Does anyone flexi-school their Primary-age DC?

[Machadaynu]

The kid will be starting school in September, but for various reasons we think she'd be happier being flexi-schooled.

I'm aware that she doesn't need to go to school at all legally, and that if she does, it doesn't need to be full-time until the term in which she turns 5. I'm also aware that any flexi arrangement needs to be made with the head.

What I wondered though is if anyone who has actually done it has any advice about how to get the head to agree?

We would like her to 'flex' one or two days a week, and am considering telling the head of my plans and doing it regardless of consent for the first two terms of they year (before she is 5) as it will be an opportunity (hopefully) for us to demonstrate that it's a workable system, but any thoughts and experiences would be appreciated. Thanks.

[mrz]

My son has all but one of the behaviours (he isn't musical although he loves music)
An unusual memory
Passing intellectual milestones early.
Reading early.
Unusual hobbies or interests or an in-depth knowledge of certain subjects.
Intolerant of other children.
An awareness of world events.
Sets himself impossibly high standards.
May be a high achiever.
Prefers to spend time with adults or in solitary pursuits.
Loves to talk.
Asks questions all the time.
Learns easily.
Developed sense of humour.
Likes to be in control.
Makes up additional rules for games.
Introvert
oh and he is ASD

[Takver]

"I find it interesting that Mensa list of behaviours could equally apply to a child with ASD"

Its an interesting point - I would say that my experience of the stellar super-intellectual people that I knew at college - so I suppose the top 0.5 or 1% of students - is that on the whole they didn't have the same priorities / tolerance for social niceties / compliance with general social norms as the population as a whole. And I suspect in terms of the resulting behaviour you might see quite an overlap with people with ASD.

[Machadaynu]

mrz this is a thread about flexi-schooling, in theory at least. It appears to have become a thread about whether or not my child is gifted. Frankly, that's not something I need any help with, thank-you. I've known her all her life, and my best judgement as a teacher, as a parent, and as someone who has looked into this quite extensively, is that she is probably more than moderately gifted. I don't especially care if you believe me, or think she might have ASD - if I did I'd start another thread. Frankly I think her life would be a lot easier if she wasn't so clever, but there you go - that isn't the reason for the thread.

I'm pleased for you that your son shows all the traits, and I don't doubt you for a second. I do wonder though why you are using a thread asking for people's experience of flexi-schooling to question my assessment of my daughter - a child you have never met - and to tell me how clever your DS is, like some sort of intellectual-willy-waving contest. What is your point?

[mrz]

You asked me for the IQ link which I posted then you commented that current research suggests that giftedness was more prevalent and I posted the Mensa link ... I assumed as often happens on threads that it had taken a whole new direction and we were no longer focusing on your "Kid" but in very discussing in very general terms able children.

You seem to have missed the fact that my son has Special Educational Needs so it isn't a matter of how clever he is rather a case of what difficulties he has faced!

[mrz]

and I have not suggested for a minute that a child I haven't met is ASD

[Machadaynu]

[mrz]

You can start a thread but you can't dictate the direction it will take on an open forum

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Sorry Machy - I like going off on tangents and found the links about giftedness interesting.

I can see it must be annoying though that generally people haven't been very accepting of what you've said about your daughter and your situation, or the idea of flexi-schooling with her ?

[mrz]

For the record I was not suggesting that the OPs child is ASD or gifted

[Machadaynu]

mrz I am not "dictating the direction it will take", I am asking you what your point is. It might be interesting, but I don't know what it is ....

[simpson]

I'm sorry OP but I find you quite rude.

You asked mrz to provide a link and then commented on it and then have basically come back and had a go because she did something you asked her to do

As with threads, they can often go in a different direction than intended. This is not about whether your child is gifted or not, just the research that has been done on giftedness in general (which is quite interesting btw).

[mrz]

You have a strange way of asking Machadaynu

[Feenie]

You seem to be having a willy waving contest all on your own, machadaynu. Very odd.

[Machadaynu]

simpson I'm just tired of all the off-topic questioning of my judgement :) I asked for a link because I suspected mrz was referring in his/her post to the research my post immediately preceding which specifically referenced the 1942 research and cast doubt on it's validity. Turns out I was right. It's annoying when people don't even read your posts, but try to undermine them anyway.

Now the thread has moved on to the similarity between highly gifted and ASD. mrz is perhaps getting the brunt of my annoyance that several posters have come on this thread not to address it's subject but to question my judgement ('she's not really reading / I've been teaching 400 years and I've never come across a child like that / you should worry about her not being interested in kids her own age / you shouldn't refer to her as 'the kid' and so on)

I only mentioned that she is quite advanced because the first posts on the thread were questioning why I would want to flexi school, as though it might just be a silly whim or a selfish idea of mine.

It's partly my fault for providing the reasons - I just wanted the thread to not whither and die before I got some more responses from people who have used the flexi approach.

[Feenie]

But it doesn't matter what you're tired of. You can't control a thread, even as the OP.

[Machadaynu]

I know, Feenie Doesn't mean I can't mention that I'm getting weary of the thread's direction, though. I don't think? I'm still not sure what mrz's point was/is.

[Feenie]

No, but you can probably expect people to comment on your rudeness.

[mrz]

I thought I was supporting your post regarding research Machadaynu!

[mrz]

www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/dec/05/rise-of-flexi-schooling
www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/best-of-both-worlds-the-new-trend-of-flexischooling-1976414.html
www.home-education.org.uk/articles/article-flexi-school.pdf
www.educationotherwise.net/attachments/article/125/FlexischoolingEngland.pdf

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

You have to admit mrz does come up with some pretty good links ?

[mrz]

The Independent link is a couple of years old but suggests that numbers of children flexi schooled in England are very low which may be why the OP isn't getting the response they are looking for.

[Takver]

I wonder if with children below compulsory school age (which is where the OP is at now) there are rather more who aren't actually formally 'flexi-schooled' but have an informal arrangement to attend part time.

Either that or dd's school is very strange, as it seems pretty accepted there for children to do a few terms of 3 - 4 days a week, and the nursery/reception teachers don't seem to find it a problem.

It may be different though because we are in Wales and formal learning starts later here? (And also because they perhaps want the dc in and starting to speak some Welsh as early as possible, so will be flexible if they think parents will keep them out otherwise?)

[mrz]

It was very common for schools in England to have staggered intakes into reception, sometimes lasting up to the end of the first term, but as you have probably read on MN many working parents found this very inconvenient especially if their child had previously attended full time day care. For this reason the DfE gave parents the right to full time education from the start even if their child was not yet 5.

[Runoutofideas]

I haven't read all of the thread, but in answer to the OP, I seriously considered flexi schooling my dd2. She was the youngest in the year but also very bright - (she achieved 9's in 12 out of 13 areas of the old EYFS at the end of reception).

Our very wise head teacher suggested starting her with the normal part-time phased entry - which for her went on for quite a long time being the youngest in the year, and then to just see how she went. I agreed that I would give her days off "sick" as and when I felt she needed them, or to give us a chance to do something else. In reality she ended up just going full time, because she wanted to. She enjoyed school and coped with it well from the start and I thought that socially she might struggle if she wasn't there for playtimes etc.

Looking back on it, in our case, the flexi-schooling would definitely have been more for my benefit than dd2's. I didn't really want to let go of her and "surrender" her into the school system at just turned 4.

In the case of both my children though, they both preferred yr1 onwards to reception as they like the calmer atmosphere and being told what to do. The EYFS while being great for a lot of children, does not suit all, as with 30 children in a class with lots of free choice going on, the atmosphere can seem a touch chaotic, and some children really don't like that.

[morethanpotatoprints]

Hello OP.

This may seem strange but I was put off the idea of Flexi schooling because I felt my dd would miss out on the work they did in groups, and the fact she would be part time might alienate her from her peers. Especially in terms of forming and sustaining friendships and playground routines/play.
Now I'm not saying the group work is necessary nor imo is working with people just because they are the same age. However for us it was one or the other so dd opted for H.ed and as yet it is going well.
I do think it would have been hard on her from the social aspect had she been flexi schooled, but quite willing to accept thats only my opinion.