Home Schooling - Your own personal teacher!

 

It's estimated that over 50,000 children are home educated in the UK and the figure is rising by 80% per year. With so much pressure on too few school places it's unsurprising that increasing numbers of parents are considering home education as an option for their children. Recently the media reported that nearly half of all children in some local authorities missed out on their first choice of school so homeschooling in the UK may be their only option.

 

The implications for families are huge, both on an emotional and practical level, leaving parents feeling the right to the best education for their child is completely beyond their control.

Of course, even if you're lucky enough to be allocated the school of your choice, you may find the conventional education path does not work out for your child - perhaps they don't settle well in their class, find the work doesn't meet their needs or in worst cases, suffer bullying. In short, there are many reasons parents might be thinking about beginning to home school, but, many feel daunted taking on the important job of delivering their childs education themselves. That's where I come in! I am available to deliver an exciting and enriching curriculum either on a full or part time basis. Exciting trips and visits to art galleries, museums, exploring our wealth of natural surroundings and really experiencing the world is all part of home educating.

 

It's through it's flexibility that it offers so many other advantages:

• I  can deliver an approach to learning that suits the individual child. For example, some learn better through more practical activities than book based or written based activities.

• Children do not have to be continually tested, examined, or do ‘school work' all day at home. Continued testing does not actually enhance a child's learning in any way and wastes time that could be spent doing more inspired activities. Home educated children get through stuff much faster than they would in school so they have more time to develop other interests.

• Children do not have to do SATs.

• I do not have to stick to the National Curriculum, I can use any curriculum which suits the child or no specific curriculum at all.

• Within the home educating community there are social networks and group activities which have a higher ratio of adults to children, so there is hardly ever an incidence of bullying and there is a greater respect and understanding for the differences between individuals. Because of this children develop good social skills, gain confidence and relate to others well.

• It doesn't matter what background you are from; cultural, social, financial or educational.

• It doesn't have to be expensive. It can work out no more costly than it does at school when providing for school trips, uniforms or expensive designer trainers!

• Children experience a better balance between activities, for example between physical and sedentary activities, between practical and academic exercises, between creativity and learning parrot-fashion.

• The child can learn at the rate which suits them irrespective of age or waiting for others to catch up or whether they are ready.

• Children are removed from the destructive competitive race that education has become. Home educating gives families the opportunity to make education the personal development of an individual which is really what it should be.

• Families can choose which subjects they study and which exams they want to do - or not do if they prefer. Many home educated children go on to university without doing masses of GCSEs, but with the standard five. This frees children to develop other aspects of their character and their interests and be generally less stressed about learning.

• Children are removed from the pressure of having to be constantly in with the crowd or keep up with their peers. They can instead be the people they want to be and enjoy relationships with people of a variety of ages and interests.

• Being out of school and in contact with real life develops many study/motivational/life skills in home educated children which some universities recognise as an advantage.

• There is far more opportunity for sport and exercise and outdoor activities.

• Home education gives children who are written off by the school system an opportunity to thrive and achieve and have a happy experience with learning.

• Children begin to take charge of their own lives and their own learning which develops a sense of responsibility and maturity that often exceeds their school peers.

• Many parents find that their family life is much happier when school stresses are removed and their children revert to being ‘their normal selves' again.

• Parents have the opportunity to make learning a positive and inspiring experience for their children, which indeed it should be, rather than being switched off or bored by it often for years!

 

With my experience of teaching and passion for delivering a creative education I can provide a unique way of learning for your child, please contact me to discuss further. ( I provide home school tutoring for children from pre-school age up to the end of their primary years, usually age 11)