How to Start Homeschooling in UK

by Vicky
(UK)

Question
Hi just withdrawn my 12 year old from high school uk will the local authority get in touch? and if so what will thay want us to do and where do we start?
thanks vicky mom of 6...

Answer

Hi Vicky
Welcome to homeschooling.

I am assuming you are in England, as home education UK law is different for Scotland and Wales.

Firstly, did you deregister your son? It helps to have proof that the deregistration letter was received by the school so that there is no come back on you. The school must then take your son off the register, and inform the local authority. The LA may then get in touch with you - but it depends on how understaffed they are :) I wouldn't contact them - wait for them to get in touch.

They will want to see some evidence that you intend/are home educating to your child's age, ability and aptitude. They will probably ask to visit you, but you may refuse and provide evidence in the form of a report instead if you wish. If they contact you very early on, tell them you are still working out the best method to use and ask for 2 or 3 months to get organized.

I recommend you join Home Education Yahoo Group - there are a lot of experienced home educators there who can give you advice if you need it.

You need to do some research about how you and your 12 year old would like to learn together. In the UK you do not have to:

follow the National Curriculum.

do the same subjects your child did at school.

plan everything out in advance.

have a fixed schedule or work to the same timetable as schools.

You might want to start with a period of deschooling as this will give you both time to take breath and decide what's next.

Just take your time. You don't have to suddenly become a school and start covering lots of subjects. Pick somewhere to start, anywhere, and then begin with that. Once you have got comfortable you can slowly build up and add more.

If you would like to start by doing textbooks, then WHSmith have a massive range, and I have heard the CPG books recommended. Otherwise, you can just both pick out some projects that you would like to do. You can see the sorts of homeschool activities that we do.

I would really recommend you looked to see if your library has a copy of Free Range Education by Terri Dowty or Unqualified Education by Gareth Lewis.

Hope that helps, Julie.

Further Reading

Start Homeschooling

How to Start Homeschooling

Can I do Homeschooling?

Homeschool Socialization

Deschooling

Homeschooling Goals

How many hours to Homeschool?

Do I need a Curriculum?

How to Homeschool FAQ

How to Homeschool in 3 Steps

Getting Started with Homeschooling

Homeschooling for Beginners

How to Get Started


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