How Do I Deregister My Child From School And Begin Homeschooling? A step-by-step guide.

How To Deregister Your Child From School And Begin Homeschooling:

If you want to take your child out of a school in England and begin your home education journey, you have come to the right place! We at The Black Homeschool Forum are huge home education advocates and want to help as many parents on this journey as we can.

Firstly, it is important to note that taking your child out of school (formally known as deregistering/withdrawing) is very easy, 100% legal and you are free to do so without the permission of your child’s school or that of any government group.

With that being said, there are some steps you must take to ensure a smooth deregistration process and avoid unwanted threats from social services due to ‘unauthorized absences’!

1. You MUST send a letter of deregistration to your child’s school – notifying them that you intend to take your child out of school effective from your chosen date. It may be best to wait until a school break so that your child can also conclude any projects they have begun and come to terms with this new journey mentally.
– This letter can be handwritten or typed up and mailed or emailed and does not need to follow any specific guidelines. However, we do have a free deregistration template you can download and adjust HERE.

2. Although you do not need to follow-up, we do recommend you notify them by both physical letter and email for your own records. You should opt for a trackable or traceable method of postage and send a follow-up email a few days later to ensure your notice was received. This will ensure you have a recorded correspondence should they claim to have not received your notice. Again, the follow-up is not necessary and is not you asking for permission nor is it you justifying your decision; but rather for your own records.

3. On the rare occasion that your child’s school refuses to acknowledge your deregistration (which is illegal on their part) you may want to send a follow-up correspondence stating the law. We have a free template you can download and adjust HERE.

My child has never been to school and would be due to start school in September but I want to homeschool, what should I do?

You do not need to do anything 🙂
As far as notifying anybody goes, your child has never been registered so there is no organisation they need to deregister from. You may be contacted by the LEA (Local Education Authority) when your child turns 5 if you have been previously been to nursery or reception (non-compulsory education) as they may have your details on the system. If this is the case they may ask you how you plan to educate your child – do not panic is you have not yet planned this all out – there is free advice on how to write up an Educational Philosophy.

At this age, they just want to see that you are;

– Supporting your child’s interests whilst providing them with a variety of hands-on activities suitable for their developmental level.
– Giving them access to play and socialise with other children their age.
– Introducing them to maths with games, songs or nursery rhymes and toys. (ie. Blocks, puzzles, counting frame toys)
– Trying out basic science experiments.
– Working on their motor skills.
– Reading to your child often
– Discussing things like shapes and patterns that occur inside and outside of the home – ie. pavement slabs, ceiling patterns in shops etc.
– Things that help develop their fine motor skills such as drawing and painting (holding pencils, crayons, paintbrushes etc.) and other activities to support their creative development.
– Storytelling.

Pretty much just learning through play at this stage. It is also good to show them the groups or clubs you may attend and if you have a network of other parents you can lean on for support and advice etc. If this is proving challenging for you maybe you could meet some in our Home Education Tots (U5) Group!

 

Do I need any specific qualifications to homeschool my child?

If you have been considering homeschooling but are doubting your ability to provide a sufficient education for your child, you are not alone. This is most parents’ greatest concern as it is usually the first question friends and family reply with when you tell them the big news…that you are going to be homeschooling! Parents’ then begin to doubt themselves. The answer is: No. You do not need to be a qualified teacher or have any special qualifications to homeschool your child.

In fact, in England, there is no requirement for you to have any sort of qualification if you wish to homeschool your child. Bear in mind, a teaching qualification includes things such as behavioural management…. for a class of 30 children. Classroom and resources management…. for a class of 30 children. National curriculum-based lesson planning…. for a class of 30 children. Objective setting, safeguarding, risk assessment etc. etc. etc…. for a class of 30 children!

As a homeschooler, you are not required to do anything of the sort. Your job is to continue to provide a nurturing environment for your child’s growth. Luckily, proving a happy and healthy learning environment is something you have likely been doing from birth! Just continue to do that while adjusting to their needs and interest, simple.

A huge mistake many new homeschoolers make is trying to replicate the school environment. In most cases this just does not work and leaves both parent and child exhausted and unfulfilled.

If you want to learn about how to choose the right curriculum for your child and online programs that can help you; check out this post – ‘How Do I Find A Curriculum To Follow And Should I Follow The National Curriculum?’

Whichever curriculum you decide to follow please remember that you can embed black history and African studies into their day to day schedule. This is how you tailor your curriculum to your black child and ensure they have consistent, empowering and relatable material to work with.
For more information on how this, check out our post ’11 Ideas To Implement Black History Into Your Homeschool Schedule’

 

 

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