Cheap or free Home School UK?

[Guiltyxz]

Hi, I’m less than 16 and school just isn’t working for me. I’m in the UK and I was wondering is there a way to Home School/Online School for cheap or free? My parents aren’t stay at home parents so it would have to be a tutor/online. I was looking at khan academy but I don’t know if you can use that for home school in the UK

[Windows7ge]

If UK home schooling works anything at all like US home schooling your parents would have to vouch for pulling you from public school and the school would send you regular tests to make sure you're learning everything you're suppose to be.

 

So if your parents can't actually be there to teach you that's not a good first step to the school/district allowing you to go. If you do go anyways and you fall behind because nobody is there to teach you what you need to know the school will pull you back in and your parents could get in legal trouble.

 

Again that is if their rules are like the U.S. education system but I'm going to assume they're different in a multitude of ways so your mileage will vary.

[SenKa]

Word of the wise here:

 

Home schooling is an absolute last resort sort of decision to make, it really only ever "works" for those who cannot safely to go school due to a physical or mental illness. In my life, I have met plenty of home schooled kids, none are well adjusted simply because they did not have social contact while growing up.

 

Also, there will never be free home schooling, and I would be weary of anything cheap. By home schooling, you are paying for the costs of tuition to the service hosting the schooling, the wage of the teacher, and all materials costs. It's like going to college, which at it's absolute cheapest around here (southern US) is ~1200USD/950GBP/1060 euro in tuition alone, ignoring materials costs. Expect to pay around this for anything, unless the home schooling market is drastically different in the UK.

 

Also, general good advise is not to run from your problems. Whatever is making school "not work", talk to the adults in power. Teacher, Guidance Counselor, your parents, whoever has the most direct control. I'm sure you've heard this 1000 times, and I'm sure others in this thread will say it, but as somebody who is actually living in the education system of 2019 you will never regret making your concerns be heard.

[Oalei]

im gonna say one thing just live with it deal with it i already suffer enough that i know all of those isnt going to matter later on or maybe will because you have the mental of just doing it not because you have to because i have no reason not to.
Well idk how the structure of home schooling but if you found 1 i hope its a good 1 good luck dude.

[mxk]

SenpaiKaplan is absolutely right about everything. If your issue has to do with something mental or you genuinely need it, then that's totally understandable. I emphasize the the impact that it might have on you since there would be no social contact. My friend doesn't go to school because of anxiety that runs in the family and he doesn't understand social ques and manners the same just because he isn't there. It would obviously be different since you're already 13 but being isolated will still have an effect.

[Bouzoo]

Don't. Whatever the situation is, go to school, many reasons why. If you think it is not working then home schooling won't work either. And trust me, almost everyone thought that school was pointless at 13 years.

[Vulkan HeStan]

The UK is really strict on clamping down on truancy, so local authorities want to see provisions put in place for people who home school. You will need a private tutor or someone with a degree in teaching at secondary school level. This will not come cheap, costing in excess of thousands, but if you have severe mental or physical disabilities the council or government may subsidise this cost. Also you will need to be enlisted under a secondary school, which will provide some resources and are responsible for managing your GCSE entries etc. But unless you're severely handicapped, I'd suggest staying at school until 16, so you can feel the sweet, sweet feeling of walking out of the final exam knowing it's all over.

[Vulkan HeStan]

Also this is in the wrong section, could a mod please move it. And why on earth are you asking a tech forum on life advice?

[Guiltyxz]

Thanks to everyone who responded. Also @Vulkan HeStan, I forgot to pick the off topic one

[DezGalbie]

2 hours ago, josbeph83 said:

Hi, I’m less than 16 and school just isn’t working for me. I’m in the UK and I was wondering is there a way to Home School/Online School for cheap or free? My parents aren’t stay at home parents so it would have to be a tutor/online. I was looking at khan academy but I don’t know if you can use that for home school in the UK

I don't think online home school is a thing that exists (or would be allowed to exist) in the UK. If you're home-schooled I think you actually need a person there at home teaching you. And it all gets checked up on.

[imcaspar]

17 hours ago, josbeph83 said:

Hi, I’m less than 16 and school just isn’t working for me. I’m in the UK and I was wondering is there a way to Home School/Online School for cheap or free? My parents aren’t stay at home parents so it would have to be a tutor/online. I was looking at khan academy but I don’t know if you can use that for home school in the UK

 

Online Schooling can be a great alternative to normal schools if you can't go there for some reason. Keep in mind tho:

That kind of more self-paced learning is more hard work than you have right now. Don't consider an online school

because you want something academically less intense. 

 

You have to understand one fact: You will neither get legal or money support by most European governments for Online Schooling, if you don't have disabilities.

This means, you can't just tell your local school administration you will change to an Online School, because it is nothing official. 

 

If you really want this, there are 2 options:

 

1. You have a disability, either mental or physical, that is severe enough so a doctor will make up a letter that you can't attend normal school.

2. You are old enough so education in a school is no must anymore. Then nobody from the government is interested whether you attend an online school or not. I believe it's a minimum age of 16 in the UK, but don't quote me on that.

 

 

I will suppose only the second option is the case. Congratulations: You can now carry responsibility for your own education (as long as your parents agree).

 

BUT: Like you carry the responsibility yourself which makes you have a choice, you also carry the financial responsibility the government was carrying before.

 

Every teacher, whether he is working for an online school or a personal attendance one, needs to be paid.

Prices can range from 300 USD per month open end. US prices are given because there are the only good options for online schooling.

 

 

Hope I could clarify a bit,

Caspar

 

[3 Lions]

Stick it out until the end of the year (it should only be a few weeks) then arrange a meeting with the school, they maybe able put things in place for the next year like smaller groups and support in lessons that you struggle with. Unfortunately home/online schooling isn't enough these days meaning that if you move onto further education (college/Sixth form) you'll be required to retake GCSE English and Maths because without decent grades you'll struggle to get apprenticeships or find employers to take you on for full-time work. 

[SenKa]

1 hour ago, Mr. horse said:

That is a load off bull corn. Almost my entire family from brothers and sisters to cousins were home schooled. Aside form me being dyslexic none of us are have physical or mental illness. Many home school their kids for religious reasons and still have perfectly normal social lives. Most of my family went onto college and now have rather prestigious jobs, engineers, doctors, pilots and so on.

You don't have to pay for tuition or anything other then the typical school supplies. You can at lest when I was in school use your own curriculum and just submit (with proof) your progress to the appropriate people.

I did my high school grades almost entirely on my own. And I gradated high school almost 2 years early as I was able to work through the summer and weekends.

I don't doubt that that was your senario, but that goes against everything I have known from people close to me.

 

Different experiences for different folks, different scenarios and all 

[SenKa]

1 hour ago, Mr. horse said:

In all honestly I never really see the case you posted about. Not saying it does not happen. Because I"m sure it does.

It's all I've seen, but we are probably from very different areas and live different lives with different people.

 

I don't doubt that home schooling works for people who don't strictly need it, but I haven't seen it. The fact that you can honestly say it has worked for you and others is heartwarming to me.

[Lord Mirdalan]

On 6/9/2019 at 12:58 PM, SenpaiKaplan said:

Word of the wise here:

 

Home schooling is an absolute last resort sort of decision to make, it really only ever "works" for those who cannot safely to go school due to a physical or mental illness. In my life, I have met plenty of home schooled kids, none are well adjusted simply because they did not have social contact while growing up.

 

Also, there will never be free home schooling, and I would be weary of anything cheap. By home schooling, you are paying for the costs of tuition to the service hosting the schooling, the wage of the teacher, and all materials costs. It's like going to college, which at it's absolute cheapest around here (southern US) is ~1200USD/950GBP/1060 euro in tuition alone, ignoring materials costs. Expect to pay around this for anything, unless the home schooling market is drastically different in the UK.

 

Also, general good advise is not to run from your problems. Whatever is making school "not work", talk to the adults in power. Teacher, Guidance Counselor, your parents, whoever has the most direct control. I'm sure you've heard this 1000 times, and I'm sure others in this thread will say it, but as somebody who is actually living in the education system of 2019 you will never regret making your concerns be heard.

I disagree with you partially. I was homeschooled, and I'm a normally functioning adult. That being said, the only reason it worked out that way was because one of my parents stayed home to teach my sibling and I. Trying to solo it will be a rough ride.

 

That being said, I agree with the "don't run" argument. I am not crazy about my ongoing secondary education, but there's no way around it. I think the OP needs to decide if he/she genuinely "needs" to be homeschooled, or if they just don't like school, like so many of us. Homeschooling is the same work being done, just at home.

 

And +1 on the expensive side of things.

[wasab]

On 6/9/2019 at 3:53 PM, Windows7ge said:

If UK home schooling works anything at all like US home schooling your parents would have to vouch for pulling you from public school and the school would send you regular tests to make sure you're learning everything you're suppose to be.

 

So if your parents can't actually be there to teach you that's not a good first step to the school/district allowing you to go. If you do go anyways and you fall behind because nobody is there to teach you what you need to know the school will pull you back in and your parents could get in legal trouble.

 

Again that is if their rules are like the U.S. education system but I'm going to assume they're different in a multitude of ways so your mileage will vary.

Tell that to the Amish in America. Their children are learning 15th century farming methods and how to ride horses/ponies. 

 

Their education ends at 13 years old. 

[wasab]

8 hours ago, Lord Mirdalan said:

I disagree with you partially. I was homeschooled, and I'm a normally functioning adult. That being said, the only reason it worked out that way was because one of my parents stayed home to teach my sibling and I. Trying to solo it will be a rough ride.

 

That being said, I agree with the "don't run" argument. I am not crazy about my ongoing secondary education, but there's no way around it. I think the OP needs to decide if he/she genuinely "needs" to be homeschooled, or if they just don't like school, like so many of us. Homeschooling is the same work being done, just at home.

 

And +1 on the expensive side of things.

I'm wondering... How would you apply to college if you were homeschool? Most need to see your high school diploma so how does that work?

[The King of the Undead]

On 6/9/2019 at 2:58 PM, SenpaiKaplan said:

Word of the wise here:

 

Home schooling is an absolute last resort sort of decision to make, it really only ever "works" for those who cannot safely to go school due to a physical or mental illness. In my life, I have met plenty of home schooled kids, none are well adjusted simply because they did not have social contact while growing up.

 

Also, there will never be free home schooling, and I would be weary of anything cheap. By home schooling, you are paying for the costs of tuition to the service hosting the schooling, the wage of the teacher, and all materials costs. It's like going to college, which at it's absolute cheapest around here (southern US) is ~1200USD/950GBP/1060 euro in tuition alone, ignoring materials costs. Expect to pay around this for anything, unless the home schooling market is drastically different in the UK.

 

Also, general good advise is not to run from your problems. Whatever is making school "not work", talk to the adults in power. Teacher, Guidance Counselor, your parents, whoever has the most direct control. I'm sure you've heard this 1000 times, and I'm sure others in this thread will say it, but as somebody who is actually living in the education system of 2019 you will never regret making your concerns be heard.

Never bean to school I am homeschooled it ain't a last resort!

[Windows7ge]

7 hours ago, wasab said:

Tell that to the Amish in America. Their children are learning 15th century farming methods and how to ride horses/ponies. 

 

Their education ends at 13 years old. 

Forgot about them. To my knowledge most of them live secluded independent in their own settlements. I know part of their culture has them occasionally going out into the modern day community but otherwise they live in their own world they just happen to be within the US so I don't think they're bound to the same terms.

 

Not sure why you brought them up. It was kind of irrelevant.

[Guest]

Plenty of universities do online degrees now. 

[Guest]

9 hours ago, wasab said:

Tell that to the Amish in America. Their children are learning 15th century farming methods and how to ride horses/ponies. 

 

Their education ends at 13 years old. 

I would not say there education ends at 13 but there schooling dose.

I known a few Amish and mennonites. Wile they do not know the same things you or I would know, they are rather smart. Like early/mid 1800s smart and most are bilingual.

[wasab]

18 minutes ago, Mr. horse said:

I would not say there education ends at 13 but there schooling dose.

I known a few Amish and mennonites. Wile they do not know the same things you or I would know, they are rather smart. Like early/mid 1800s smart and most are bilingual.

Their education stops at 8th grade. They may be smart but they are squandering it by not educating their children properly. 

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, wasab said:

Their education stops at 8th grade. They may be smart but they are squandering it by not educating their children properly. 

Have you spent any time with such people ? Just because they don't learn all the extra and quite frankly mostly useless stuff dose not mean there squandering anything. And there schooling does end at 8th grade, but not there education, there taken out of school then and thought real life skills in the real world.

 

[ZXR]

OK guys, let me tell you how it actually works. You have to send a letter to the school you currently attend and you should be taken off attendance and be allowed to leave to educate yourself, however someone from the local council will be in contact to make sure you actually have a plan for your education. You will need some kind of schedule/calendar and you will need to keep notebooks and files with all your work and grades. Wolsey Hall is an option in the UK, it is essential an online school with assignments, grades, tests, exam prep, etc. They give you all the online reasources and textbooks you will need and you will have a tutor for each subject you can ask questions at any point. They will grade and give feedback on the assignments that you will need to submit, basically tests or essays. These are graded and using Wolsey Hall makes it easier to provide the council with proof that you are being educated. Wolsey Hall is expensive, I think £1000-2000 a year for 7 GCSEs. I wouldn't reccomend it unless you absolutetly have to. It is very difficult to educate yourself and stay focused. let me know if you have any questions @josbeph83

 

Zeddex

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Zeddex said:

OK guys, let me tell you how it actually works. You have to send a letter to the school you currently attend and you should be taken off attendance and be allowed to leave to educate yourself, however someone from the local council will be in contact to make sure you actually have a plan for your education. You will need some kind of schedule/calendar and you will need to keep notebooks and files with all your work and grades. Wolsey Hall is an option in the UK, it is essential an online school with assignments, grades, tests, exam prep, etc. They give you all the online reasources and textbooks you will need and you will have a tutor for each subject you can ask questions at any point. They will grade and give feedback on the assignments that you will need to submit, basically tests or essays. These are graded and using Wolsey Hall makes it easier to provide the council with proof that you are being educated. Wolsey Hall is expensive, I think £1000-2000 a year for 7 GCSEs. I wouldn't reccomend it unless you absolutetly have to. It is very difficult to educate yourself and stay focused. let me know if you have any questions @josbeph83

 

Zeddex

This is for in the UK?