Home Education

A growing number of families are considering home education.

In the UK, parents have a right to home educate their children or a right to a full-time education within a school.  Should you wish to opt for home education, you take on full responsibility and will no longer receive support or resources from the school that your child was previously registered at. Your local council will conduct checks and ask for a yearly report to ensure that children are receiving an education.

The law is vague in relation to Home Education but the Education Act 1996 does outline:

“The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable - (a) to his age, ability and aptitude, and (b) to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.”

There are many benefits to home education:

• Parents are able to spend more time their children to build healthy and secure attachments.
• There isn’t a requirement to have a timetable or restrict learning to set hours.
• There isn’t a requirement to follow the National Curriculum.
• Parents have the flexibility to ensure learning is a result of first-hand experiences rather than passive learning.
• Parents have the freedom to teach their children life skills such as cooking, maintaining the home and managing finances as well as providing opportunities that reflect their child’s unique interests and next steps.
• Children are not exposed to inappropriate content or situations which could impact their spiritual and/or moral development.
• Children are not subjected to early examinations which do more harm than good to a child’s confidence and desire to learn.

These are just to list a few.

As a teacher who works closely with parents, I often tell them “You are your child’s most influential teacher and your home is your child’s first ever classroom.” This does not mean that everything a child learns at home is good for them or that every parent should home educate. I say this to help parents realise the impact they have on their child’s learning and growth, whether positive or negative. Most parents want the best for their children, but not all of those parents have the necessary skills to facilitate learning. The good news? These skills can be learnt. If you are prepared to learn alongside your child and adopt a growth mindset then you can’t go too far wrong.

Before we begin educating children, we must first reflect on our own mindset and philosophy of education. A child’s innate desire to learn is inspirational but sadly it can be destroyed by adults who don’t nurture it with respect and kindness. We must be willing to learn with them and from them. An effective education should be tailored to meet the needs and interests of individual children. Therefore, home education can and should look different for each family. That being said, it is important to understand that there are bad practises which should be avoided. A child centred, research based mindset will help establish a healthy environment where learning can be facilitated. 

I believe all parents can effectively home educate if they have a growth mindset. It requires dedication to life long learning, sacrifices, investment of time and resources, good time management, reflective thinking and a good understanding of child development. This isn’t to put people off the idea, but I hope to provide a realistic expectation as a passionate, experienced teacher and as a mother who believes all children deserve the best opportunities. Understanding our individual strengths and weaknesses, and placing importance on our own growth as parents, will naturally lead to children developing a love for lifelong learning. 

Before we teach, we must understand how to learn.

If you're a parent considering Home Education and need some support and guidance, please get in touch.