. I knew that if, even a month down the line, they wanted to return, the school had to agree. They don't have a choice in this, you're entitled to the space. This made the decision seem much less final and scary at the time.