(I think this post is quite apt after yesterday’s “school announcements”! ;-))
PS: I have a secret homeschooling group on Facebook which has several families who homeschool in the local area included. If you would like to be added, please email me at NorthHantsMum@gmail.com.
Homeschooling in Basingstoke and North Hampshire
Before Miss NHM was born, I only vaguely knew about home schooling. I knew some people who had been home schooled but never really thought more about it.
Once Miss NHM was born, this all changed. I read a LOT of parenting blogs when I was on maternity leave and learnt about Montesori and Waldorf Steiner Education. I also read more and more about homeschooling.
I knew before Miss NHM was born that the school system was constantly being changed, however it was only once Miss NHM was born that I realised how much this could actually affect my daughter, and thus, me.
I am very dissolusioned with the school system in this country, and that’s before Miss NHM even starts school. I have many friends whose children have been through the school system, despair at how their children were used as guinea pigs, all dependent on which political party got into power. I don’t want this for Miss NHM.
Schools also seem to be very subjective. You have no choice, as Pam recently commented on NHM, over the class or teacher that your child is put with.
I would LOVE to home school my daughter but I have absolutely no idea where to start. But, since starting NHM I have learnt that there are more and more people doing this.
Unfortunately as I’m the main earner in our family, it really isn’t an option, but that doesn’t stop me doing the research and learning more about it.
It seems to be quite big in the US and they have a lot more resources over there for homeschooling than I’ve found in the UK.
I’ve also discovered that as homeschoolers, you are entitled to discounts at local softplay locations and museums, which is good to know because the cost of home schooling always worried me.
Having just gone through the very stressful process of gaining a place at Infants school for Miss NHM, I’m still very intrigued by home schooling but it’s not right for our family…yet.
We have a very audacious goal of taking a year “out” when Miss NHM is around 10 years old, and travelling the world. At this point we will need to home school Miss NHM so I need to ensure that I’ve done all of my research by then!
After all of my research I am still unsure of the difference between “homeschooling” and “unschooling”.
There are actually several families in Basingstoke who “homeschool” and “Unschool” and in my very privileged role as NorthHantsMum I’ve come to know of some of these families.
If you are already home schooling or are interested in maybe home schooling in the future, let me know and I will add you to my “secret” home schooling group on Facebook.
Also, if you have any resources that you’ve got from homeschooling, let me know, as I’m planning on putting together a future post on resources from the UK and US, that could be useful for a family who are home schooling.