Home School - Websites/Forums

[Josa]

Does anyone know of any good websites/forums that supports home schooling?

Many thanks
Josa

[Amber]

I guess you already know Education Otherwise and the HEAS?
They will often have local branches and also links to websites. Try the home ed adviser at your Local Authority - mine gave me loads of leads when I did it. Aquila magazine, a subscription- only publication aimed at children, seems to attract a lot of home educators if your child fancies a pen pal.
Have fun!

[Josa]

Many thanks Amber for the suggestions, I'm actually enquiring on behalf of a friend who is considering home schooling her ds.

[ourmaminhavana]

Hi, I've recently come across this which I think has links to some good resources: http://home-ed.info/maths/number_bonds.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Do let me know how she gets on. I have recently been looking into flexi schooling. There should also be someone at her LA who is responsible for Home Ed. Good luck!

[mystery]

Do you think you school would say yes to flexi-schooling OMIM? I have it up my sleeve as a possibility if ever necessary, but I don't think they would say yes. They'd be too worried that everyone would do it and that it might create a poor impression; in reality I think it's something that few parents would ever consider or do.

[ourmaminhavana]

No chance at my current school (or DD's either! )

[scarlett]

They'd be too worried that everyone would do it and that it might create a poor impression; in reality I think it's something that few parents would ever consider or do.

I don't think schools would be worried that everyone would do it , Mystery. There is one boy in my DC school who attends school twice a week and the whole affair is deemed pretty strange by the majority of parents ( or the ones who talk to me anyway ) ranging from education is solely down to the school not parents or worries about the social aspect. This boy is very bright anyway but was always a loner ...his parents would try to find friends they thought were suitable and of a " similar level " ( DS2 was invited over once and then that was it ) but I think we were all deemed unworthy.

As you know I have kept my children off occasionally and worked at home with them but after a few sessions that seems to have done the trick and it's all calm at the moment. Anyway, mine are desperate to go to school for The School Dinners
P.E
Music
General tom foolery .

[ourmaminhavana]

I like the idea of a four day week and having Friday to do fun,learning things at home. However, informal Scarlett days could do the trick just as well!

[scarlett]

I know it is a bit naughty ...but we did get loads done in the morning and then would spend the afternoon doing something educational but fun ( like a museum etc ) and for my family the one to one alone was worth it especially for DS2 who has DS1 and DD finishing his sentences for him .

DS2 has told me recently that he mustn't have any days off because his class attendance is 95 per cent ( or something ) and he was in a state about it. I went all hot and thought I must have let out too much info on here...but no, it's down to the children who have 2 weeks off to go on holiday every term. We never do that and even this year with DH having to spend all summer working at the Olympics and not having any AL we are instead squashing our summer holiday in half term..so I don't feel bad at all !

[um]

I can't understand why a school would be so against flexi-schooling - feeling threatened, lack of confidence?
I am fortunate that my children's school is pretty open and holistic and has had no qualms about my request, even though I made it clear we wouldn't be doing academic work.
I recently started flexi schooling dc4, who stays home on Fridays. I really can't see a mass rush of parents wanting their children at home all day with them, though! It is a big commitment, and something I thought about for a long time before asking.
We don't actually do academics. He is only 4 and quite worn out by Friday. Last week he spent time cleaning out the car, and 4 hours playing carefully with a new (toy) drill set, and I noticed a sudden improvement in his writing the next day.
This week he went swimming, enjoyed hearing his echo in the pool hall, learned and retold the story of Narcissus and Echo, and then went to the library and enjoyed the books. I had to leave him with a babysitter later on as I went to an appointment, and she said that he rearranged the cutlery drawer and then read some of the books happily to himself (from his imagination!).
Flexi schoolers are marked as being in attendance but educated off-site. Their attendance figures are therefore not affected by their days off. In fact, before flexi schooling my son was sick more often (I was worried that it was, in part, linked to over-tiredness) and was therefore taking more days off. I also try and arrange my son's appointments (he sees numerous consultants for various things) on Fridays so his attendance figures are impacted even less .