HOME SCHOOLING

Discussion of all things non-11 Plus related

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Guest

Post by Guest »

She also said that she could get through a weeks schooling in less than three days!!!!!!! Shocked

Makes sense. After all only three children to get the point across to. You can easily see if they get it and move on quickly to the next point, or next subject.
It does have it's pro's :D
puzzled

Post by puzzled »

Interested to see about the Science Museum sessions for home-schooled children. But what use is KS1 and 2 to you if your child has failed 11+, it is KS3 upwards you will be needing.

Which Kent school is it that you feel is too bad in some way for your child to attend?

I really think that home-schooling is a lovely idea, and I would do it if I lived in a large city where there lots of other home-schoolers, and also if I was really sure that I did not want to work for the majority of my child's secondary school years.

I have taught myself in the past - maths, and three sciences to GCSE, and physics at A' level. I do think it would be an extremely hard job to singlehandedly provide the whole curriculum to one's child at home.

Unless I thought my child would be literally eaten alive at the unsatisfactory school, I would take up the place at it, and provide child with supplemental learning at the end of the school day leaving you free to work (or prepare for the supplemental work) during the school day.

These days there are many extra-tuition centres one can attend, as well as one-to-one tutoring, useful websites, e-learning, as well as whatever parents can provide.

Did you also see Peter's post on another thread about the right to apply to a grammar school every year (even if did not pass 11+) and they will do their own attainment test, and you have yearly right to appeal.

Good luck with it all, and plough on trying to get the school(s) you would be happy with. There are lots of different ways of getting in, and pupils do move house etc. I really would view home schooling in the south-east outside London as an extreme last resort; and from your e-mail you don't sound that "ready" for it at secondary level - either "enthusiasm-wise" or "knowledge of what you would need to do-wise".

Do not forget that your child may be identified as gifted and talented in certain areas at secondary school, and this will open up possibilities for stretching activities outside the school and through the national academy for gifted and talented youth.

What were the best results at GCSE that one individual child got at the school you dislike so much? It might make you feel better if you see that some children have done well there, even if their overall average point scores are low for the school as a whole.
Mum 64

Post by Mum 64 »

Hi

I am also looking at the possibility of Home Schooling, my child is currently in year 9 of an Upper school having not passes 11+ 3 years ago.

He has dyspraxia and although he has had great support from his school in years 7 & 8, he is now experienceing panic attacks and anxiety about attending school.

He is currently only attending about 40% of school at the moment.

He has asked is I would home school him! But as we approach GCSE years I feel that I could not support him sufficiently and would probably have to give up work.

We are working with the school at present but are looking at all the options.
puzzled

poor school attendance

Post by puzzled »

Sorry to hear that your son is so anxious about attending school that it leads to panic attacks.

How does he manage to attend only 40% of the time? Does he play truant, or do you let him stay at home when he says he is too anxious to go?

Does he have the panic attacks at home or at school? Do they put him in physical danger or can he just carry on afterwards?

I know this must be awful, but I cannot see that home-schooling is the answer unless there are some other good reasons for it. I think you would just be confirming your son's fears about the outside world, and making possible his apparent wish to stay at home with his Mum.

Consider a change of school or some therapy of some sort before you take this drastic step which may not help your son's social confidence, or your bank balance.

All the best.
mum 64

Post by mum 64 »

At present we have been assessing each week as to what lessons he feels he can attend.

The major panic attacks have been at school, he has had them at home but they have always been school related. School has now done a risk assessment and there are startagies in place to deal with this, which are working.

I agree that home schooling is not necessarily the answer, he is doing work at home when not attending school at the moment. He has SATs coming up. Luckily the core lessons of Maths English and Science are the ones being attended at the moment.

The trigger to this problem at the moment is one individual teacher, and an incident in the class room.

The teacher is not currently teaching, so hopefully we can build up his confidence again, and regain some sort of normallity.

We are also having a support through local child services, special needs dept at school.

This Thursday we have a Paediatric Assessment that we have had to wait nearly a year for!


Its good to post, so thanks for 'listening'

Mum 64
Y
Posts: 463
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:49 pm

Post by Y »

A friend home-schooled her child for a year when she failed to get into a grammar school. They had a great year, with a huge range of activities, and parent and child had a great learning experience. Her comment was that so much time is "wasted" in school that you can achieve in a morning what the school achieves in a day. My friend is highly motivated and well-organised.

Home-schooling can be a great experience, and it doesn't have to be forever.

(The child got into grammar school via 12+)

Y
Kent Mum
Posts: 55
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:39 am
Location: Kent- duh!

Post by Kent Mum »

We took our daughter out of her school just over 2 weeks ago and I am currently homeschooling her.
She was in year 9 of a secondary school- and this was not an easy decision to make- nor a knee- jerk reaction to certain events,; but something we've thought about for a long time, researched thoroughly and chosen only after considering all of our options.
It was done because we know that this step is, at this time, the best for her. My son, who has just passed the 11+ and will be starting Grammar school in September, is more than happy in school and has no desire to be educated at home. He is the sort of child who thrives in a good school environment. He wouldn't have coped in the school my daughter has just left.
There are many reasons for home educating and it's all to easy to assume that only certain types of parents home school. I have to admit that I find any suggestion of being 'controlling' a little insulting. I'm no more controlling than any other parent wanting the best for their child. How many parents move house to be near the school they deem the best for their children? Or employ tutors to help their child pass tests and exams? I've done neither- and wouldn't; but I respect the rights and motives of those who do.
My daughter receives a great deal of social interaction with children and teens and other adults- some of whom she likes and gets on with- some of whom she isn't so fond of and finds it hard to get along with. Part of education is learning to interact and cope with others and we have always been keen to support activities which encourage this; and, no, we don't only 'let' her mix with 'nice' children. She mixes with a wide variety of personalities- some very challenging! Does it contradict the ethos behind homeschooling? No- I don't think so. As long as plenty of opportunities for social interaction are given. It's simply a matter of equipping and empowering our children in the best way for them at the time.
For example- some people believe that hiring a tutor to help a child pass the 11+ is wrong. They could argue that if the child is intelligent enough, then they should be able to pass anyway. If they pass with tutoring, won't they struggle at grammar school? But isn't the tutor simply equipping the child with what they need in order to do their best; providing help with exam practise and technique so that the child is empowered, confident and able to make best use of their own ability?
You say tomato.....
I'm not about to embark on a criticism of the school or go into details personal to my daughter- but we believe that our daughter has every right to have her self esteem restored and confidence restored as well as academic teaching.
Hmmm- better shut up now- before I start rivalling JK Rowling for length!
Of course I'm out of my mind! It's dark and scary in there!!!!
nosey parker

homeschooling

Post by nosey parker »

Dear Kent Mum

Good for you - I seriously looked into home-schooling and dismissed it because, frankly, I think it would drive me insane and I also suspect I've got the kind of kids who respond better to other people telling them what to do (I took my son to cycling lessons after he steadfastly refused to trust us to teach him to cycle without stabilisers - the cycle tutor had them off in five minutes...).
Anyway, the suggestion that home-schoolers are control freaks beggars belief - I'm sure some are, in the same way that many of the parents at the school gates are. The suggestion that it is the children who choose their friends is laughable in my experience - I find that it's almost always the parents that choose their kids friends anyway - and some are frankly ruthless in the extreme in their manoevreings.
But the clincher for me is that my kids like school. They like it more than I do - I find the teachers wearying, of questionable intellect and the curriculum dull. Teaching is often done unimaginitively by rote learning and the class goes at the pace of the slowest in the class. I agree home-schooling probably allows you to progress a lot quicker - I read a home-schooling site that reckoned there was probably little more than 2 hours of schooling actually done a day at school - once you've whipped off time for pointless lining up/putting books away/saying Good Morning Miss Honey/filing into and out of assembly/lunch/break and having the teachers attention spread 30 different ways... so good for you - I wish I had the patience and inclination (and lack of greed - I don't want to give up my salary to home-school...). You could probably do a couple of hours in the morning and still have sailed through more education than the average school day...
Guest

Post by Guest »

I work as a Teaching Assistant in year 4. I don't agree with all the comments made by nosey parker but certainly agree that a good solid 2 hours is worth the equivalent to time actually spent doing work.
loulou
Posts: 445
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 11:05 am
Location: LONDON

Post by loulou »

Hi Kent mum

Really interested in the fact that you are home schooling. I read something the other day (and I can't remember where) that home educated children often end up with fewer GCSEs than those educated in schools. I have no idea whether this is true and I'm sure you will be able to put me straight, but whenever I have thought about the option in the past I have wondered if I would be able to effectively teach 10 subjects to a high enough standard and in an inspirational way. However, I wish you all the best as it must be really rewarding to work so closely with your child.

Just as a point about socialisation. School is the only place where you are expected to sit down with 30 people the same age and socialise. When else in life do you do that? I work with people ranging from 21 to 65 and I'm sure its the same for most of us. As long as children are socialising with a wide variety I don't see there should be a problem.
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