Homeschooling

[Pixxie]

Does anyone homeschool in the UK? I know it's a long way off yet but I can't help thinking about schooling. I've never really been happy with the way schools in my area do things and its got me thinking about homeschooling. So if you do can you answer a few questions for me please?

What age did you start?

Do you follow the curriculum?

Do you have 'lessons'?

Do you use textbooks?

Do you enter your child into the examinations they would have at school?

How do you make sure you are not doing more harm than good?

As the child gets older do you have to re-learn subjects? I imagine you can't teach something you dont understand?

What do you do about interaction with other kids?

xxx

 

[marley2580]

There's a home ed group in the parenting section of the groups as there's quite a few home edders on here.

 

[marley2580]

Oh and I home educate and was home educated myself

 

[freckleonear]

What age did you start?
Legally a child needs to start education the term after their 5th birthday. Education is often just an extension of what they are already learning at home, so it can be difficult to pinpoint a start date! Aaron is 3 and we've just started to pay more attention to learning, so I say that we are already home educating.

Do you follow the curriculum?
No, we don't follow the National Curriculum.

Do you have 'lessons'?
No. At the moment our learning is mostly child-led. We do have a workbox system, which will be used more as he gets older. It's basically a set of numbered boxes, I put different activities inside the boxes every day and he works through them during the day.

Do you use textbooks?
Not at this age. He does sometimes like to do activity books and worksheets. Obviously textbooks will be useful when he is older and wants to learn more about a subject, but there are so many more interesting ways to learn.

Do you enter your child into the examinations they would have at school?
Maybe. Obviously they won't need to take any SATs. If they want to take GCSEs then that's fine, or they can move straight onto A levels if they prefer (which is what I did when I was home educated).

How do you make sure you are not doing more harm than good?
I know my children better than anyone else and I am able to provide an education that suits their individual needs exactly. I'm confident that I can do that better than a teacher with a class of 30 children.

As the child gets older do you have to re-learn subjects? I imagine you can't teach something you dont understand?
The way our family choose to home educate, it's more about "learning" than "teaching". Children don't have to be taught to learn! Having said that, I'm sure I'll be brushing up on some subjects as they get older and re-learning alongside them.

What do you do about interaction with other kids?
We go to two home education meets every week. We also attend toddler groups, which will be replaced by various clubs as he gets older. Aaron mixes with people from a wide range of backgrounds and ages. Socialisation is actually one of the reasons we do home educate... socialisation in schools isn't necessarily all positive!

Every family tend to do things differently though. There are lots of different approaches and styles used in home education, so you can do whatever suits you and your children the best.

 

[henny]

When I mentioned home schooling to dh, he got worried and said he wouldn't be able to teach lo's gcse's, I explained that he would learn again as the boys grow up and learn, so will he.
I have to admit as I did very poor at school- couldn't do exams and am more of a practical person that I would not be intelligent enough to home school them.

 

[OmiOmen]

I too am starting to think about home-schooling (early I know) so this was pretty much what I came here to ask.

Can someone tell me more about the home education meets? Like how you find them in your area for example.

 

[summer rain]

Does anyone homeschool in the UK? I know it's a long way off yet but I can't help thinking about schooling. I've never really been happy with the way schools in my area do things and its got me thinking about homeschooling. So if you do can you answer a few questions for me please?

What age did you start? Officially 5 with all of them but all of them did bits and pieces here and there from 3 onwards

Do you follow the curriculum? We mainly follow the national curriculum in English, Maths and Humanities just because I am not confident in my ability to cover all the bases; we tend to use national curriculum workbooks for these things; but sometimes in a different order and for a different age group (my eldest son is 1-2 years ahead in most things).

Do you have 'lessons'? No but we tend to cover two subjects on each weekday; this is flexible and as long as the work I have set is finished by sunday I really don't mind

Do you use textbooks? We only use a couple of textbooks for Arabic and Islamic studies; even in schools these days at least at primary level the work is mainly workbook based; its become really quite hard to get hold of textbooks in some subjects. I know of a private school that got told off for using textbooks too much!I do prefer a more written work based approach though; as opposed to an artwork based approach that is popular nowadays. I do think good writing skills are extremely important.

Do you enter your child into the examinations they would have at school? We are not there yet but won't be entering them into SATS at least

How do you make sure you are not doing more harm than good? This is something I worry about but then I see OHs younger brothers and other relatives in schools around here; even ones with a really good reputation and results and my sons' achievement; as well as their character and manners is just light years ahead. My sister also did her work experience in a primary school and she said its shocking how things are nowadays. My second eldest is not a naturally academic child; and sometimes I do wonder if have the ability to teach him but in just a year he has gone from not being able to even recognise letters or write them at all to having beautiful handwriting and knowing all the letters both in terms of sounds and their actual names. He can also read at an average level for his age; and is getting good at maths also

As the child gets older do you have to re-learn subjects? I imagine you can't teach something you dont understand? Strangely I've found it easier to teach maths when I was really rubbish at maths in school as I am slightly dyspraxic; than English and Art which I was extremely good at. I've known quite a few primary school teachers and when they train to be a teacher they are training on how to teach but they don't necessarily have a broad academic knowledge in every subject.

What do you do about interaction with other kids? This is the one thing I do really worry about; as my husband works really long hours (he has put in a transfer to switch to part time but not sure when that will come through) and I find it impossible to go on public transport with all four of them, I do have one friend locally who also home educates her children who we see about once a month; sometimes more, OH also has a lot of relatives around our kids' ages who we see regularly also. There aren't any home-ed meets in our actual area and very few families are home-edding here in this borough (mainly because the LEA is so anti home-ed here so many families lose confidence and quit), the nearest meets are quite a few miles away and would involve a tube journey which would just not be possible with the pushchair (and I would be worried taking LO out in a carrier and all the other kids as well).

 

[BeesBella]

I was home schooled for over a year due to severe bullying (by both students and teachers) at school which made me develop a phobia of school. I excelled faster than I was at school and was working towards my Maths A-Level in year 8. I had a maths tutor who was pretty expensive but my mum isn't brilliant at maths so thought it would be better that I was taught by someone who knows more.
I don't think I would like my children to be at school, due to the way teachers are, the way pupils are and the fact that they are not individually catered for with their individual needs and level which I think is terrible. Also I do not believe in what some children eat for 'snack time' in school as I would want to raise my child vegan (and let them decide as they get older) and I remember milk being passed out at snack time when I was at school, however this may have changed and may have been because I was in the Isle of Man at the time.
I also don't believe that children should learn spec subjects such as Art, I believe that Art should be fun and not have rules around it.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I want to homeschool!

 

[MrsRabbit]

DD has severe allergies and we have considered needing to home school to keep her safe. Some mothers I know insist on having food free class rooms etc. I however worry about keeping her safe from contact etc. I did do a year of Pre-K with DS due to his late in the year birthday.

 

[Pixiebear]

Hello,
Home schooling is much better than going to school.

I got bullied in secondary school..It got to the point i didn't want to go no more and leave the house. I didn't leave the house for 2 years.

I started getting home tutored and i learned so much more at home in a week than what I got teached in school a whole year.
My GCSE's was free as I was under connextions and a home schooling program... However, My sister got home tutored by my mum..When it come to her GCSE's she had to pay around £200.00 to £300.00 per an exam.
But theres loads of people getting home tutored and I know parents was trying to make their kids be able to sit them for free. Also you don't have to take your GCSE's.

 

[Tanikit]

We started last year with an American curriculum for 3-4 year olds. It was mostly just reading and some fun activities. She was 2.5 years old. This year we are still homeschooling though not on a curriculum - mostly I do some reading, writing and arithmetic exercises with her all based in play (counting things, making recipes together, some phonics and drawing/colouring) Its pretty non formal - we've planted beans and veggies, dug up earthworms, danced and so on and weread a lot and go to the library. As for later on, I'll just take it year by year for now til education becomes compulsory and then willl look more at the legal issues. I will probably not worry about high school til closer to the time.

 

[nickysdestiny]

I homeschool but I'm in America so I'm of no help sorry

 

[lynne192]

does anyone know where to get the materials to home school in the UK?

 

[Ribbleroo]

If you are in the UK you should check out the Education Otherwise website.