Home edders- anyone with positive experiences of dealing with your LEA?

[CitizenPrecious]

I have just started home edding my twins. We're between schools- ie we have de-regged them from their last school and we're waiting for them to move up the list for the new school- no idea how long it's going to take. A few weeks in and we're all finding it really positive- in fact it's better than I'd dared hope, for the whole family- so far, at any rate.

We're doing some daily reading and writing and odd maths activities- this is all pretty informal and done on a sort of ad hoc basis, but we are doing it (I have had a look at the National Curriculum stuff but must admit have found it pretty off putting and baffling- has been on my to-do list for weeks ) Rest of the time, we're on outings and playing and generally just messing about...

I emailed the LEA to let them know I'd taken the dcs out and they've sent me back a form for us to fill in asking what we're doing, and saying that someone will visit for an Informal Chat.

Now, they seem positive and helpful, as far as I can tell, and my hunch is to co-operate until something goes wrong...has anyone else had good experiences with their LEA?

response mostly copied from another recent thread:

The Informal Chatter will be some ex-teacher or ex-ofsted inspector subcontracted by the LA to inspect your provision and pronounce judgement on it. You are under no obligation whatever to accept the visit.

You are in a complete lottery. The "consultant" may be very supportive, or they may be a complete horror. They may offer you helpful advice, or they may be there with their ticky box checklist being Mrs/Mr Judgeypants.

In your position, I would either

1. write to the LA and say "thank you for offering a visit. We will be delighted to receive one once we are satisfied that such a visit will be of benefit to our family. Please let us know the relevant qualifications and experience of the consultant in home educating."

Or

2. "thank you for offering a visit. In accordance with current law relating to home education, and the 2007 EHE guidelines, we prefer not to receive a visit at this time. Please keep all future contact with us in writing. We will be delighted to provide information about the education we are providing once we have fully settled into home education, as is recommended under paragraph 3.11 of the guidelines ahed.pbworks.com/f/7373-dcsf-elective-home-education.pdf" Ball back in their court. They may well want to get an impression of the kind of HE you do and, once you've got well established - 3 months? 6 months? - then it is reasonable for them to ask for evidence that you are providing an education, and at that stage, look through the guidelines and think about the kind of evidence you want to provide.

3. go for it. Have the visit. I'd say, if you're planning to get them back in school asap, then you might well want advice about keeping in line with what their peers are doing, although you could receive that advice in writing rather than in person if you preferred. And, honestly, the people best placed to advise you are other HEers, not LA staffers or subcontractors.

Why the hard line advice? The discredited Badman report, plus current DCSF and ministerial attempts to pass illiberal, disproportionate and discriminatory legislation. Time for us all to show the State agents that we know exactly what legal powers they have and don't have, and they need to LEARN TO USE THEIR EXISTING POWERS rather than demanding more, or pretending that they have more powers than they do to interfere in perfectly well functioning family lives.

You might be interested to know that Education Otherwise, the biggest HE charity, have just announced that, if the government get the current education bill through government, they will NOT be cooperating with the LAs in helping to train staff to police the new regime. They have also just turned down an offer of a meeting with Vernon Coaker, the relevant minister. In other words, we are living in "interesting times", when the previously good relations between home educators and the state have turned distinctly sour. You are unlikely to find many home educators advising you to invite state employees to come into your home and judge your educational provision at this point in time.

thanks for that, ommmward

I had read it on the other thread- which is why I was asking if anyone had anything positive to tell me about co-operating with the LEA, as in my op

If I get total silence, I shall take it as a no!

My friend decided to HE her eldesst, who was 13 at the time. She had no probs with the LEA.
Mind you, she is a teacher, and has quite a 'posh' voice. I know it shouldn't make a difference but to some it does...

thanks for that, teasle

...I did wonder if it worked a bit like that

I deregged my two in september
So far LEA contact has been zilch, zero, nada

Local gossip is that my LEA may NEVER bother to contact me!

Which in some ways I think is great!
On the flip side I find it rather negligent that they apparently cant be bothered!!!
Not that I want them to bother me - but I wouldnt mind an annual letter!

did you contact them direct when you deregged, LIW? or notify the school?

I emailed them direct which is probably why I got a swift response, I reckon

Oh, if you are posh and have teacher training, you'll have no problems

I'm not posh- but I do have a (basic) qualification in Early Years and a working knowledge of the Foundation Stage (tho not KS1)- so am sort of wondering if I could wing it somehow...

easy peasy. If you know the right edu-speak (which you will do, with your early years qualification), you can bullshit your children's personalities into just the kind of language the LA bods will want to rdad/hear.

Do you have time for a few elocution lessons as well?

thah raaayn

in Spaayn staaays maynly in thah plaayn

...there. Piece of piss

Hmmm, I wonder. I have had loads of grief with my (ex-) school and not up for more at this stage- particularly when things are going so well

...might try and fob them off for a bit- at least till we've sorted ourselves out and know a bit more about what direction/s we want to go in

...that'll be your Option 2, then, I think, ommmward

ta very much!

Our LA guy is lovely. Comes round once a year, ticks some boxes, has a little chat and is out the door before he's had time to finish his coffee.

He is the same with other HE families I know who are totally autonomous, as he is to us who have a more formal approach.

(FWIW, we contacted him when we took ds out of a private school, so chose to reg with LA).

I took a formal letter into the school - the head told me to contact the LEA. I said I was under the impression that I wasnt legally required to contact them but she was. I presume she did notify the LEA but I didnt - as I assumed they would start hounding me and I wanted a bit of time and space before they did

They havent contacted me at all!!!

As I said I dont want contact with them but I find it neglectful that apparantly they dont care!
It has definitely changed my opinion of our local council.

Hello, it's me.. [waves]. We're in the same borough, so I thought I'd just say that my dealings with the LEA have been minimal, and professional, and pleasant.

Only my eldest daughter is 'known' (due to an annoyingly officious Early Years Nursery which 'had' to pass on her details... ). I chose to meet the LEA lady 1 year at the library, the next at the local ball-park, which she was perfectly happy with. It meant the children (and I have four) could go off and play happily, giving the grown-ups a chance to chat, and her, presumably, a chance to observe some 'socialisation' in action ... The meeting was about 45 mins long. I last met her when my daughter was 6.5, and she was noticeably more interested in what reading and writing was being done than a year previously - I got the impression that she might get less relaxed about the 'academic' side the older the children were, IFYSWIM.

If I were you, I'd agree to a meet, but I think it's easier somewhere other than your own home. Up to you, obviously, but if you meet and talk willingly at this stage, when your girls are still young, it gives you a better chance of being able to ease out of a more detailed check-up in later years.

I'm hoping that the fact that I've met her 2 years running, and she's seen the children out, about and happy, will mean that next year I can simply submit a written report without any questions being raised.

Email me off-list if you want me to dig out this lady's name. She's Scottish, and nice!

thanks for your comments everyone- all really useful to this baby home edder!

...and thanks psychomumma [waves]- have emailed you

We've never had problems with our LA contact. He seems very pleasant, comes round once a year, has a chat while his assistant makes notes. They then send me a copy and if I disagree with anything they've put, I can contact them. I've never had to do so! As far as I am aware, they are fine with other families but don't actually regularly meet up with other families in this LA.

Disclaimer: I am a teacher (still working a couple of days a week) but I don't talk posh!!

We are structured and he is fine with the resources we use, many of which are American and few of which are NC. He also knows my opinion of the NC!!

we're just looking at HE as last resort for DS who's having huge anxiety/socialisation issues with school. Have found InterHigh, an online school with teachers, classes, proper lessons etc ..... sounds a great alternative to full on HE which quite honestly scares me silly as I'm not a teacher, not organised and could get very tricky if DS finds it hard!

Does anyone have anyone have any experience / info about them or other online schools - would love to hear from you. All advice very welcome! xx

we're just looking into HE as a last resort as DS is having huge anxiety/socialisation probs at 2ndary school. We've found InterHigh, an online school with teachers, classes, real lessons .... sounds like a great solution as the thought of full HE scares me silly! I'm not a teacher, not organised and if DS finds HE hard it'll be very tough for us both!

Does anyone know about InterHigh or other online schools? All advice is very welcome .... Thanks! xx

Hi kiki - try hunting through the Home Ed threads, or starting a specific thread of your own asking your question

Interhigh seems popular - several MNetters children use it
But there are lots of other options, also bear in mind a prepackaged curriculum will cost considerably more than whatever you put together yourself, although the more costly option does offer piece of mind and doubtless less effort!

And Welcome to MN and HE

Ahhh I see you just have