What Home Education Looks Like - 17th May 2013

One of the things I love about the home ed groups we go to is that so much is happening in the same room!

Science....

Art and craft....

Water play....

And even P.E.......

Not back to school

Today is the day my children would be going back if they'd stayed at their school.

I can't help but feel a bit sad that it's all carrying on without us. I'm enjoying our home ed, but I loved the school and the people there and will miss them. Obviously we've stayed in touch with them (so far) but today it really does feel like they're taking steps without us. Plus today is the "no turning back" day. Until now the children have just been on Summer hols really, now they are officially, properly being home educated.

Yesterday was a full -on day; travelled on tube and train back from London, walked from station with wheelie bag in tow to Home Ed group, after home ed group got bus back home, washed clothes from trip away, cleaned kitchen, made two types of stock and tomato chutney, had tea, helped children play on Grid Club etc. so if I'm honest I'm shattered, but I decided to make today count.

I had hoped they would lay in so it really didn't feel like a school day but Papaya has a new bike and was so excited by that she was up and dressed by 7.00am! At least the boy laid in until 8.00am, and it was wonderful not to have to leave the house and face the traffic. We took a lazy morning, then did some shopping, went to the library, packed lunches and headed to Alice Holt with some friends to enjoy the sunshine and test out the bike! No photos though as my iPhone is dead and in the process of being replaced. Then they flopped with home-made cheesy chips and Horrible Histories before bed. It felt like a good use of the day to me ;)

Next Friday the children start at Inwoods and will be there for a term every Friday. That is when our home ed routine will really get into swing I think, for now it just feels like we're still on holiday for the summer. 

Play Dough and Hoops

I took Papaya along with me to the next session of the local Home Ed group I visited before. They run an art lesson at the start of the group, but I think she was a little overwhelmed by it all and spent her time at the playdough table instead.










She was then tempted out into the sunshine by some Hula Hoops.













The next session (they are every two weeks) is during the Easter holidays so I'll be able to take both children along. I'm hoping I can continue to take one or other of them each time until they finish school in July and we can be there officially :)


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Home Ed Group

I went to visit a Home Ed group today that is about 19 minutes away so one we'd be likely to go to regularly. It is held every other week on a Wednesday. From 1.00pm-2.00pm there is an Art lesson for older children and then from 2.00pm-4.00pm there is a looser coffee/chat/play session. It costs £1 per family plus £1 each child to take part in the art.

I decided to turn up around 1.30ish so I could see a bit of the art session and then get some chatting time. I felt a bit of a fraud though as I went on my own without the children! I did consider taking them out of school for the afternoon (I reckon it would count as a legitimate reason, after all they would let us take them out to visit a new school) but they had a science workshop today that we'd already paid for! Plus it gave me a chance to get a feel for it before bringing them.

The room is set up with the art taking place on one side and then on the other side are sofas and lots of toys and games laid out for all different ages. Most excitingly (well for me anyway!) there was a whole table full of books to read about home education and related subjects..... including all Ken Robinson's ;) The art lesson was lovely and gentle and allowed the children to go off with their own ideas, Jaya will really love it I know. The "chat" part kind of carried on during it as well as afterwards. There were around 20 adults and 30 or so children, of all different ages. I saw a lot of girls who reminded me of Papaya, all floating around being arty with flowing hair, but not many boys who reminded me of Povey. In fact the boys seemed to be mostly toddlers and babies, although I guess that probably varies from week to week.

I chatted with several mums all of whom had different reasons for choosing home education and different ways of approaching it. The meeting was held in a "Christian centre" so I was a bit nervous it would have a Christian core to it (I'm Humanist) but actually there was no mention of any religion and the adults were a wonderfully diverse group with women and men from every ethnicity, social status, age etc. you could think of. I wasn't the only one visiting for the first time, and I also wasn't the only one who hadn't brought her children. Everyone seemed to be very friendly and open to talking and the children were able to happily roam inside and out and do whatever took their fancy.

The next one is in two weeks time which is the last week of term. I'm thinking I might take Papaya out of school that day to come along as I know she'd really get a lot from the art session, and then take them both along to the one after that which will be during the Easter Holiday.