Today, the government announced a £1bn fund to help England’s children catch up on their education while schools have been closed. It comes after weeks of frustration from parents complaining about the lack of equity between children’s educations.
This sense of frustration and confusion can be shown in the latest Google search results, which consistently show parents searching for new home schooling ideas, resources and timetables even months into lockdown. According to research from Clarks, over half of UK parents turn to Google for home schooling help while 43% use online education resources like BBC Bitesize. Nearly a quarter use virtual lessons hosted by celebrities.
‘I think the government have let down schools, who in turn have let down the children,’ says Vicky Charles, 39 who has one eight-year-old daughter. ‘We were all caught off guard by this situation but I feel like there is a generation of children who have spent several months having wildly differing experiences of education and when they return to school in September it will be hard for teachers to reassess learning levels and bring everyone up to expected government levels.’
Vicky isn’t alone in this thought, all the parents we spoke to were worried about not only how their child was keeping up with the rest of their class but how hard it must be for children without access to the resources some can attain easily.
‘This has exacerbated the huge inequalities between households like mine with the tech and Wi-Fi and a little bit of time and those households where they don't have those things,’ says Dr Wanda Wyporska who has one 10-year old son. ‘I am really worried about the children who are really missing out. The first thing the Government needed to do was ensure laptops and Wi-Fi access as a bare minimum for all kids.’
With those fears of course, comes guilt too. ‘I’ve felt so much pressure, guilt and worry that I’m not doing enough for my child,’ says Rebecca Lockwood, who has two children aged two and five. ‘I compare how much we are doing and how we are doing it to the other mothers from our school, in our WhatsApp group, my friends who are mothers and the mums on social media. I’ve had to distance myself from social media but I’ve asked for help from the people who look like they are rocking it and that’s the only thing keeping me feeling like rubbish.’
Despite plans for primary schools to reopen for certain years earlier this month, attendances were as low as 40% as some parents refused to let their children go back. So much so, government plans for all primary schools to go back before Summer were dropped the week following. Now, while schools are expected to open in September there still seems to be an air of confusion around what will truly happen given so little is known about Covid-19.
With that in mind, and home schooling on the agenda for the near future as children aim to catch up over Summer, we're here to answer all your home schooling questions.
How do you start home schooling?
There is plenty of great advice online from resources like The School Run, which breaks down how to start home schooling and particularly, what’s different about home schooling during Covid-19.
They suggest joining a home education group, such as those on Education Otherwise, for support. Not only will you have pointers on the best resources for home education but it also gives your child a chance to bond with other home educated children. Then, think about your child’s learning style.
‘Are they self-disciplined enough to come up with an idea of what they’d like to learn and follow it up, or do they manage better with workbooks at the kitchen table?’ the website encourages you to ask. ‘Do they like to be active and learn better when they're hands-on, or do they like to make lots of notes, or have music on while they're working? Listen to your child as you learn with them – be prepared to stop frequently to answer their questions and keep a note of what interests them so you can adapt.’
Devising a scheme of work isn’t essential, but it can be helpful especially if you’re setting a timetable. In the early stages, experts say, setting up a routine can encourage good study habits. Once you know your timetable, set up a workspace and somewhere to store work. If you can, invest in necessary equipment and tools like a dictionary, atlas and computer. Once you’ve familiarised yourself with the best resources to use, it should become easier – then it’s all about tracking your child’s progress whether that’s through noting their enthusiasm on certain subjects or accessing the National Curriculum to set self-assessments and assignments.
What are the best resources for home schooling?
According to TechRadar, the best home schooling resources are BBC Bitesize for all ages and subjects because of their small, easy digestible lessons. Then there’s BBC Teach which features live and pre-recorded video lessons from popular BBC presenters.
For maths and science subjects, the Khan Academy comes out on top. For languages, Duolingo has special lessons for children and a mobile app available. Then for the more creative lessons like art, The Artful Parent has scores of creative projects for children.
Other popular resources include 3D Geography, KM Tuition (which has printable worksheets and past exam papers), Code Studio for computer science activities and Literacy Trust which supports children aged 12 and under with reading.
What should my home schooling timetable be?
According to The School Run, a great home-schooling resource, ‘nobody expects you to be working with your child from 9am until 3pm. This just isn’t practical, and is likely to end in tears – for you and your child.’
So with a sigh of relief, try following their advice. ‘Decide which activities you’re going to attempt on which days,’ the website reads. ‘As a guideline, aim for approximately 45 minutes of both maths and English each day, give or take 15 minutes depending on your child’s age and ability. You could also spend 15-20 minutes reading independently or listening to stories.’
You can find out more information about how to structure your day here.
Should I start home schooling full-time?
According to home education provider Oxford Home Schooling, 24% of parents are now considering home schooling even after the pandemic. But is it right for you? Greg Smith, head of operations at Oxford Home Schooling has some advice.
Make sure you notify your child’s school
You do not need to ask permission to home educate from either your child’s school or your local authority, but you must let the school know in writing about your decision. If you are removing your child from a special school, then you are also required to inform the local authority.
Some councils will provide guidance and free course materials. Occasionally they will also make informal enquiries to make sure your child is getting a sufficient education, so be ready to provide evidence such as work samples or reports.
Consider how long you’re planning on home schooling
Some parents may want to trial home schooling for a few months, or even a few years, before returning their child to mainstream education. If this is the case, you should definitely choose a provider or system that closely follows the national curriculum.
One of the benefits of home schooling is that parents have flexibility with the content they teach, but if there is any chance that the children will go back to school in the future, you should not deviate too much from the standard syllabus. This will make it easier for your child to readjust should they eventually decide to return to school.
Identify the best teaching style for your child
If your child is over five years old, you are legally obliged to provide a full-time education, but you can decide what that involves. Every child learns at their own pace and in their own way and the beauty of home schooling is that you can cater your teaching to complement this.
Some home school students respond best to structured learning, with timetables and routines, while others will thrive in a less rigid environment. If you think the latter may be most suitable, allow your child to explore their interests and shape their learning around these. You may find that active or practical exercises are more productive than traditional textbook tasks.
Think about the logistics
It is important to consider who will be doing the majority of the home schooling and whether they can realistically devote enough time to make it effective. The flexibility of home education means it is possible to do it while working full-time, but this is naturally a bit more challenging.
Consider sharing teaching responsibilities with your partner, a family member or someone else from the home schooling community. Alternatively, you could home school on an evening or a weekend, or think about changing your work shifts.
Read More:
Stacey Solomon Shares Her Worries About 'Overwhelming' Homeschooling
Seven Women On the High Highs and Low Lows of Parenting in Lockdown