Education Otherwise – Elective Home Education

[Kati]

The Education Act 1997 lays down the legislation of 'educational provision' for the young in the UK, be it in the school system or not. However many Local Authorities are a little “gung-ho” when it comes to providing for those parents (and children) who feel the need for education to take place outside of their schools.

Here is a copy of the Elective Home Education Legal Guidelines for those who have an interest in exploring the world of Home-Education.

[MissFM]

Re: Education Otherwise – Elective Home Education

Thank you Kati.

It's something many of us would like to have done and I salute you for actually achieving! xx:yo:

[Kati]

Re: Education Otherwise – Elective Home Education

After almost two years home-educating my teenage lads, I can honestly say that it is the best decision I ever made . I understand this route is not for everyone, but for us it is perfect!!

[MissFM]

Re: Education Otherwise – Elective Home Education

After almost two years home-educating my teenage lads, I can honestly say that it is the best decision I ever made . I understand this route is not for everyone, but for us it is perfect!!

I really feel envious Kati! You're obviously a very special person with a very special family. I did suggest it to my daughter when she was bullied and got an eyerolling putdown..(you can probably imagine the wording)

[Amethyst]

Re: Education Otherwise – Elective Home Education

What led you to make the decision to home school Kati?

Its something I looked into before the kids started primary school but to be honest didn't feel we had enough income to partake in everything available, joining groups etc, to ensure the social side of things was covered, and buying equipment/books - that kind of thing. Which feels like a bit of a cop out now. But they are doing well at school (educationally) and eldest does her GCSE's this coming school year, once they are in the ''system'' unless something major occurs I think its pretty difficult to take them out of it.

My brother is having problems trying to organise to home school his kids once they hit 7, he lives in Sweden where it is apparently illegal, so they are thinking of moving to the UK so they can educate on their own terms.

We're lucky to have the option.

[Amethyst]

Re: Education Otherwise – Elective Home Education

I really feel envious Kati! You're obviously a very special person with a very special family. I did suggest it to my daughter when she was bullied and got an eyerolling putdown..(you can probably imagine the wording)

lol, I've suggested it to my middle girl (as she can be a bit wayward, more socially, than educationally) and got a bit of a mouthful after she'd finished rolling around laughing at the idea of me teaching her Math.

[MissFM]

Re: Education Otherwise – Elective Home Education

It's so hard, isn't it? When you have children you want to be the perfect parent but everything (at least in my world) edges away from that. You want them to have the idyllic childhood that you wish you had, with only the good bits you did have...and so on. But I guess we all have our own path and for some it's (apparently) more rocky than others. Sigh. Sorry - off topic! :doh:

[Kati]

Re: Education Otherwise – Elective Home Education

What led you to make the decision to home school Kati?

Its something I looked into before the kids started primary school but to be honest didn't feel we had enough income to partake in everything available, joining groups etc, to ensure the social side of things was covered, and buying equipment/books - that kind of thing. Which feels like a bit of a cop out now. But they are doing well at school (educationally) and eldest does her GCSE's this coming school year, once they are in the ''system'' unless something major occurs I think its pretty difficult to take them out of it.

My brother is having problems trying to organise to home school his kids once they hit 7, he lives in Sweden where it is apparently illegal, so they are thinking of moving to the UK so they can educate on their own terms.

We're lucky to have the option.

I pulled my two out of school after a lot of bullying (not just by the boys peers, but by the teachers as well
:tinysmile_cry_t:
Surprisingly enough ... it isn't actually that difficult to de-register a child from the school system. So long as you inform the school of your intention to home educate in writing then the school is obliged to inform the LA!

There is no need to follow the national curriculum either :tinysmile_grin_t:

[Kati]

Re: Education Otherwise – Elective Home Education

It's so hard, isn't it? When you have children you want to be the perfect parent but everything (at least in my world) edges away from that. You want them to have the idyllic childhood that you wish you had, with only the good bits you did have...and so on. But I guess we all have our own path and for some it's (apparently) more rocky than others. Sigh. Sorry - off topic! :doh:

I know exactly what you mean MissFM - it IS hard :tinysmile_hmm_t2:. But, saying that, all we can ever do is try our best and hope that is enough xx

[gracie01]

Re: Education Otherwise – Elective Home Education

Than you Kati for sharing information

[CYNthesys]

Re: Education Otherwise – Elective Home Education

Just picked up on this thread, I also pulled my son out of school because of relentless bullying.
After telling the LEA that I was going to home educate they built an education package at their local office that suited him. They had very small groups of 3-5 pupils and apart from a couple of core subjects his package focused on his interests and included a part time IT course at the local college and a motor mechanic course at another college. It was the best decision I ever made and was the making of him.

[Kati]

Re: Education Otherwise – Elective Home Education

My eldest son is looking into college courses now

[Wombats]

Re: Education Otherwise – Elective Home Education

It's a step I wish many more parents would take, though I understand fully the financial implications which certainly stopped us being able to do it.

As an ex-Headteacher, I was often aware of not being able to meet the needs of children properly and made no secret of it to the parents. We did the very best we could, but with classes forced on us by the admissions policy sometimes of up to 38 children at KS2 (restricted to 30 at KS1, but with mixed year groups throughout the school often KS1 children ended up in a class with more than 30 if the majority were Y3).

I challenge any human to meet fully the needs of 38 individual children in every subject, as well as catering for their social education as well. I think we did very well, hence being massively over subscribed and thus huge class sizes, but I could never, and never tried to claim we could cater for individual needs - like most schools we catered for groups of individuals of similar abilities.

I also wonder how schools are supposed to cope with the many, many children who are particularly gifted in one specific area. For example, we had a child who was brilliant at Maths. The only way to cater for his needs was for me to teach him one on one as a 'non-teaching' Headteacher (no chance!). However, I have a passion for Maths so that was fine. If the child had had a special gift in Chemistry, possibly Geography or other areas of the curriculum, both academic and non-academic, we would have been stuffed.

At least at a Primary level you really get to know the children well though. At secondary level we discovered an Art teacher had written an almost word for word identical report for our daughter for three years in a row; reports from teachers which totally contradicted what had been said previously; appallingly inaccurate grade predictions; bullying by teachers and even teachers who did not even know our daughter's name, so talked to us about the wrong child.

Complaining is difficult, slow and distressing for the child at times. In our case an ongoing complaint took over two years to resolve fully and by then it was too late to really address the issue. Home schooling would have been brilliant, but we simply could not do it. We also had the additional issue of regardless of whether we thought it was best for our daughter's education, she really did not want to be 'taught' by her Dad (which I can understand fully) - there are certainly some children who simply are not right for home schooling.

As Miss FM wisely said, we all want the very best for our children, but we live in a society where being able to achieve that is increasingly hard for 'normal' working and middle class folk.

[followcleeds]

Re: Education Otherwise – Elective Home Education

Just picked up on this thread, I also pulled my son out of school because of relentless bullying. Update Madalin Stunt Cars 2
After telling the LEA that I was going to home educate they built an education package at their local office that suited him. They had very small groups of 3-5 pupils and apart from a couple of core subjects his package focused on his interests and included a part time IT course at the local college and a motor mechanic course at another college. It was the best decision I ever made and was the making of him.

It's so hard, isn't it? When you have children you want to be the perfect parent but everything (at least in my world) edges away from that. You want them to have the idyllic childhood that you wish you had, with only the good bits you did have...and so on. But I guess we all have our own path and for some it's (apparently) more rocky than others