The Home Ed Lady

We've had our yearly LA visit. It turned out great, just as my husband and mum told me it would be, but with this home ed Bill trying to be passed I've been dreading it. Making senario's in my mind of bosses putting pressure on LA educational persons to be stricter on home ed families and issuing school attendance orders left right and centre. But I'm very pleased to say that it didn't go down that way. Our LA lady is really nice and really listens to us. I can only speak on our experience as I know for sure that it's a post code lottery and many families have a terrible time with their LA's. But she's always been quite supportive. The only thing that worried me is that she said there will be a new handbook issued to us soon. She said it will have more info of free sites for education and things like that. But I'm thinking it's going to have some sort of new legislation that the LA don't really have the right to issue but will slowly edge in more restrictions making visits scarier. At least this is what my pessmistic mind is conjuring up. I could be utterly wrong. Probably. Hopefully. We got the mark of satisfactory which in British Home Ed terms, that's the best you can get. Phew! I'm not smug, just relieved (at last! something positive happening in our house!!) I guess it helps with the kind of home ed we do, I'm not saying others are wrong the way they educate but I kinda get the impression LA's expect a certain amount of written/proven work, even though they have no right to require it, I prefer to not to rock the boat in these choppy times. We also let her know what our educational plans for the new school year are and the achievements the kids have made so far. She was really impressed and happy with everything we've been doing and I was able to breathe again. So if anyone is worried about their LA and what is going on at the moment (and if like me you'd rather not rock the boat) then these are my 4 suggestions.... *Have a plan in mind of how you would like the LA visit to go. Have work books and any art work or learning based work ready to show. This indicates you are prepared and organised. Use your children's skills to show off what they've been doing. For example if you have a child who enjoys baking, maybe have a plate of cookies or some cupcakes to offer them. They may not eat them but it's nice to offer. This also works well if you are an autonomous education family. *Be happy and have an easy breazy attitude. Don't be on the defensive but do express your concerns if you have any, and defend your choices with evidence and decorum. Try not to be argumentative, keep your cool if you feel the visit isn't going in the right direction, just turn the conversation to something more positive that has happened for example a badge at guides, or a sporting medal your child has gained. *Even if you're not completely sure of what you're going to be doing tomorrow no matter next month or next term, at least give your LA officer some sort of future plan. Even if you change your mind or end up not doing what you've said, at least the LA know's you are thinking about the future, especially if you have a teenager who is close to GCSE stage or a junior moving up to senior age. *Have a tidy and clean home. I'm sorry how that sounds and I'm sure you all do. But in the chaos of home ed and life in general, things can easily get out of hand. My house is generally a kind of organised untidy. There's usually cushions and blankets under the table where our son likes to be, or a smell of dog in the house (which every home gets if you're a dog owner), toys on the floor, laundry baskets waiting to be taken upstairs and washing up sitting waiting to be done. Even if you are short of time just have a quick hoover round, a spray of air freshener and a tidy of the room you'll be in. I know it sounds asthetic but if you want a satisfactory mark then I suggest you do all you can. LA officers aren't supposed to judge on appearances, but it's always best to cover all bases. You may not agree with me and I can hear many of you saying "We shouldn't have to do all those things, it's about education not our homes" "It's our right to live and educate how we please". I agree with you 100% but for the sake of a happy home ed life, this is just what I do. Of course, many home ed families deny visits which is totally acceptable and your right to do so. This blog post is purely how my family home ed and deal with matters concerning the LA. But now it's done with for another year and we can get on and enjoy the summer holidays. :)