Monday Night: One is at Beavers, One at Cubs. When the Cub goes "up" to Scouts the meeting is on a Friday so he will, at that time, be joining the Rhyl Silver Youth Band. Beaver goes "up" to Cubs at that time.
Tuesday Night: Elder boy and Daughter go to Junior Badminton Club. Youngest will be joining once he is old enough (8.5 for some odd reason)
Wednesday Night: Boys go to Junior Fencing Club (7 to 8pm) and Daughter goes to Senior Club (8 to 9pm)
Thursday Night: Boys go to Junior Swimming Club.
Both boys have friends from a number of schools who attend these activities with them, including some from their old school.
Yes it is a consideration but as we see it we are doing all we can to provide social activity, of an appropriate age group, every night of the week. Also we have the reassurance that there is no bullying at these clubs and groups which could not be said for the schools. We allow sleepovers with these friends and run open house here. Also there are like minded families in the area and we have the opportunity to get together with them and their children. We also have another family locally whose children were in the same classes as our two. Their mother is a qualified teacher of Maths and Sciences. My lady is a qualified teacher of Humanities (History, English and Latin) who currently works P/T as a lecturer in basic skills (through the medium of Arts and Crafts) to adults The Science expert is due to finish a course she is doing in June at which point she is taking her two boys out of school too. We will then combine forces with Mrs S#2 teaching Art, English, Music, History, Geography and Mrs Scientist teaching Science, Maths etc. I am picking up the task of teaching manual skills (woodwork etc) as well as the sundry bits and pieces including tuition in Cricket, Football, Rugby and prolly Boxing (if the two mothers will let me). Having played all at school level and in subsequent RAF years represented the Service in Fencing and Boxing as well as the Wing in Rugby and Cricket I can just about manage to stand on the sidelines and bellow at them ~ even if I cannot run anymore.
As mentioned in another post I am setting the boys the task of building an aviary in the spring and they will then breed quail. The income from the eggs will be their pocket money so they will be using their maths and handiwork skills in a practical rather than a theoretical way They will, of course, have to look after the birds, with the ongoing calculations of feed costs to meat/eggs produced ratio to ensure enough profit to give them an income.
My brother, who is a butcher, will be giving them lessons in how to slaughter, clean and pluck the birds ready for the oven. I have already taken them to a commercial breeder of poultry and they have learnt from him what they have to do ~ and seen the gory bits without flinching.
I'm not saying we've covered all bases but we, unlike school, can be flexible.
As for the future ('cos you are all posting as I type and I am trying to answer the questions) we plan that at 14 they will re-enter the system via a local College of Further Ed to do one year of GCSE prep followed by sitting their exams and thence onto A levels and hopefully university. This is the recommended route. The National Curriculum (which is utter tosh) does not apply in Wales anyway.
Discipline is stricter at home than at school. As I explained when we offered them the option I have two things the Headteacher does not. (i) Total control of the television and (ii) A slipper ~ and I am not afraid to use either.
Home education is unstructured compared to school because it does not need to take account of all the other demands that are placed upon teachers. If the boys want to digress and discuss another topic ~ no problem because we can always come back another day to where we were. It is very flexible ~ eg they are currently eating their science project ~ POPCORN ~ whilst watching a geography programme from the National Geographic channel that I videoed (is that a word?) some days ago.
Their ages are 8 (and three days) and ten years 5 months. In school terms they would be in year 3 and year 6 respectively.
Strangely I did not have to tell the LEA. That is the job of the Headteacher ~ I had to write formally to him asking that they be removed from the register.
The LEA have been in touch and have asked (and that is all the law allows them to do) if we would be good enough to supply a teaching plan. They are entitled to ask to meet the children once a year but we are under no legal obligation to allow them to. The law places the responsibility on the parents to ensure a "full and proper education is provided". The only way the LEA can get at the children is to go to court and there prove that we are not complying with that requirement. In fact the local Home Education Officer here is very sympathetic and helpful and understands that there is a difference between "Formal" and "Informal" teaching. She is also one of the few I have met in education who understands the difference between TEACHING and LEARNING.
As I said to the head when we withdrew them. I accept that teaching is taking place in your classrooms but I see precious little evidence of any learning having taken place.
Phew! I hope that covers it all ~ thanks for all your good wishes.
