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Home ed

Find advice from other parents on our Homeschool forum. You may also find our round up of the best online learning resources useful.

Would home education be a good fit for us?

172 replies

machanicalmovement · 11/11/2022 12:38

Right now it's a bit of pie in the sky thinking and I need somewhere to air my thoughts. He hasn't settled at school, he hates it, cries at drop off almost every day and is one of the youngest. It's hard to get him ready to leave in the mornings he has tantrums. He isn't ready to potty train, so comes out regularly with a bag of wet or soiled clothes because they have started to insist on no pullups or nappies. He's unhappy and I'm endlessly stress with it all, I'm unhappy too.

Please don't judge us, we are stuck in the system for assessments for Special needs, and a EHCP I'm not even sure if i am a crap parent and that's the cause.

He coped really well at nursery for 3 hours a day, but hasn't adjusted well to school. It can't be fair on the other students either, the ones who are ready.

Right now I'm just venting and searching for options, how would a go about de-registering him from school?

OP posts:
SomePosters · 13/11/2022 10:39

machanicalmovement · 13/11/2022 08:43

I think I will phone and inform the school I won't be sending him in until we get a meeting. I'll ask about the appeal, I'll be insistent on letting him have nappies and I will TELL them he needs half days.
If I don't get anywhere with this route I will contact the Sen team myself, and do the same thing there. This thread has given me a starting point, so thanks to all.

@Oddieconvert I have qualifications but that doesn't mean I won't be terrible at home schooling, at Ds's age and with his possible (probable) SEN how I teach would be doing as much trial and error as any other parent. I'd be entering it blind and clueless (as this thread has demonstrated). Those quilifications and my experiance mean nothing in the real world. I'm in the same position as any other parent.

I understand your comment, and apprechiate you checking. My first posts must come across as slightly irrational, but I was typing in anger, I was upset and I was trying to get over all the important information without dripfeeding.

You’re 100% right you know

everyone’s making it up as they go along, even the ones who have left teaching to home Ed say they have to rethink their whole strategy because it’s not crowd control anymore

Having experience in more general child development is helpful I think as you’ve got a gauge to measure by that many first time parents do not but honestly home Ed is not to be taken lightly

In school children have the stimulus of other children doing stuff and progressing, they have a teacher who didn’t argue with them about brushing their teeth this morning and a whole bunch of stuff going on that’s not about your relationship dynamic etc

I worked hard at being someone my daughter will take instruction from. I vary my approach, be child led etc etc but we pay a tutor for math as once she start getting frustrated she won’t listen to me at all

Teaching them yourself in the early years when it’s all play based is great but my now ten yo needs to really up the level of work she is willing to commit to and without the stimulus of other children doing that how do I show her what to aim for?

In our case the answer is Im doing a degree via distance learning so that she sees the next level of work and normailises that as something people like her do.

Will it work? No idea!

Would school he better than what I do? Probably not in our case

Will I regret my life choices when she is 16,18,25

I don’t know but honestly the other home Ed kids don’t give me much hope. There’s a handful of truly lovely ones and then a lot whose parents have pulled them as it’s easier than negotiating with the school and tackling issues and I don’t think their futures look bright

machanicalmovement · 13/11/2022 10:47

KatMcBundleFace · 13/11/2022 09:55

I find it odd that there are so many toilet training issues in schools now, and this is being blamed on disability.
Disabled children have always existed, yet in the not too distant past, a un toilet trained child at school was a rarity.

Strange. I wonder if it's mirrored around the world......

I KNOW he isn't ready and isn't coping in school, I know this I can see him struggle every day. But honestly what do you expect me to do?
I can keep him off, but then what happens if he still isn't potty trained by September and he hit compulsory school age?
He will be at school in nappies.

Please give me an answer, what do I do?
I am trying my best, I am trying to get him help, he's trying his best. It's hard, how do I solve this "odd" problem?

I'd love for you to give me an answer that doesn't include "blaming disability".....

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Thatsnotmycar · 13/11/2022 10:56

machanicalmovement · 13/11/2022 10:15

And they have tried to persude me not to, so they will probably not be willing to help me when I do. But I will be getting thing in motion next week.

If you haven’t already, reading IPSEA and SOSSEN’s website and the SENCOP will help you understand the process better. Many schools aren’t supportive of parents applying/appealing for an EHCP, you don’t really need their help.

Ingrainedagainstthegrain · 13/11/2022 11:58

Thatsnotmycar · 13/11/2022 00:25

The laws the same whatever LA you live in.

How it's interpreted and the approach of the individuals involved can vary widely.

Thatsnotmycar · 13/11/2022 12:05

“How it's interpreted…can vary widely.”

Many schools and LAs would like parents to believe this is the case when they are acting unlawfully, but legislation, statutory guidance, case law and LGO rulings are explicit. LAs cannot have their own unlawful policies. Parents of pupils below CSA will not have any consequences. LAs trying to impose consequences on parents of pupils absent due to their SEN/MH will not get anywhere. Parents should not accept LAs &/or schools acting unlawfully.

Ingrainedagainstthegrain · 13/11/2022 22:23

I agree but it's not like that when you're being badgered and you're stressed to the hilt by the holders of the purse strings. It's not possible to just not accept things.

Thatsnotmycar · 13/11/2022 22:38

It's not possible to just not accept things.

I’m not saying it is easy, because it isn’t, it is exhausting and unrelenting, but it absolutely is possible to not accept the LA &/or school acting unlawfully and to challenge them and force them to provide/do what they should be providing/doing - depending on the specifics via judicial review, disability discrimination claim, appealing to SENDIST, the LGO. Parents should be informed and supported to advocate and enforce their DC’s rights, not accept unlawful practices and policies.

Unfortunately DC whose parents know the law, can advocate for them and enforce their rights get better support. It shouldn’t be like that, but it is under the current system.

SomePosters · 14/11/2022 09:41

Which is exactly why named person legislation was campaigned for but then the selfish entitled home Ed contingent undermined it till it was toothless.

One of the most important child protection legislation brought in recent times destroyed by entitled twats who don’t think their children should be checked up on because they’re beyond question.

Op it’s worth finding out if your school operates under named person guidance. If you’re child has a named person it is their legal duty to advocate for your child to get their needs met in school.
It’s their job to know the law and the services available and to ensure the EHCP is made and met.

Thatsnotmycar · 14/11/2022 11:21

The named person under GIRFEC is a Scottish approach, it doesn’t apply in England, but even if it did parents still shouldn’t rely on receiving the correct information from them as schools and LAs often give incorrect advice.

homeeddingwitch · 14/11/2022 19:31

@machanicalmovement Oh my gosh, keep your baby at home!
Why put yourselves through this!?

I feel for you so much my love. Every fibre of your being must be screaming NO when you take him in.

I’m obviously biased towards home education (as I removed my 3 DC from school years ago and never regret it for a second) but as a mum to another mum (& as an ex primary teacher) do what you think is right for your baby. 4 is SO young to be away from parents full time (we’ve normalised it in our country but it’s not normal!) especially if there are special needs involved.

Perhaps he’s sending the message to you that he’s just not ready for what society deems he ‘should’ be ready for?!

I see some very negative attitudes towards home educators on here. All I can say is that you find your way. You listen to your gut and to your child. You follow their interests. In contrast to another opinion on here the older home educated children I know are thriving, confident, mature, enthusiastic young people. They go to home Ed college 2-3 days a week and aren’t burnt out as they do their GCSEs to get to the next level.

For my family, home education is a joy. I enjoy being with my children a lot and they learn in so many different ways. They are sociable, intelligent and confident. We are not entitled twats (nice) and are just taking a different route to get to the same ‘destination’. PM me if you would like to talk x

frenchnoodle · 15/11/2022 12:38

I have nothing to add, but I'm wishin you luck this week OP.

machanicalmovement · 18/11/2022 11:20

They offered me a meeting today (For Monday) with the Senco, head and class teacher, they keep trying to direct things to being over the phone but I'm trying to keep it as emails as much as possible so I have a paper trail.
Talking to them on the phone is like talking to a brick wall too, because you can never get to the Headteacher. I think my short term goal is half days.

@KatMcBundleFace Please reply to my questions above, I'd love to know what I'm supposed to do in this situation.

@homeeddingwitch Perhaps he’s sending the message to you that he’s just not ready for what society deems he ‘should’ be ready for?!

He absolutely is, it's heart breaking. He's been so much better this week, but I just can't fight society. He's doing well with his phonics and maths, so he is getting something out of school, I just have my doubts that it's worth the pain of him going in each morning, so miserable.

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homeeddingwitch · 18/11/2022 14:11

@machanicalmovement
i really feel for you :( you sound miserable.
When you say fight society what do you mean?
All I can say is listen to your gut, do what you feel is right for your baby and home education will always be there for you both as a safety net (as it is for many). Sending love and solidarity.

machanicalmovement · 18/11/2022 14:52

homeeddingwitch · 18/11/2022 14:11

@machanicalmovement
i really feel for you :( you sound miserable.
When you say fight society what do you mean?
All I can say is listen to your gut, do what you feel is right for your baby and home education will always be there for you both as a safety net (as it is for many). Sending love and solidarity.

We are miserable, I've got into this horrible situation where my boy isn't happy. I think a lot of the potty training resistance is him associating pants with school. Something needs to happen to change things. We will see how this meeting goes, but I'm so close to throwing in the towel there. I've done everything the school has suggested and he's become far worse than where he started.

When you say fight society what do you mean?
Mainly I'm not sure about going it alone without school, especially as he may have SEN. I'm feeling judged by everyone, and I'm BEING judged by some of them very loudly.

OP posts:
Saracen · 19/11/2022 00:42

((Hugs)) I am so sorry you and your little one are going through this. It's heartbreaking.

My perspective is different from many others on this thread. I do recognise that some help is easier to get while a child is registered at school. I know that, morally speaking, the school system SHOULD provide for all children's needs and that it's galling to give up on that idea and let them off the hook and do it yourself when you shouldn't have to. I can see that a diagnosis is often useful, and that it's easier to get a diagnosis when a child is at school and unable to meet standard age-linked expectations there.

But what's the price for all this? Right now your child is suffering. It typically takes a very long time to get an unsatisfactory school situation sorted out. It may take years. It may never happen.

Some children's needs are such that home education is very hard work for parents. That doesn't apply to all of us. Everyone's experiences are different.
I've home educated two kids. One is now 23 and fairly average. The other is 16 and learning disabled. I actually found home ed easy, definitely far easier than putting them into the school system and dealing with the consequences, especially in the case of the one with SEN. Here are some reasons why home ed worked so well for her, and consequently for me.

Getting access to what she needed didn't depend on diagnoses or persuading anyone to give her special treatment. I simply gave her whatever she seemed to need at the moment. When she was six, she loved to play in the sandpit and dress her dollies up. She hadn't the least interest in learning to write. So I took her to the park and to children's centres. I read to her as much as she let me, which was generally limited to poems due to her short attention span. I didn't make her hold a pencil, so she didn't form the opinion that learning was unpleasant.

She needs more coaching in social situations than most kids. Because I'm there to see what is going on, I know what help she needs. I intervene sometimes: "You look unhappy. You can tell him to give your toy back." Or later I give her advice: "Remember at the park when you kept trying to start a conversation and the girl wasn't answering? That usually means a person doesn't want to talk, and it's better not to keep asking them over and over." School staff work very hard and have dozens of children to look after. There's no way they can be aware of all these things and give effective help.

Her self-esteem is high because she hasn't spent 30 hours a week with kids of her own age who can do things she can't manage. They'd have put her in mainstream school and given her easier work and extra help. On the face of it, that sounds reasonable. But what message does it give a child? It's like putting things on a high shelf out of reach of a short child and then spending all day repeatedly lifting the child up to the shelf while telling her "It's because you're too short. If you apply yourself, maybe next year you can reach it like the others."
My daughter learned to read fairly effortlessly at 14 when she was ready. She had not spent the previous ten years being told she was behind at reading and needed to work harder at it. Imagine the difference that made to her confidence. She is now discovering the joy of mental arithmetic, which she does for fun, adding two-digit numbers in a puzzle book. She can add up her rummy score and figure out how much it will cost her to buy two beds for her pets including shipping. School would have tried to make her do that at a much younger age, which would have given her experiences of failure and perhaps a lasting fear of maths. If you ask her about herself, she talks about all the things she can do, not about the things she can't do.

She does woodworking. She goes to museums. She watches documentaries about how toilet paper is manufactured. Through discussion, she learns how inflation works and what interest rates are. She does not overhear teachers telling her stressed peers to knuckle down and study because their GCSE grades will determine their success in life, while simultaneously telling HER that of course that doesn't apply to her and that it's okay that she isn't doing exams. What conclusion would she draw from that?

At 16, she still has a lot to learn. That's all right. We aren't done. There is no deadline. She isn't behind.

Phineyj · 19/11/2022 08:01

That is a really interesting post @Saracen and you sound like a terrific mum.

I have a DD who differs significantly from the 'norm' (but is able) and I wouldn't have been courageous enough to do that.

Thatsnotmycar · 19/11/2022 09:44

Remaining in the system does not have to mean continuing to attend school when it causes such distress. There are other options.

DS1 remains in the system but hasn’t attended school for 7 years.

The vast majority of DC for whom attending school isn’t appropriate would benefit from therapies. Unless parents are extremely rich it is impossible for them to provide those therapies to the level that can be secured by remaining in the system.

machanicalmovement · 19/11/2022 10:00

Well something has to change for us, because my son can't keep living this current routine, I just keep thinking if it's making me feel so bad, what's it doing to his mental health?

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homeeddingwitch · 19/11/2022 10:43

Good post @Saracen

I am with you totally. So much of what society expects of our children is so arbitrary. It’s been decided by middle-aged balding men in suits in Whitehall who cannot understand that children are not robots pre-programmed to achieve set objectives at set times, nicely following a neat curve on a graph.

I’m an ex teacher and I took myself out of the system as well as my children. I couldn’t be part of it anymore. I went into teaching as a young woman so enthusiastic about helping kids to learn, to thrive and develop. Oh how naïve I was. It was ok pre-Gove but since 2014 the curriculum was changed and aa a teacher you find yourself just ‘teaching to the test’. You may as well be a robot yourself forcing them to learn a set of objectives most are not ready for. It’s soul destroying.

At home my children are free to learn at THEIR own pace. Imagine that! Not being forced into a square peg. So much of what is forced at school is not age- appropriate.
My 11 year old for example has no interest yet in algebra but if she was in school she’d be doing it. And one thing that has amazed me in this journey is how they just learn to read and write when they’re ready and in a natural unforced way. We’ve been so conditioned to believe that the ONLY way to learn is via a teacher in a classroom. But given time and trust children can learn by themselves.

@machanicalmovement I understand your hesitation. It feels so radical to take your child out. So extreme. But think of it this way, all you’re doing is what you were doing before September ie just doing life together at home. Learning as you go along and allowing him the freedom to be himself. Sending love and support.

machanicalmovement · 19/11/2022 11:09

Thank you all.

I have the meeting with the school Monday so I'll decide my next steps from there. One thing is for certain he's struggling and six hours is so long for him or any toddler to be in school, this week off has highlighted how many of his problems are caused by the school, he has been like another kid. School just doesn't seem right for him yet.

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Thatsnotmycar · 19/11/2022 11:12

At home my children are free to learn at THEIR own pace. Imagine that! Not being forced into a square peg.

You don’t need to EHE for this to happen. We don’t EHE, the LA remain responsible for and fund in full DS1’s education and SEN provision. He has a bespoke package of support that meets all his needs.

Remaining in the system does not have to mean continuing to attend school when that is inappropriate.

machanicalmovement · 19/11/2022 12:32

Could I ask what EHE stand for please?

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Phineyj · 19/11/2022 14:36

Electively Home Educated. Choosing to home educate.

machanicalmovement · 19/11/2022 14:52

Thank you.

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machanicalmovement · 20/11/2022 14:37

Thatsnotmycar · 19/11/2022 09:44

Remaining in the system does not have to mean continuing to attend school when it causes such distress. There are other options.

DS1 remains in the system but hasn’t attended school for 7 years.

The vast majority of DC for whom attending school isn’t appropriate would benefit from therapies. Unless parents are extremely rich it is impossible for them to provide those therapies to the level that can be secured by remaining in the system.

Hi, @Thatsnotmycar Am i correct in thinking that to stay in the system but out of school the LA needs to be onside, how would I do this? If you don't mind me asking how do things work with your child?

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