Starting our Home Education Journey

As all the teeny 4 and 5-year-olds went off to start school last week, Artie began her home education journey.


Even before Artie was born we’d always wanted to home-educate, We had discussed it at length, but during the last couple of years, we became unsure again.

Artie is an incredibly sociable child who thrived in her nursery environment, and a part of us questioned whether we would be depriving her of valuable experiences by choosing the home education route.

To be on the safe side, we still applied to both state and private schools.

We considered private school due to its smaller, more personalised classes and better facilities, including after-school clubs.

Applying for private school was interesting because she had to be assessed which seems so ridiculous at such a young age. The assessment for one of the schools was a bit ruthless as they took her off me crying because she didn’t want to go in. At age 3 why they couldn’t have had the parents present is beyond me. Needless to say, she didn’t get into that school because she was so upset during the whole process that she couldn’t answer any questions. The assessment for the school she did get into was nice and relaxed. We went in with her and she was able to play in a classroom while the teachers observed and asked her questions, but in a playful way. She did get accepted to that school which we were thrilled about.

Unfortunately, when we started to realistically assess the cost of sending even one child, let alone two, to a private school, we realised it was financially unfeasible. Regrettably, we had to decline the place.

Artie also got a place at an outstanding state school in our area. The secondary school is one of the best in the country. By this point, we had decided we would home-educate but I wanted a backup just in case we changed our minds over the next few months. The state school she was accepted at is a faith school which was one of the main reasons why we wouldn’t have sent her there. We were told when touring the school that there would be a minimum of 45 minutes of religious studies every day and that it was compulsory for her to attend these classes.

As a non-religious family, it wasn’t something we wanted her to spend her time learning. Of course, we want her to learn about all faiths and cultures, but when they are so young this is a massive amount of emphasis to put on a subject that is irrelevant to ourselves.

We didn't find any other schools in our catchment area that met our standards. I wish I had realized earlier how inadequate they all were. I assumed they would be suitable, and we only began researching schools a few months before the application deadline. By that point, it was too late to consider moving, and there was no guarantee we would get into the school we liked in the new area.

Advantages of Home Educating

We have so many reasons why home education is the best way forward for us:

• Flexibility and child-led learning allow us to tailor education to Artie's interests. We can explore various learning methods without distractions from other children. If one approach isn't effective, we can try something different. Learning doesn't have to be confined to a classroom; we can go on field trips and more.

• Artie can work at her own pace, and I have a clear understanding of what she is learning so I can provide better support

• Easier identification of special educational needs (SEN)

• Efficient use of time - 1-on-1 learning allows us to complete lessons more quickly, leaving more time for play and being a child. Artie can still socialise through home education classes and meet-ups in our area

• Inadequate state schools in our area - facilities are not great, old and outdated buildings, large classroom sizes - 30 odd students to a teacher and support teacher so barely any 1-1 or personalised learning

• Private school is too expensive and fees may be raised 20% under the inevitable labour rule - which is also estimated to bring 18k+ students into the already crumbling, overcrowded and underfunded state school system

• Being with Artie during her formative years is invaluable to us, and we don't want to miss out on her childhood

• Home education allows Rae Rae, our younger child, to start her education
  a year earlier than if she followed a traditional schooling path, as her birthday is in September
  

• We can take holidays at any time of the year and avoid peak prices
• Artie's bright and outgoing nature might not thrive in a school environment that emphasises conformity and can sometimes harbor bullying.
  
• The school curriculum does not encourage questioning the world and exploring learning in a multitude of different ways
• So many other reasons!
  

Disadvantages of Home Educating

Of course, there are challenges associated with home education as well:

• It requires a significant amount of planning and preparation

• There are fewer breaks, and it can be demanding

• Flexible work arrangements are ideal, as parents need to be available. Fortunately, I can freelance in the evenings and run my soap business, Elstree Soaps, around our schedules.

• Home education can be costly, as there is no government support for extra classes, resources, or exams.

• Some relatives and friends may disapprove, not understanding why we chose this path.

• Further education applications may be complex

Are you going to home educate for the whole of their school education?

We are not sure how long we will home educate for at the moment. The initial plan is for the whole of "primary school" but it's hugely dependent on them. If they decided that they wanted to go to school then we would try to make this a possibility. It's also reliant on what they might want to do in the future. If sending them to a school that specialised in the job they wanted later on was better for them we would do that. If they want to carry on home educating for secondary school we are also very happy for them to do so.

Do we need to follow the curriculum?

The answer is no, we don’t need to follow or learn or do anything in particular. I personally want to be able to tick off the things she would have learnt at school during the year but we don’t need to do this. At this age, most of their learning is through play, phonics and numbers so my focus is on that. I love that we can do this in the way we see fit. If she’s interested in dinosaurs - let’s take a trip to the museum. We don’t have to spend most of our time in a classroom, we can be outside and explore and learn in different ways through many different mediums and people.

Do we need to provide reports to the government?

So it depends - at this moment, for us, I’m not sure whether we do or don’t. From what I’ve read, if you de-register your child (remove them from school when they were once going) then yes, you would need to provide a yearly report to show that they are learning something. However Artie has never attended school so technically we shouldn’t need to, However, I did apply for a state school and turn the place down so I don’t know if this means we will be contacted. Either way, I don’t mind as I will take detailed notes about everything we learn and do anyway!

I’m really looking forward to the journey ahead and I know we’re all going to rock it. I love spending time with the girls so much and I’m incredibly fortunate that I can do this with and for them.

For more information about home education visit:

Government Home education guidelines
Home education for all Facebook group
Home Education and Home Schooling HELP and Support UK Facebook Group
Home Education Hertfordshire Facebook Group

Bonus image of Rae Rae as she started back at nursery last week too!