Making the decision to Home-school

The decision to home-school your child is often a difficult one and can occur for a wide variety of reasons. It could be

• • philosophical or religious reasons
  • a willingness from a parent to be involved in their child’s education from an early age
  • a feeling that they are better suited to catering to their child’s individual needs
  • sometimes a child has entered the school system and found that it doesn’t suit them
  • they may have special educational needs or have suffered from bullying

For whatever reason, ultimately a parent will make the decision to home-school with the best interests for their child in mind, often feeling that the traditional school system will not/is not working for their child and a belief that they will benefit from an alternative route.

Certainly, many children do and will benefit greatly from a home-education. One of the benefits from home-schooling is the flexibility that it grants; essentially you can write your own timetable. This can lead to more efficient learning i.e. if your child is more receptive in the mornings you can target lessons to that time. These conditions are conducive to a child-led learning experience. If a child is suddenly interested in a certain subject or field, this can be catered for with little effort in relation to your time management, and the one-to-one tuition provided is not only compatible with your efficiency but will add to your effectiveness.

Although it is the responsibility of all parents to ensure their child receives an efficient, full-time education, it is not required for a parent to follow the national curriculum. So again, if a parent wishes, they can allow a child-led education to blossom and although many parents are capable, this is where a private home-school tutor can help. For instance, if the child becomes interested in a subject that a parent may not be well-versed in or the subject level reaches such an advanced stage to where a parent does not feel confident in their ability to teach the subject to a high-standard; or perhaps a parent is comfortable focusing on child-led learning but not confident in teaching core subjects.

As mentioned previously, there is no obligation for home-schooling to follow the national curriculum, however if you wish to put your child forward for GCSEs or A-levels, it will become necessary to study it; though, of course, the method of teaching is your choice. If you do wish for your child to achieve these qualifications, your child may benefit from private tuition, as all home-education benefits, such as flexibility, child-led learning and one-to-one tuition will remain, but added extras such as a strong knowledge of the curriculum, exam boards, exam techniques, and access to essential reading and research materials are all significant advantages in the run up to exams that a private tutor can provide. (If you are already home-schooling and looking to put your son or daughter through GCSEs or A levels, you may like to visit our advice page on External Examination Centres.)

Useful links:

Torrington Tutors – Home-school tutors

Torrington Tutors – External Examination Centres

Torrington Tutors – SEND

Barnet London Borough Council – Home-schooling

If you wish to receive any advice or enquire about tuition for home-schooling then please use our Find a tutor enquiry form or call 020 8446 3963

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