Home schooling in UK.?

[lecky]

I am considering home schooling my daughter and was wondering if anyone had any experiences they would like to share with regards to home schooling in the UK.
Also any tips on how to get started and how to avoid pressure from the 'officials' would be much appreciated.
I should maybe add that she is only 2 and a half at the moment so we have a while to work out exactly how we want to proceed.
Thanks in advance.

[woodsforthetrees]

Home Schooling is a tough choice. As a parent you obviously want what’s best for your child. At 2 and a half it’s great and no one knows her like you do. It is also scary to look out there at schools, the pressures they are under and the mistakes they sometimes make. You can also look around at some of the other kids and think “I don’t want her to be like that” and know you can do a better job.

You can get a simple form from your Local Authority that will opt her out of school and they will check regularly that she is developing and actually getting schooling.

Look for local groups of other parents who are doing the same thing. They often have groups that meet up to support each other and make sure that the children also get good social interaction.

We did look at it as an option. What steered us back to schools was; Schools are not just about maths, English and exams. Putting up with the other kids, learning strategies to cope with difficult situations and people. These are all things that kids need to learn for use in later life. The very things that we were trying to protect them from may have turned out to have crushed them in later life as they had not developed any emotional intelligence and coping strategies to draw upon.

Best of luck

[Patricia J]

You dont have to register her in any school when the time comes or advise the local authority and you shouldnt have to worry about it
Sometimes Health visitors will put in a good word to the LEA to tell them that you have decided to homeschool ! If it happens, they are not allowed in your home or you dont have to show any kind of work you will be doing. If you see them on your door step one day, just send them away asking them to send you a letter with a proper appointment. Once you receive the letter tell them that you are not ready to receive them and make an other appointment at a later date. ( much later date)
I homeschool two children and what i have done is send them an education philosophy, after a few months of homeschooling.
I met the inspector in november last year and she was pleasantly nice, i've shown her some of the works we had done and everything went well, but you dont have to do it.
A simple letter ( again when the time comes) explaining your programm for the year ahead is enough. Dont let them force you for a visit, you are right to refuse.

[Daisyhill]

I'm considering it too...but I decided to put my daughter in school first to see how she likes it...I hated school but some thrive on it..I am paying for her to be in a private school at the moment as our local ones are awful. I am nervous about homeschooling as there is not such a good support network of other homeschooling parents in the UK as there is in the US...but homeschooling is growing and the old preconceptions are getting challenged...something like 150.000 kids in the UK are now homeschooled....it has risen by about 50precent over the last few years....sorry I cannot be of more practical help...I just wanted to offer you my support....good luck.