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Choosing Home Schooling

Choosing Home Education Because of Bullying at School

Bullying is a complex problem to understand as to why it takes place and how the victims are chosen and how it may be resolved through negotiation with an educational establishment. Bullying is not tolerated in UK schools. However, it takes time and in that period of negotiation you may feel the education establishment can no longer keep your child safe whilst they are in school or travelling to and from the school.

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It is a advisable to prepare your approach to the education establishment calmly and without emotion. However, you may find that difficult to do so when it is your child.  To help you prepare your case before you go into a school to talk about a bullying problem you might wish to visit

 the ChildLine Bullying link, or the parental guidance section at Bullying UK.

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Many parents find that it is not in the best interests of the education establishment to admit to bullying and thus the institution prove unresponsive and  it can take a much longer time to sort out the problem than your prepared for. In these circumstances, some parents feel compelled to remove their child from a school. Negotiating the transfer of a student from one state sector school to another can be tricky; local authorities are under no obligation to provide an alternative school of your choice. Indeed, the schools with places available will often be those that are the least popular schools in the local area.

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It may be even harder for parents to accept that the bully also needs support, especially without an explanation from the authorities as to why. In these cases, the victim often feels that they are the ones that are being encouraged to move without any real understanding why.

Home Education for Children with Asperger’s Syndrome

We appreciate that a learner with Asperger’s Syndrome can face tremendous challenges in their daily school life.

We understand the difficulties they may find with social interaction and communication difficult and how this impacts on their ability to interpret the feelings of others. This may lead to conflict with peers and teachers or simply large amounts of daily emotional stress.

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Often learners with Asperger’s Syndrome may be of above average intellectual ability and often excel in specialist subjects.It may not always be possible for schools to draw on the specialist knowledge parents have of their children’s needs, strengths and likely behaviour in a variety of situations. This can have a dramatic effect on a child’s self esteem, quality of education, and ability to achieve his or her full potential in the classroom.

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Home Schooling can provide advantages for a leaner with Asperger’s Syndrome, we realise that making a decision to educate a child at home is a very difficult one to make.  However, study hours are more flexible or set to suit the learners natural daily rhythms or rials.  There is more time to work on a particular topic and can accommodate the need to go over the same topic more than once, and the learner can have a say in organizing their own time. They are able to work in an environment in which they feel happy and safe, and possible conflict is greatly reduced. 

Student Writing

G.A.D & Depression
And Homeschooling

For some learners Generalized Anxiety Disorder (or GAD) and Depression often go undiagnosed for a long time in children even if they attend the Children and Adult Mental Health department of their local hospital.

 

Generalized Anxiety Disorder is characterized by excessive, exaggerated anxiety and worry about everyday life events with no obvious reasons for worry. Learners with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder tend to always expect disaster and can't stop worrying about school and friendships. This can manifest is self if mystery tummy aches or headaches.

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Depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least two weeks.

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Both of these needs specialist Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (talking therapy) waiting for this to be offered by the NHS can take a long time up to 40 weeks and that is almost a whole school year. Home schooling can help both by providing a safe calm place and time to finish each activity in the learners own time.

So Is Home Educating An Option For You?

It is advisable to prepare your approach to the education
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There are no funds available for parents who decide to home educate their children but many families do successfully home educate on a budget. Inevitable you will incur some expenses, for books, materials, resources, educational trips, physical exercise, examination fees and tutors or distance learning, courses, work experience or a college placement for under 16's year olds.

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Two good questions to ask yourself is "Why do I want to home educate?" and "What do we want to achieve by home schooling?"

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Some helpful points to consider are:

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  • Is your child positive about the suggestion of home education?

  • Are you convinced this is the best course of action for your child?

  • Do you have the time to devote to your child's education on a regular basis, not only to deliver the education but to research the requirements for each level ?

  • Do you have sufficient education and the necessary expertise to teach your child effectively?

  • Are you prepared to buy the necessary resources, if you do not already have access to them?

  • Do you have enough family and friendship support?

  • Do you have enough space to create a quiet working area and somewhere to store resources you will use?

  • How will you provide opportunities for physical exercise?

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