What does home educating mean for me?
Home educating means that you are taking back control of and responsibility for your child’s education. You decide what you want your child to learn, when and how you will teach them.
One size does not fit all – we know that all children are unique and develop in different areas at different times. The Montessori ethos acknowledges this and ensures that each child is treated as an individual, is given the opportunity to learn with their hands and to focus on the areas that particularly interest them, through the style of learning that suits them best.
We have established the Learning Tree to support you on this journey. We can take care of the academic side of the curriculum, if you would like us to, leaving more of the fun things such as art, history and geography projects and science to you. You can rest assured that we are here to support you with regular and open lines of communication and will always be available for a chat should you need us.
What do I have to do?
To educate your child at home you should ideally register with the Local Education Authority (LEA) to let them know that you are homeschooling. This effectively transfers responsibility for your child’s education from the state to you.
As a home educator you are duty bound to provide your child with an ‘efficient full-time education, suitable to his/her age, aptitude and to any special educational needs he may have.’ This means that he/she must spend a proportion of the week learning, in whatever form you choose and that you decide best suits your child’s needs. They should have access to a breadth of subjects including both literacy and numeracy as well as have appropriate cultural experiences, social opportunities and physical exercise. This doesn’t all have to take place in the home, however. It can, for example, be partly at a tuition centre such as The Learning Tree, at a sports club or classes, or even at a forest school. It must, however, be in an environment which is suitable for and conducive to learning. (i.e. a quiet and safe environment).
For further information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education