Thursday 7th Sept - Homeschooling, day 4
Only 4 hours sleep last night. I am so stressed about returning to work next week without anything being resolved or sorted out.
We did win on the lottery last night though, £10 - a step in the right direction.
The tutoring session went well. We had covered the subject at home, but I though I'd see how he got on in 1 hr with a qualified teacher. By the end of the hour he was learning about Isotopes, which is GCSE level not Key Stage 3.
Yesterday I went to the local high school. My son's former primary school was 'bullied' in to sending his school records to the high school and, under the data protection act, I want them back as the high school have no need and no right to that information. I also needed a copy of their prospectus for the tribunal.
Obviously I asked for the prospectus first, followed by the request for my son's records. I was told that they would forward them to my son's new school. I pointed out (for ther third time) my son was home schooled, so the receptionist rang the head of year and explained that. The head of year said she would ring the LEA to discuss the matter and phone me later the same day. No phone call was received, so today I'm off to give them 4 hours to get the records together for collection later today.
Received a call from the LEA admissions team AGAIN today. Is my son going to attend the local high school? If not they can offer the place to another child. For the fourth time they were told were to stick the place (I am getting less polite each time they ask).
Now I am to expect a visit from the Home Education Team. That's fine. I have lesson plans, interactive tuition, folders of completed work and all sorts of resources.
Today's subjects are English, Art and Physics. English went as well as ever - procrastination, distraction attempts and attempts to wander around. It never works and I managed to get some good work out of him, with him doing all of his own spelling.
Art was good. I enjoyed sitting out in the garden teaching my son to draw still life. How to capture what is being seen by the eye and transfer it to paper. He produced some beautiful drawings of a flint rock and of a plant from the garden.
Physics after lunch, renewable and non-renewable energy sources, production of petrol and diesel from oil, 'green' energies and making the home more energy efficient.
My son seems much happier. When he came home from his primary school all I would hear all evening was how X had done this to him, or how Y had said that to him, or how a group of kids had told him to get lost because they didn't want to play with him, or how they threw mud/sand all over him, or pushed him over. As these children are no longer in the equation my son is much more relaxed about learning and 'having a go' at answering questions or spelling out loud. Right now he's in the front room reading a Terry Pratchet book. I no longer feel as though I'm forcing him to read. I suggested that, as he had finished the art work I had set half an hour early, may be he should go and read. To which he ran off in to the front room, picked up the book and flopped on to the sofa - result!
We did win on the lottery last night though, £10 - a step in the right direction.
The tutoring session went well. We had covered the subject at home, but I though I'd see how he got on in 1 hr with a qualified teacher. By the end of the hour he was learning about Isotopes, which is GCSE level not Key Stage 3.
Yesterday I went to the local high school. My son's former primary school was 'bullied' in to sending his school records to the high school and, under the data protection act, I want them back as the high school have no need and no right to that information. I also needed a copy of their prospectus for the tribunal.
Obviously I asked for the prospectus first, followed by the request for my son's records. I was told that they would forward them to my son's new school. I pointed out (for ther third time) my son was home schooled, so the receptionist rang the head of year and explained that. The head of year said she would ring the LEA to discuss the matter and phone me later the same day. No phone call was received, so today I'm off to give them 4 hours to get the records together for collection later today.
Received a call from the LEA admissions team AGAIN today. Is my son going to attend the local high school? If not they can offer the place to another child. For the fourth time they were told were to stick the place (I am getting less polite each time they ask).
Now I am to expect a visit from the Home Education Team. That's fine. I have lesson plans, interactive tuition, folders of completed work and all sorts of resources.
Today's subjects are English, Art and Physics. English went as well as ever - procrastination, distraction attempts and attempts to wander around. It never works and I managed to get some good work out of him, with him doing all of his own spelling.
Art was good. I enjoyed sitting out in the garden teaching my son to draw still life. How to capture what is being seen by the eye and transfer it to paper. He produced some beautiful drawings of a flint rock and of a plant from the garden.
Physics after lunch, renewable and non-renewable energy sources, production of petrol and diesel from oil, 'green' energies and making the home more energy efficient.
My son seems much happier. When he came home from his primary school all I would hear all evening was how X had done this to him, or how Y had said that to him, or how a group of kids had told him to get lost because they didn't want to play with him, or how they threw mud/sand all over him, or pushed him over. As these children are no longer in the equation my son is much more relaxed about learning and 'having a go' at answering questions or spelling out loud. Right now he's in the front room reading a Terry Pratchet book. I no longer feel as though I'm forcing him to read. I suggested that, as he had finished the art work I had set half an hour early, may be he should go and read. To which he ran off in to the front room, picked up the book and flopped on to the sofa - result!
posted by Yatesies at 7:41 AM
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