unschooling in the uk?

[krwh]

Hi everyone...I hope this is the right place to post this. I know this might sound also may be a bit premature but I have a question about unschooling in England and I was wondering if anyone has done it. I'm an American and I live here in England with my husband so I'm not really sure how someone would go about teaching their child at home and what the rules are here. I know what the laws are in the US, not here, I just want to start doing my research to make my decision. I don't have a little one yet (my husband and I are trying) but it's something I have always felt strongly about and I was just curious as to anyone elses experiences regarding homeschooling or unschooling. Also...it's something I would like to do, and probably would do if it was just me, but I do have a lovely husband and I can't disregard his views on schooling. My husband isn't in full cooperation of this because he's concerned our children, if they're unschooled that is, will have a skewed view of social interactions from not having been in a school setting, since it's kind of like a microcosm of the real world he says, if that makes any sense (we will probably come to some sort of compromise...like letting our children go to school for a little bit and deciding for themselves or something along those lines) so we're still working out exactly what we want to do. Thanks to everyone for their answers in advance

ps-i do know all about the benefits of going to school, i hear about them a lot from my twin sister. she is a teacher and thinks im a bit crazy for even considering this (and she might be right, haha). it's not a definite that i'm going to do this but it's a strong, strong consideration.

 

[Monkeh]

My Mum homeschools my sister and brother. My other sister was also homeschooled until she decided to go to school this year (she's now 11).

She uses this forum quite alot: https://www.home-education.biz/

I don't know too much about it myself but I can ask if you have anything specific you want to know!

 

[purple_socks]

i don't know a huge amount on the subject but i have recently been looking into it a bit (i'm not gicing much thought as to what i plan to do...i was just interested in the subject)
Apparently children (especially at infant school age) do seem to respond much better to learning on a one 2 one basis, and in a less formal setting.

I read an artical recently where one parent was saying she spends lots of time out and about teaching her kids and they use nature in lots of their lessons...she also says she likes the freedom of being able to take her kids to places like museums and camping trips in term time where they r less crowded and they do there lessons there. It sounds like u get a lot more flexibility with home schooling and u can b a lot more creative with how u teach certain subjects...i think u can tailor ur LOs education more.

And as for the social interaction side u can join a local home schooling group...they're groups of home schooling parents and children that get together 4 trips etc

HTH

 

[Pyrrhic]

I've been thinking about homeschooling up to about age 6/7 (as kids start nursery here at 3), then going into a small private school through primary.

Depends on where we are in a few years though!

 

[Pyrrhic]

Also, might be worth checking if there are flexi schools in your local area. Where I live there is a school where parents can opt to send their children in conjunction with homeschooling. So my LO could go an hour a week or 10 hours a week depending on what we want. It runs from age 3-18. It's a very highly regarded school up here too.

 

[sophxx]

Also, might be worth checking if there are flexi schools in your local area. Where I live there is a school where parents can opt to send their children in conjunction with homeschooling. So my LO could go an hour a week or 10 hours a week depending on what we want. It runs from age 3-18. It's a very highly regarded school up here too.

how do you find out about this? we dont want our lo to go to state school as there not very good where we live were going to vist the private schools but was also looking in to home educating! but this seems like something thats a good mix of both! xx

 

[Pyrrhic]

Flexi schools tend to be full time schools that just offer the option. So I would ring your local private schools, and say that you are considering home education but would like to also compliment this with part time study and would they allow this.

 

[krwh]

thanks everyone monkeh, i might have a few questions for your mum, actually... i have some reasons why i think i would want to unschool my children, but why did she decide to do it? what does she see as the benefits and disadvantages of teaching her children at home?

purple socks...the whole having more time with the children and believing that, if the children are anything like me or my husband (i know children learn differently based on their personalities and all that), then they probably will do better with one on one learning and having the chance to explore and discover the world and what they want to learn and what their hobbies and interests are at their own pace. i understand about the homeschooling groups too...i think the children would be just fine (it's just convincing my husband of that, even if i do undestand where he's coming from).

rafwife...i can totally understand where you're coming from too and im really glad to hear that you want to give your children more of option when it comes to how their learning and curriculum works. i have a feeling that something along those lines (or maybe the other way around, im not quite sure...) will be the compromise i end up making with my husband, but i do think sending the children to a smaller private school has its advantages, since the children have more personal attention focused on them. i'll definitely have to check out the flexi-school thing though...i went to a school like that when i switched schools during high school and the freedom of it was really nice.

i'm not saying, btw, that schools are inherently evil or anything like that. after being given grace llewllyn's book when i was young teenager, i was convinced that was what i wanted, and even though i've been all through school and university, for me (maybe not for others) it just was what would have worked for me and i wasn't allowed to do it. i still wish i would have been able to do it and if my kids seem to be inclined towards a more unstructured type of education because it would work for them, then i want to give them an education that will make them feel fulfilled and as posted on another thread about montessori education, won't make them fall out of love with learning or anything like that.

 

[krwh]

sophxx...i kind of agree with you there. i live in a small town and i'm sure the school system is ok (i don't know if it's fantastic) and i'd like a little bit more control over my child's education than i feel like i might be getting here...there's a city nearby but i don't want to have to go back and forth everyday if i don't have to. but, it's always an option rafwife's suggestion is really good though!

 

[Pyrrhic]

I moved around every 6 months-3 years as a child until I was 17 and was always moving schools. I hated it.

My OH does a job in the military that means my LO will be in the same position. I've never been interested in public schooling for her. When she looks at secondary schooling, I will want her to go to a boarding school where she can have stability and a continuity of education that she wouldn't normally have. Of course if she hates the idea, she won't go.

So primary school is a bit of an issue, as I feel it's too young for boarding school. Flexi-schooling would mean she could still attend a private school and socialise with children but also have the continuity of education at home that won't change no matter where we move to. I also believe in the benefit of learning outside the classroom, not just in it. I remember lessons from school in the States where rather than learning about the history of New Orleans from books, we went to an old plantation museum where the house still had all the original furnishings and tour guides were all in period dress. Or when learning about the countries Naval history we went on board a battleship and met the crew and were shown around.

It just all depends on our home situation as it's a few years away yet. The above would be the ideal situation!

 

[becstar]

Just as an aside, the school curriculums are changing all the time but the emphasis lately is much more towards experiencing and enquiring rather than being sat at a desk doing worksheets.

As a year 1 teacher I want to point out that from my perspective, the kids with parents who are interested and care about their child's education will ALWAYS thrive no matter how crap the school or the teacher (I hope I'm not one but I know a few). My first teacher was a cow according to my mum and held me back (made me read through crap books with one or two words in when I could read chapter books before I started school!) but she was the only one (although the school was in a poor area as we were broke, and was not an amazing school). I went on to go to Cambridge because she had instilled a love of books in me and backed up everything I learned at home.

I do understand there are good reasons for homeschooling and want to wish you good luck with it if you go ahead with it. I think it's a wonderful thing to do for your child.

 

[krwh]

rafwife-i definitely understand where you're coming from...continuity is really important for a child and i'm glad you're placing an emphasis on giving your child stability when you have to move around all the time. you're right too about taking children on field trips and stuff like that (i grew up in northern virginia and i took a LOT of them to battlefields and to monuments and things like that).

becstar-i know they're changing all the time and i'm absolutely thrilled that there is a more of an emphasis on a hands on approach in learning. my sister is a teacher as well and has worked in inner city schools and is now, for personal reasons, moving to a more suburban school, but she tells me that even in the darkest of situations that some children will still shine. i think seeing that in some of the children made her job feel more worthwhile, even when she felt hopeless in trying to help all of her students. i do know too that she's thrilled that when resources permit (and even when they don't...) teachers are still trying their best to bring a more hands on approach into the schools. i'm not in anyway trying to demean teachers, i think they're incredible people, but for me personally, school had the opposite effect on me. i had a library full of books at home and i loved learning, i just didn't want to do it in school...i wasn't happy there and was beginning to lose my love of learning as a result.

i do want to add though that its wonderful to hear you went on the cambridge because of a teacher though (even if she made you read crap books in school ). i'm sure she'd be extremely proud of you and she'd be thrilled to know she played such an important and vital role in one of her student's lives.

 

[krwh]

ps-i am sure you are an amazing teacher. don't ever doubt yourself if you ever do have doubts. the fact that you came from the situation that you did, because people cared about how you developed intellectually, is a testament to the fact that being an influence on someone's life (no matter how small of an influence that may be) and encouraging them to be a better person, really does matter. or at least that's what i'd like to believe because its what my parents told me when i was growing up (and what my sister tells herself too when she gets frustrated or upset with her students). and i know it sounds silly...but i've got the little engine tattooed on my leg with the words "i think i can" just to remind me never to give up, to keep going, and to keep trying. silly, maybe, but it helps, and im thrilled to know there are teachers out there who are trying and genuinely care about their students!

 

[marley2580]

I was home educated and plan on doing the same for my children. I was and will be unschooled. I second the recommendation about the forum as there's a lot going on with HE in England and Wales all linked to the Badman Report, there's a lot of home edders looking into moving to Scotland as a result.

 

[krwh]

hey marley 2580-thats awesome to hear that you were and you'll be doing it for your children i know there's been a lot going on with the Badman reports and stuff but i didn't realize that a lot of home edders were moving to Scotland. And if you don't mind...any advice about unschooling?

 

[marley2580]

Sit back and leave them to it. Right now my DD1 is learning about cats, gravity, spatial awareness etc. That's right, she's playing with the cat biscuits lol.

 

[krwh]

that's what i've gathered from reading about it...just let them do it on their own and explore the world at their own pace i think i've been in the school system for so long that it can take a while to get the achievement thing out of my system. and it's ok if she's playing with the cat biscuits!! the cat gets attention and she's having fun and maybe she'll grow up to be a baker of cat biscuits and be really rich or something, lol, i don't know...sorry i haven't had my coffee yet

 

[Tasha]

My children have just started school after being home schooled for the last year.

 

[krwh]

oh, ok, how are you finding it so far?

 

[becstar]

ps-i am sure you are an amazing teacher. don't ever doubt yourself if you ever do have doubts. the fact that you came from the situation that you did, because people cared about how you developed intellectually, is a testament to the fact that being an influence on someone's life (no matter how small of an influence that may be) and encouraging them to be a better person, really does matter. or at least that's what i'd like to believe because its what my parents told me when i was growing up (and what my sister tells herself too when she gets frustrated or upset with her students). and i know it sounds silly...but i've got the little engine tattooed on my leg with the words "i think i can" just to remind me never to give up, to keep going, and to keep trying. silly, maybe, but it helps, and im thrilled to know there are teachers out there who are trying and genuinely care about their students!

Sorry, I only just saw your reply! thank you, that's sweet. We've got a huge emphasis right now on a values led curriculum where values like honesty, trust, courage etc are at the heart of it. it's exciting! But those are instinctive things for a good parent so your child will automatically get a good set of values from you as you 'unschool' him/her!