how much time does HE take?

[curableromantic]

We have acquired a 12 year old boy (DP's nephew) but live in an area with dreadful schools which worries me as DN has recently been bullied. We will move but can't for 12 months.

I work freelance and have a baby. Could I reasonably do HE? DP would do maths and science and I would do everything else.

How many hours a day does it usually take?

SOrry if I'm being dim, I've just never ever considered I would do this, but DN is very vulnerable right now and I don't think I can just drop him mid-term in whichever school the local council can find a place in...

How much have you read about HE so far? It sounds like you are wanting something very structured at the moment, but have you read anything about autonomous learning? If so, and you decide to take that approach, then if you can find time to mother your baby, you'll be able to find time to HE your DN.

ps. Not dim - I think a vulnerable, bullied 12yo would be far better off being HEd by caring, involved adults than in a new school, which has a bad reputation!

I'm not an expert at all, but even if you were to go down a very structured route (such as workbooks) I believe around 3 hours a day would cover everything. And this doesn't have to be at 9AM - can be in the evening when the baby is in bed. Could even be mostly at the weekend if this is best for you.

Oh yes, forgot to say, even if you do do structure, you won't need anything like the amount of time they spend in school. I think even less than 3h would be enough, as you've got all day to discuss/play/consolidate all the things you did in the morning

Thanks - that's just what I was hoping to hear!

I'm off to find out some info about autonomous learning...

If you can get hold of a copy of How Children Learn at Home by Alan Thomas and Harriet Pattison, that would be a good starting point.

Also Free Range Education by Terri Dowty, to illustrate how HE can usually be made to 'fit' any family.

And try looking at some home ed blogs too.

Enjoy your reading

Also the Teenage Liberation Handbook might be useful, for both you and him to read.

Thanks for the reading suggestions. The whole thing only came about yesterday and I spent all night fretting about schools before it occurred to me that both DP and I are very qualified to teach him. It's very new but the more I mull it over, the better an idea it seems.

Can I just also add, though not at all wishing to put you off HE, if your nephew is with you because he is being "looked after", ie he has been placed with as his carers by his local authority, then if you feel that school is right for him in the future he will get priority over other pupils in getting into your first choice of school for him.

Hope that doesn't offend you if the circumstances are totally different but it was the way that you posted "acquired" that made me think this.

ladidadi, I know exactly what you mean. We intended to have him come to us a few months ago, when we lived outside london, the local council were brilliant in finding us a place in the right school but it fell through so we moved here without worrying about schools if you see what I mean.

DN is not a looked after child technically, he has been brought up by granny, DP's mum, but she's not really coping and he's going off the rails which is why we're stepping in. THe problem is ALL the schools in our area are bad.