Once upon a time… we found ourselves contemplating the idea of home education.
For our family it was the first step of an amazing journey. With the benefit of hindsight, there really was no turning back for us. Home education had presented itself as an actual, real-life, legal and practical possibility and life would never be quite the same again.
At the time, of course things felt less clear. We began searching in earnest for anything we could find out about the subject and pondered long and hard about whether this ‘home ed’ lark really was such a great idea.
There are lots of fantastic resources out there with huge amounts of information; it can be difficult to know what to read first. Misconceptions about how home education works and what it’ll mean for your family are common. So, to help sort out the facts from the fiction and to save you some leg-work (or keyboard-tapping), here is a short list of some of the best places to start finding out more about home education.
For a good overview of UK law and useful answers to the most frequently asked questions about home education, check out –
http://www.home-education.org.uk/faq-carers.htm
http://www.free-range-education.org.uk/FAQ.html
Both of these sites have useful templates for de-registration letters. If your child is registered at a school and you decide to home educate, you must inform the school that you wish your child to be removed from the register. These templates provide the legal wording that you’ll need.
https://rossmountney.wordpress.com/about-home-education/ also tackles some of those frequently asked questions and shares her insights around developing an educational philosophy.
http://edyourself.org/articles/FAQ.php Fiona’s site has extensive information on the legal issues surrounding home education and some interesting information about the numbers of children known to be home educated in different council areas.
Be aware that council staff across the country will have varying levels of knowledge and experience of home education and may adopt slightly different approaches when engaging with families. It is worth taking some time to read any policy documents issued by your local council; these should be easily accessible by visiting the website of the County Council where you live and searching ‘home education’.
If you are unsure of the website address or cannot locate any information about home education in your area. visit https://www.gov.uk/home-schooling-information-council and enter your postcode to be taken to the relevant page on your local council website.
Some council web pages and policy documents imply that there is a requirement to register with them in order to be allowed to home educate, this is not the case. If your child is not registered at a school then you don’t need to inform anyone of your decision. As a parent you have responsibility in law for your child’s education. But remember, if they are enrolled at a school, you must let the school, not the council, know that you would like to have your child’s name removed from the register.
There are two charitable organisations that provide advice and support to families who are currently, or considering, home educating –
https://www.educationotherwise.org/
Both of these organisations have free information and advice on their site and membership options available, for a modest fee.
Finally and most importantly, make contact with your local home education group. The families that I met, even before my children left school, were so lovely, welcoming and helpful. They generously gave up their time to chat on the telephone and over email, sharing their experiences and wisdom and acting as a sounding board as I processed all this new information. I was totally blown away by the parents and their children, their kindness and patience were immense (you know who you are, lovely people, and I am forever grateful!).
Make this a priority. Link up with home educating families, even if only online. They can be an invaluable source of advice, reassurance and friendship. Try an internet search for home education groups in your local town, area and region, there may be more than one that is geographically appropriate. Don’t forget the many national and international groups that will also provide great support and information. Many of these can be found on Yahoo Groups and Facebook.
Let me know what resources you’ve found helpful in the comments below. Wishing you well in your research and in your week x