At River Network we have fully trained and experienced Home Schooling teachers who are also experienced in forest schools. Home Schooling is a good alternative to mainstream schooling, with children needing to only attend around 3-5 hours per day, depending on their age, and from the comfort of their own home. The curriculum can be built however you please, including many subjects that would be taught in public or private schools. For example, a child’s swimming lessons would be supported under Home Schooling where they wouldn’t in mainstream education. In addition, it can also be beneficial for children with learning or social difficulties, allowing them to work and learn at their own pace.
Families may choose to Home School for a variety of different reasons, including dissatisfaction with the education options available, differing religious beliefs, or even if their child is having difficulty learning within the traditional school structure. More than 40,000 students were taken out of formal education in the UK between September 2020 and April 2021, compared with the average of 23,000 over the previous two years.
Between 2015 and 2018, the number of children learning from home has increased by 40% in the UK, with almost 50% of parents today considering Home Schooling as an option for their child, feeling it will better support their educational and social skills. Home Schooled students score 15% to 30% higher on tests than students from public schools and engage in more activities outside of their home, an average of 5.2 activities per child. By 2020, the number of children believed to be Home Schooled ranged from anywhere between 75,000 and 130,000, with around a 2% to 8% increase in the number of children being Home Schooled per year. In addition, 66.7% of Home Schooled students graduate from university when compared to 57.7% of public school students who graduate from university.
There are a number of different types of Home Schooling. These can include the following:
Flexi Education involves a combination of Home Schooling and part-time attendance at school. The school needs to give their approval for this method, as it would otherwise have an impact on the student’s absence statistics.
There are only a handful of UK schools, state and independent, that are flexi education friendly.
Online Schools take place entirely online, as the name would suggest. Each pupil can be based anywhere in the country and will go through the usual formalities of education you would expect: register at the start of the day, allocation of classes, discussion with teachers, etc.
Though classes take place exclusively online, many of these schools are introducing some ‘real world’ meetings and events to create a greater sense of community.
Correspondence Courses specialize in distant learning. These courses are normally linked to formal qualifications like GCSE’s and A-Levels. The student receives all literature and coursework they need alongside a dedicated tutor who will call to support them and mark their assignments.
Parent-Organized Resources can be found on many social media platforms and organize get-togethers and educational trips for students, in addition to swapping tips with each other for online classes and activities.
Homeschooling Hub
Homeschooling Hub is a great asset for parents who may currently be Home Schooling or may be considering Home Schooling. Homeschooling Hub can help children learn a variety of skills through activities such as woodwork, needlework, baking and much more. Homeschooling Hub is free of charge.