Initial homeschooling experiences

Tasks and Timetable

Every morning so far we’ve started the ‘school day’ with Joe Wicks. It’s a great aid for setting a routine, but I must confess I’ve had achy glutes since day two!

School sent over a good variety of tasks (for a two week period) across the subjects. It also provided a suggested timetable, which balances up academic, creative, exercise, electronic and quiet time. I’ve found the girls definitely need structure for the day. We don’t follow it religiously or have a stopwatch on but it gives a good framework.

We pick a few activities per day and then put them up on our little whiteboard. Additionally, reading time happens every day.

Lay the foundations

My three don’t need constant supervision, but I have to spend a decent amount of time at the start of a new activity to go through it properly. Rushing this bit is a false economy and results in being interrupted with questions every five minutes! It’s best to spend 15 minutes giving a good explanation, examples and discuss ideas ahead of a new task.

My 8-year-olds can work independently for about 30-45 minutes and my 11-year-old often works well over an hour without needing my input.

Be flexible

I think I was a bit too authoritarian on the first two days, so have lightened up since then. However, they still get a lot done. We try to mix it up as much as possible. My eldest’s tasks are usually more in-depth so she often completes less things in a day but produces a lot of work. We tweak the timetable to accommodate this.

I’ve started adapting activities so to they incorporate things that they’re particularly interested in. They are far more enthusiastic if something is relatable. Similarly, I’ve got them to ‘plan the holiday.’ I asked them to come up with ideas for things we can do over an Easter holiday where we can’t have visitors and have to stay in the confines of house and garden. They’ve come up with a lot of suggestions!

Free time during the day

We include a number of breaks/free time where they play a game, use devices, read, play outside etc. Again, I was quite rigid on when free time was at the start, but now I let it happen naturally when someone has finished something or if concentration is on the wane.

Not getting bogged down

I’ve been sent lots of different homeschooling resources from all quarters, which is great. However, I started to feel a bit overwhelmed. I’ve come to terms with the fact that we can’t do everything and I’m being more selective.

Marking and feedback

We’ve been looking at the work they produce together and I’ve been marking it. I don’t want them to think they’re doing stuff for nothing and it doesn’t have any value. Maria and Gabby – who are eight – have even been putting their own learning objective at the start of their work and then asking me if it’s an ‘LO met’ or ‘LO met plus’! I’ve not done this as I’m not qualified to judge but I have been giving feedback and making corrections. I’ve also been dispensing the all-important team points.

Hobbies and leisure

The girls all love netball and we have a great post in the garden so we’re really encouraging this (not that they need encouraging). We’re quite a games-y family anyway and love playing card and board games. We’ve just taught them poker and they are now obsessed.

We’ve upped our game show quota; House of Games is a new regular.

I’ve been taking more photos than usual (with my Fuji Instax Mini 90) and the girls are documenting their days in a journal and using my photos.

Zoom, FaceTime, Houseparty and WhatsApp

You can’t underestimate the social aspect of school. To fill this void, the girls are having plenty of scheduled chats with their friends. I think it’s really important for their mental well-being as it’s such a morale boost. As well as chatting, they’ve also been playing games with each other on these apps.

Final thoughts

Homeschooling is a balancing act and can be tough (though no one’s been bored yet!). It’s been great to actually have such input in what they’re learning and be able to specifically focus on anything they want further help with or practice on.

We’ve discovered that necessity is the mother of invention and we’ve all come up with new ways of learning and creating entertainment.

I won’t lie though, I will be happy when they’re back at school.

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The group is hosted by the passionate Devenia Besant (Dee). As and active user myself, I find this a very friendly, community-orientated and interactive place. Members can share information, ask for advice and recommendations, find out what’s happening and even sell things (however, there are no spam posts and it’s not for business advertisers). The group is a hub for families in the area and is a wealth of really useful information.

Epsom and Ewell Families – a new website

The Facebook group has snowballed and boasts well over 5000 members. Consequently, Dee has created the Epsom and Ewell Families website to fully service the community needs.

It is a one-stop platform that provides the local community with useful information and connects them with the business services they need. Additionally, there is a specific services directory and a blog. The blog focusses on ‘what’s on in the area and discusses issues of local interest.

The directory

The directory, which is constantly updated, contains a very comprehensive list of local services complete with reviews for each. All listings are reviewed by at least three people who have actually used the service because of this you get a real, honest opinion. It includes everything from beauty services and messy play children’s classes to wine educators and cake makers. 

The blog

Check them out here: 

Schools

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Term time absences

My husband and I have hugely differing views about this. I categorically would not take my daughter out of school for the purpose of going on holiday. My husband thinks taking a child out of school during term time is an absolute no-brainer. I totally get why people do it and why he has this view. For the sake of shifting the departure date by a week savings can run into £100s of pounds for a family. Obviously that’s very appealing and a £60 fine is no deterrent at all in this scenario. I absolutely deplore the travel industry for creating this situation and realise that sky-high costs during school holidays can be a barrier to many.

I have never wanted to take my seven-year-old daughter out of school for even a day (obviously I would if there were extenuating circumstances). She takes her attendance at school very seriously and really wouldn’t want to miss a day. I think her consistent attendance has contributed significantly to her attainment in general. I also know how many new things she learns in the course of a week. I think it’d be really disruptive to her learning and unsettling for her on a social level to take her out term time for a whole week.

I don’t really buy the argument that the main reason for pulling kids out of school for holidays is that they form an integral part of their learning. Whilst our holidays usually do contain a fair amount of culture, the primary reason for going is just to have fun and chill out as a family; I’m sure this is everyone’s main motivation.

Teacher absence

Let’s turn it around… Teachers are similarly constrained and have to take their holidays out of term time. Imagine if a child’s teacher absconded for a week. Parents would be up in arms and would say that a week’s absence would seriously impact their child’s learning.

Teachers work hard enough as it is, do they really need the extra burden of getting children that have missed a week back up to speed?

Could there be a solution?

For me, the key is to make it as difficult for the travel industry as possible. Could different counties stagger their holidays? I know a number of schools in Nottinghamshire whose Easter 2016 holiday deviated quite a bit from ours in Surrey. Could this be rolled out further? Or could the lead be taken from the South Wales school, which used all five of its inset days consecutively to create an additional week holiday?

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Sofia had her first school photo taken a few weeks ago. It felt like quite a milestone. I have strong memories of my school pictures being displayed with pride, and copies being sent to relatives home and abroad.

Then yesterday, the single proof arrived along with the order form for various different packs including the all singing, all dancing MEGA Pack boasting two 10″x8 colour photos, one 10″x8 black and white photo, three 8″x6″ versions and two 6″x4″s. Wow!

The school photo arrives

However, shock horror, the photo is not very good.

It’s not awful, it’s just the usually photogenic Sofia is really grimacing as opposed to smiling and looks a little psychotic. She’s obviously going really overboard with the ‘cheese’ (or ‘smelly socks’ I think it might have been) and it’s the most unnatural pose ever. Obviously I’m blaming the photographer.

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I’m all for recording milestones and preserving memories and I think first school photo is a major one. However, with so many lovely photos of her in my possession, I really don’t want one where she looks – I hate to say it – a bit weird. The problem is I’d just feel terrible not buying one at all and consigning my daughter’s photo to the cutting room floor.

Here’s one I prepared earlier

I mentioned my quandary on Facebook and got quite a response. I’m not alone it seems; there were quite a few other bloopers out there with mums experiencing the same dilemma. Most said – like me – that they felt they needed to buy one even if it remained hidden away. It’s a memory all the same, and as some mums pointed out, it can be used for bribery and blackmail purposes in later life.

I won’t be getting the MEGA Pack, but will be opting for the entry level order that can be tucked safely away in the draw: a recorded, but not displayed milestone.

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However, as my daughter’s start date gradually approaches, and having just been to buy some of the uniform from the school shop (cute cardis, little tie, sweet woolly hat, mini-sized gym kit, logoed school bag etc), I know in my heart-of-hearts I will be doing exactly the same. Apologies in advance to all of my friends that won’t be interested in the slightest.

Ahead of time, the obligatory child and uniform shot.

The next chapter 

I’m excited about this new chapter for Sofia, and I know she’s going to love it, but the idea of her starting school ignites conflicting emotions in me. With 21-month-old twins on the scene, I thought I’d really welcome having one less child to entertain on a daily basis. However, as the time draws closer, as well as selfish fears about the dreaded school run, I’m sad that we will no longer have the freedom to go where we want whenever we want; we’ll be confined to the school holidays when everything will be busy. I’ll no longer be able to choose our day-to-day schedule or wake up in the morning and spontaneously decide that we’ll go on a mystery tour somewhere.

I have started to think that maybe I haven’t done enough with her whilst we’ve had the luxury of ‘free time’, but our car fuel bills are testament to the number of groups we attend, the amount of visiting we do and the excursions we go on. I always seem to be doing housework. Perhaps sometimes I should have forsaken unnecessary vacuuming for an extra story or an additional trip to the park? Mum guilt: usually totally unfounded but ever-present.

In this lead up to D-day there’s been a plethora of forms to fill and dates to remember. I’ve actually found it fairly stressful as I’m very eager to get things just right ahead of this important milestone. Sofia is taking it all in her stride, she barely gave a sideways glance when I left her for the first time for an hour in what will be her new class; it’s me that has got the nerves.

And finally, aside from everything else, it’s just rather weird to think I have a school-age child. How did that happen? 

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