Colchester area home edders -----

[hereidrawtheline]

hi Could you please have a look at this thread and reply on either one, or email me at senatorvass @ gmail dot com? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

I have posted on the thread. But if you need to contact me then email me on hjscho @ hotmail . com

thanks, I will catch up on the thread after I get home from work tonight

Sorry to ressurect the thread, didn't want to start a new one on the same subject!

I'm really curious about HE and would like to see it in action to be perfectly honest! I've spent so much time in schools and seeing how they work and I've recently become interested in other types of education and would like to know more about HE and see different types of HE practice and understand more about it.

I haven't got kids but I'd like to consider HE once I have them but thought that I'd be better off learning about it before I get to the point of having to make decisions!

There are some excellent books out there that talk about hE. This book by Ross Mountney is really accessible and gives a great insight into all the different forms of HE. I love the chatty nature of it that makes you feel like you are living it.

With regards to 'seeing it in action', as an autonomous Home Educator there isn't much to see. If you imagine life with a toddler, following them around, answering questions, taking them places to play, chatting in the car, going for walks, going on trips places...what everyone does with their own children at the weekends really, but 24/7 then that is HE for us.

Its also worth checking out Education Otherwise, especially the little video clips, as they explain a lot about the law.

In fact, I have a lecture on Monday to trainee teachers and I need to swat up a bit more, so I may watch some again now...

Thank you for replying

Is there a good HE scene in the Colchester area? I can't seem to find any info about local groups

I think I'd like to have a peek into the lives of different types of HE iyswim? The autonomous methods is intruiging to me just because it's everyday family life, something most people take for granted and never think about the learning opportunities involved as kids learn at school in the eyes of most parents whereas HEors understand and take advantage of [in a positive way] how much a child actually learns through everyday life.

I'd also like to see how structured HE works and how it affects children in comparison to school. I'm also very curious on the social life of HE kids in Colchester in the sense of organised activities for HE kids and the social scene for them.

I sound like a person doing a study, I'm honestly not I'm definately considering using Home Education as part of my degree when I start it though as it really interests me.

I must admit that I'm also curious because if the HE scene isn't very active and community-like in Colchester I'd seriously consider moving towards Chelmsford and Southend as it apparently thrives further down that way and I'd love to HE my own [future] children one day!

I wrote a long reply and it didn't appear...will try again later.

Right...I'll have another go!

It seems that you think that there is a specific Home Ed time in people's lives and this is not the case. I think its fair to say that for most Home Educating families it is a life style, so 'peeking into the lives of different tyoes of HE' would be like inviting yourself round for breakfast to a variety of families to see how everyone does it slightly differently. I know in my household there is no set time when we 'do HE' and although I consider myself a Home Educator, you would not notice much difference between my life at home with my children and other people's lives on here.

I don't know many structured Home Educators around the Colchester area, so I cannot really comment on that.

There is loads going on in the Colchester area for HE children of all ages and they get too much time to socialise if you ask me . You won't know about it because you are not involved in it yet and we don't shout about what is going on to everyone and I am sure you can understand why if you have read the Badman Review. I actually think that there is less in Chelmsford than in Colchester and once you are Home Educating you can organise as much as you want .

What degree are you doing? how can you make HE part of it? I'd be interested to hear how that goes, as I do a little bit of work at a local uni and I do talk about HE to the trainee teachers.

I thought it might be the case but have never been sure because it's not something I've ever been familiar with

That's good to hear RE there being loads to do! Lots of other HE groups seem to have websites and things but al I could find for this area was a North Essex HE yahoo group which asks people not to join should they be merely curious, so I didn't want to disrespect that! I'm glad that you say the HE community in Colchester is good, I wouldn't want to HE if there wasn't as I remember how it felt to feel different when I was younger and I wouldn't want to put that on my kids later on in life.

I can perfectly understand the reluctance to be open about HEing as the media for it is terrible (with unjust cause IMO).

I'll be starting the OU's Childhood and Youth Studies degree later this year (hopefully!) so it wouldn't be for a while yet before I can choose my own subject to study but I'd like to keep it in mind.

If you don't mind me asking, what made you choose to home educate your children?

I know that personally I would prefer it because I have no intention of putting my future kids through formal learning so young and would be keeping them out of school until they were at least 7 anyway but knowing how high schools are I wouldn't feel comfortable with that either and I know that I would have benefitted so much more being taught at home than by going to school and ending up just failing miserably anyway! Unless schools improve drastically in the next 5/10 years I will fight tooth and nail to not have my kids go and have their potential wasted unless I am truly happy that it is the best for them and it is a good education centre.

I hope the degree goes well.

I was a teacher in secondary school and I loved it as a job. I am always reluctant to really criticise schools as they are a safe place for many children and they have a purpose in our society. Many parents just do not want to have their child at home, so school enables them to work and be independent too.

I have always been against the testing of children, particularly in primary school and it is something that worried me.

My initial reluctance to send my children to school was the Foundation Stage testing. Suddenly I realised that it was my child that was going to be marked from their first year of school and then judged upon that. My dealings with a primary school have lead me to realise that the data is taken very seriously and when we discuss the data the children become numbers and no longer people and learners in their own right.

Once I began to delve a little deeper I began to realsie that HE was a viable and not illegal option and I began to htink further about the imapct of school on a child's life, the flaws in the National Curriculum and the inability of class teachers to truly personalise learning, differentiate so that every child can be included and allowed to achieve their full potential.

Things like Gifted and Talented registers drive me mad, as it sums up that schools really do not understand children. All children should be on that register for something, its just that it is an answer to the moans about SEN children getting all the attention. Instead, you will find a few children on the register who may excel at certain things and a total failing to see hte best in every child. At the end of the day Every Child does Matter and the school cannot make that work for all the children within it.

I have experienced from both sides how when we are motivated we learn properly rather than just for the sake of it. For example, I managed to pass my History GCSE but I couldn't tell you a thing about it now, however, subjects that I am interested (like HE) get me going and you cannot stop me . I feel that my children are entitled to that too and that is why I really believe that letting them decide and lead the 'education' in our house is the least I can do for them.

Now...rant over otherwise I'll have SParklyPrincess wishing you hadn't set me off .

I can definately see what you mean! I've volunteered a lot in schools and even this fantastic one in Gloucs still couldn't do the best for every child in that room and many children were still neglected in favour of the 'naughty' or 'smart' children which is another thing that angers me about formal education.

I could quite happily rant as well but then I think that so many people aren't bothered enough (or aren't educated on different things they can do) about their children's education and it saddens me to think that children do go through hell in school sometimes. I know that some kids thrive in school and if my children took well to a classroom setting I would let them go if it kept them happy and healthy, but I think many children would benefit more from home ed and don't get the chance, which would lead me to a rant about how this government doesn't support families well enough so I'll shush now

Thank you for taking the time to explain things, I feel quite noobish and silly tbh!

noobish?? Am I getting too old?
I am on a mission with it all at the moment as I am giving my lecture to the trainee teachers tomorrow, so I keep thinking of ways of supporting the HE case without slating school.

Lol, no, I'm just a bit too much of a nerd, haven't grown out of that yet

Good luck with that talk tomorrow! I suppose you could put emphasis on the individual child's needs and how they sometimes cannot be met by formal education rather than bringing up the fact that teachers cannot handle a class of 30 effectively and give them all the attention they need to thrive

If classes were smaller in state schools then that would help solve the problems somewhat, but the government doesn't seem to think so and won't provide the funding

Just thought I'd stick my oar in to ask about the HE 'scene' in Colchester, and how well a HE parent would be able to access social groups if they still had one/two dc in school (DD would NEVER do well at home with me) and they were unable to drive? I really don't think school is the right environment for my DS2, and they aren't differentiating the curriculum effectively for his SEN, and we only have 15 months until he has to go through the Y2 SATS. After my experiences with DD in Y6 SATS, DS2 will NOT be taught in school for Y6, but was wondering how he'd get social skills etc if he was HE from Y2. I am on a VERY limited budget as well, as I'm registered disabled and am on benefits. So I do not have money available for trips etc. tbh, the lack of money is the main thing that's stopping me HE'ing DS2. Any advice?

Thats a really hard one Loudlass...
There are people who have children at school and a child or children at home who HE in the area and they seem to be able to access everything just like those who have all their children out of school. The one thing I would say is that it can be quite expensive to do all the social things that are going on. However, you do not need to do all of them and once you have met a few Home Educators then you could perhaps meet up with them to do free things. In Colchester now there are a lot of activities going on that are more 'subject' orientated and they would suit a child of your son's age, but again they aren't cheap. You could possibly do more on your own and then pick and choose the odd social thing to attend. Have you checked the Education Otherwise website, as you could contact the local person thorugh there and ask their advice.
If you have any other questions then let me know and I'll see if I can help you out too.

Hi There,

Please allow me to resurrect this many years after it was created. Is there anything structured in Colchester for Home Schooling wee ones? The net seems bereft...... are the home-edders hiding their lights under a bushel?

Thanks!
Iah

bounce this please :)

I meant bump!!!

Hi there,

We are moving to Colchester in August and we home ed with our 8 year old daughter. Are there any local group who get together?

Thanks in advance

There's a thriving home ed community in Colchester - I know a few people who are involved, if someone hasn't already possibly PMed you I could bring this thread to their attention for you :)

just seen this, yes please!

Hello
Could someone please help. I have started home educating my daughter age 14 in Colchester. Does anyone know of a home ed group in colchester?
Thank you

Hello,
If anyone has the information of colchester home education groups could you please let me know, I'm about to start home educating my 11 year old daughter.
Thank you

Hi there, you might find these links useful:

Education Otherwise

HEAS

Apologies if my message offended! Am new to mumsnet and clearly made a bad start. oops :( Have put my bit in listings instead now. Apologies again.