There have previously been stigmas attached to homeschooling with many people assuming it to be an inferior form of education and an approach popular among ‘hippies’; if truth be told, every child has an individual learning style that best suits them. Some thrive in a school classroom environment and some benefit from a 1-1 setup, so there can be huge value in homeschooling.

In fact, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) estimated that as of October 2021 there may have been over 80,000 registered home educated children in England and there’s evidence to suggest that this number continues to increase year on year.

There are a number of reasons a parent might choose to educate their child at home. It could be to better support special education needs (SEN), unhappiness in their current school, emigration or to tailor education to a child’s unique learning style. Whatever the reason, there are in fact a number of benefits to homeschooling and a plethora of resources and support available, from online materials to specialist tutors, to ensure your child receives a strong education.

The Advantages of Homeschooling

• Tailored Lessons – Whether you choose to teach your child yourself or bring in an experienced homeschool tutor to help, homeschooling allows you to tailor lessons to suit your child’s strengths, weaknesses and passions. 
• Flexible Learning Styles – Everyone learns differently so regardless of whether a parent or tutor is teaching, lessons can be adjusted to suit your child’s individual needs so they engage with subjects and can digest information in a way that suits them
• Online & In-Person Tutoring – If you are engaging a tutor, lessons can be delivered at home or online (or a combination of the two) and is suitable for children of all ages, from primary school through to Sixth Form.  
• No Distractions – Your child can be free from distraction during lessons in a 1-1 environment
• Confidence To Ask Questions – Many children are hesitant to ask questions in a classroom out of fear of judgement from peers. Homeschooling will allow your child the freedom to ask questions in a ‘safe’ environment and explore areas that they’re perhaps unclear on or need further explanation.
• More Opportunity To Experience Things – Homeschooling means  opportunities to leave the ‘classroom’ are more frequent and you are able to decide on the school trips you feel will most benefit your child’s education. Venturing out to museums, exhibitions or on excursions can help further a child’s understanding of a topic as well as develop their natural interest in a subject and thirst for knowledge.

The Process: How To Apply and Get Setup For Homeschooling

Generally speaking, getting setup to start homeschooling is quite straightforward and will follow a process similar to the below. Each London Borough and county will have individual requirements that need to be met so be sure to check your local council’s website for the latest guidance and specific steps to follow.

1. Register your intent to homeschool

If your child is currently enrolled in a mainstream school, you will need to put your intent to homeschool and withdraw your child from the school in writing to the headteacher. They will then arrange for your child to be formally removed from the school’s register and notify your local authority or council.

If your child is not yet at the compulsory school age but you’re already homeschooling them, there is no need to inform anyone but you should notify your local authority once they reach the compulsory school age.

2. Complete the Elective Home Education Statement of Provision

The second step is to complete a Statement of Provision which outlines how a parent plans to provide a suitable and sufficient education for any children they intend to homeschool. 

Within this, you may be asked questions about your child(ren)’s age, the format in which they will be educated and any timetabling involved, the opportunities to interact with peers or other adults and how you’re responding to any specific needs your child may have.

Once your statement of provision and intent to homeschool have both been received you can usually begin homeschooling but your local authority will be in contact if there are any further requirements ahead of that. 

Do note that if your child has special education needs (SEN) and therefore attends a specialised school, you’ll need to first get permission from your council to educate them at home as extra measures will need to be taken to ensure the child is receiving an adequate education and the necessary support. 

Engaging Specialist Tutors To Support with Homeschooling

It is a legal requirement for every child of compulsory school age to receive “an efficient and full-time education” that is reflective of their age and ability and caters to any specific learning needs they may have. But, at the time of writing, there are no strict requirements that dictate how a curriculum should be delivered. 

We know that parents choose homeschooling for a variety of reasons and there’s no one size fits all approach to it. While some parents prefer to lead on educating their children themselves and have their own programme in mind, many turn to the help of specialist tutors to support with home education.

There are a number of benefits to hiring a tutor to help with homeschooling your child. Our highly experienced homeschool tutors work with parents to devise a bespoke learning plan, designed to maximise your child’s potential – both academically and beyond. Our specialist tutors can also answer practical questions about the national curriculum, public assessments and educational regulations.

At the time of writing, there is no legal requirement for children receiving elective home education to sit public exams or standardised tests so it is up to the parent or homeschooling tutor to find and register at an exam centre. 

At Hampstead and Frognal Tutors, our specialist tutors have a wealth of experience preparing students for GCSE and A Level assessments, as well as school entrance exams 7+, 11+, and 13+ should you decide you’d like your child to sit public exams at any stage. Exam boards such as the AQA or OCR also provide information about registering for exams privately as well. 

How often should my child work with specialist tutors when homeschooling?

At the time of writing, the law does not specify the number of hours considered to be ‘full-time’ but it is advised that children should spend between 21 and 25 hours on schoolwork for 38 weeks of the year.

Some families prefer to homeschool their children on a full-time basis and primarily use tutors to support in extra tuition for weaker subjects or homework help. Other families look to engage a tutor full-time and or split between tutor and parent-taught lessons.

Our tutors can adapt to the needs of your family but we will help you find the right tutor and, depending on your requirements, we can provide: 

• Live-in Homeschooling Tutors
• Full-time Homeschooling Tutors
• After-school Tutors to help with homework
• Tutor Nannies to assist with the school run, after school snacks and homework help
• Residential Tutors for school holidays 
• General study skills support 

We know that embarking on the home education journey can be both exciting and daunting but we are here to help and can match you with one of our highly experienced homeschool tutors to help you get started and find what’s best for you. All you need to do is get in touch! 

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Useful resources

• Get information from your local council about elective home education
• Additional information on elective home education for children with special education needs (SEN)

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It has been a very strange year – and an even stranger festive season. After months of homeschooling, parents have endured a tumultuous Autumn term, and it remains unclear how schools will operate in the new year. The holidays, therefore, are an excellent opportunity to ensure your child’s education is on track – and to try out some fun children’s activities.

Here are five simple ideas that you can implement to keep children learning over the yuletide break

Themed Games

The holiday is the perfect time to bring out the educational games that often languish in the cupboard between January and November. Word puzzles such as Junior Scrabble and Bananagrams are great for children’s spelling and vocabulary. Other favourites are Dinkee Linkee – where players answer clues and make connections – strategy games such as Settlers of Catan and Exploding Kittens, and quizzes such as Junior Trivial Pursuit. Even children’s activities such as jigsaws are good for training the brain, improving concentration and spacial awareness skills. 

Regular lessons

No child wants to be stuck at their desk for swathes of the Christmas holiday. However, small amounts of regular study can make a huge difference. In the period before children go back to school, try and schedule an hour or so of learning every day – even if it’s over breakfast or in the car.  Whether it’s going through some tricky Maths questions, or learning some new spellings, regular lessons could result in real improvements come January.

Christmas stories

Festive tales are a fantastic way to get children reading over the holiday period, when they might otherwise be watching television or looking at their phones. Chris Van Allsburg’s The Polar Express; abridged versions of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol or Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis; and The Jolly Christmas Postman by Allan and Janet Ahlberg are great places to start, depending on age and ability. 

Online activities

Christmas is the ideal time to get children and teenagers off their phones and tablets and into the real world. However, there are some excellent brain-training apps to boost maths, language and verbal reasoning skills which are worth experimenting with. Monster Math and Squeebles Spelling Test are popular with young children, while Peak, Elevate, and Lumosity are great for teenagers. Many schools have also uploaded resources online for children to look during the holiday, and online tuition is another option to consider.

Relaxation

It has been a uniquely stressful year for parents and children alike, and Christmas is the perfect time to recharge. While it is important to keep children’s brains active over the festive season, it’s just as important – now more than ever – to relax and have fun. Merry Christmas!

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Homeschooling during lockdown and finding ways to entertain children indoors will become more challenging as schools remain closed. Don’t despair: there are still plenty of activities out there to pique their interest – and stretch their minds.  Here are ten great ideas that parents can implement straight away ease the burden of homeschooling during lockdown.

1. Children’s magazines

For Homeschooling during Lockdown, magazines are a great way to keep children in touch with the wider world. Reading educational magazines will improve a child’s literacy – particularly if they find longer books a challenge. Aquila magazine is a beautiful monthly publication for 8-13 year olds featuring English, Maths and Science. For those interested in current affairs, The Week Junior covers major news events in an age-appropriate way. Similarly, National Geographic Kids is perfect for nature fanatics. For younger children, Anorak and Okido have illustrations, stories and activities galore.  

2. Games

Families often have cupboards filled with board games that come out once a year – usually at Christmas. Now is the time to get them out again! Games such as Junior Scrabble and Bananagrams are great for children’s spelling and vocabulary skills. Unlike school work when children play games it never feels like a chore. Other favourites are Dinkee Linkee – where players answer clues and make connections. Also The Horrible Histories Board Game, and strategy card game Exploding Kittens.

3. Online tuition to support homeschooling during lockdown

It is tempting to let the national curriculum go out of the window when homeschooling during lockdown, but it is important to retain some educational structure. While many schools have arranged virtual lessons and upload resources, private online tuition is another option to consider. At Hampstead & Frognal Tutors, we are fully equipped to teach remotely, and many of our tutors have taught online for several years. 

4. Books & story tapes

There has never been a better time to get children into reading than now. With hours to fill, the only question is which books they will enjoy. Lots of book suppliers – including Waterstones and Amazon – are encouraging customers to shop online so there are plenty of stories to choose from. Our reading lists for primary and secondary school students may also give you some ideas. If your child finds reading a challenge, audio books are also a fantastic resource (Amazon-owned Audible recently put a selection of its children’s stories online for free). 

5. Support homeschooling during lockdown with Brain training apps

Lots of parents are trying to keep screen time to a minimum during lockdown. However, it is worth remembering there are some excellent brain-training apps to boost maths, language and verbal reasoning skills. Games such as Monster Math and Squeebles Spelling Test are popular with young children, while Peak, Elevate, and Lumosity are great for teenagers. For those interested in languages, Duolingo and Babbel are well worth a try. 

6. Baking

Fun activities are just as important as strictly educational ones during lockdown, and baking is the perfect way to keep children entertained. Baking provides an opportunity to teach them some practical kitchen skills. Whether you fancy fairy cakes or flapjacks, the BBC has put together a list of lockdown recipes, with ideas if you’re struggling to buy key ingredients. Meanwhile, Jamie Oliver’s ‘Keep Cooking and Carry on’ television show has some easy supper recipes to try at home. 

7. Educational websites

The pandemic has spawned some excellent online resources to help children keep on top of core subjects. Set up in response to Covid-19, AimHi is a global online school where students are taught by experts with impressive credentials. Students can ask questions live and respond to challenges – or simply watch lessons in their own time. The BBC also airs six 20-minute programmes each day for different age groups, featuring various famous faces.

8. Exercise

Fresh air may be hard to come by whilst homeschooling during lockdown, but it is crucial for children to stay active. As well as daily bike or scooter rides, PE with Joe Wicks – which streams live on Youtube every weekday morning at 9am – is a great way to let off steam in the living room. When the sun is shining, garden activities such as bat-and-ball or skipping are also sure to go down well. 

9. Art & Crafts

Painting, drawing and sewing are all fun skills for children to master during lockdown, with lots of art supplies available online from the likes of Hobbycraft and John Lewis. Other ideas you could try are collages and scrapbooks, or a big family tree complete with photos and mini biographies. For older children, museums such as the National Gallery in London and the Guggenheim in New York have arranged virtual tours so visitors can view famous paintings from the comfort of their sitting rooms. 

10. Skype and Zoom sessions

It is very easy for children to feel isolated during lockdown so regular video calls with relatives and school friends are very important – Zoom, Skype, FaceTime and WhatsApp are all reliable platforms to use. Children could also try writing letters to family members. This simple, old-fashioned form of communication is good writing practice and few things are as nice as receiving a handwritten letter in the post. 

Further information and reading

Homeschooling – Wikipedia

What is Homeschooling? A guide for Parents and Students

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