According to the Guardian more than one in 100 children in England were home-schooled in the summer term of 2023 and the number of home-schooled children in Scotland had trebled from 2018 to 2022. Homeschooling has been growing in Scotland since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bylines Scotland wanted to examine the reasons behind the figures and have one family who has taken the plunge into homeschooling and who agreed to speak to us about their experiences. Their model is a hybrid one which involves a mixture of school and homeschooling to best suit their children’s needs.
Charlie McCarthy (CM): Tell us about your children – what stages are they at in their education?
Home Schoolers (HS): We have three children; Jim is almost 16 and the twins Ana and John have just turned 10. Jim has just completed his mock exams and did incredibly well. The twins are the two I home school. I can’t take any credit for Jim!
CM: How did you get into homeschooling?
HS: We moved back to Scotland three years ago after living and raising our children in England. The two younger ones were just starting primary and my eldest was in the second year of senior school. Education is very important to us as a family, and we had researched the curriculum that was available to them here (in Scotland).
However, after starting, it was apparent the education system was entirely different to the English one and not only were they with a variety of different ages (so obviously the needs and abilities of their peers would range significantly) but my eldest son had only 15 pupils in his class; only seven of them were boys, so we were worried how he would break into such a small peer group. Our eldest moved to a much bigger school in the neighbouring town and seems to have settled there. We felt the commute was too much for the twins and we decided we’d try to get to the bottom of why they didn’t like it. Their moods had changed – they didn’t want to go to school. They made but lost friends quickly and we were hugely concerned.
Having experienced homeschool during the pandemic, I would suggest this gave me the confidence to believe in my ability to go down this route of homeschool and did some research and came across and decided to try flexi-school, which I believe is a newish approach created by the Scottish Government.
CM: What does a homeschool day look like?
HS: A homeschool day starts at 9am. They have their work set out on a timetable and I choose their topics weekly and I prepare any research needed in advance. Sometimes I like them to choose a particular subject and get involved in the preparation if I know they have been learning it in mainstream school and feel we can elaborate on it further at homeschool. We do Thursdays and Fridays, ‘Thinking Thursday’ and ‘Fun Friday’. I work with them and focus on what I think they need more help on. They are at similar stages in most things, but I rarely give them the same work to do. Instead, they have individual workbooks and any group subjects like science, sport, geography, etc, we do together. They sometimes mention something in a lesson which sends me completely off-piste and we focus on that. For example, I will set them a general knowledge quiz and they won’t know an answer so we can sometimes spend the rest of the day talking about that. American presidents are a favourite at the moment!
We spend two hours straight learning, and then they have a snack and get some fresh air whilst I plan for the next session which takes us to lunch. Lunch is 12:15 to 1:15. Sometimes they make lunch and have a basic recipe to follow.
Thursdays we go swimming and then have piano lessons. Fridays are basically the same but different subjects. This is the day I take them on a field trip or spend some time learning less structurally. It’s a team effort and it is naturally an open and fun environment. They are encouraged to discuss, question and participate and this works well for them as individuals.
CM: What advantages does homeschooling have for you and your family?
HS: Advantages for us as a family? There are many. I definitely notice the twins being ‘friends’ on a Thursday and a Friday whereas the rest of the week they hardly talk to each other. All the family play a part. Jim (our eldest) often helps set some maths for them and my husband is there if I need some backup. It gives us time to see them grow and focus on their needs and not just tick boxes and trust their education is being met – their school reports always come back excellent but I notice things I don’t agree they are excelling at so I can focus on their specific needs more this way. We are all strong characters and the advantage of someone you know and trust understanding you and listening to you is huge. Often, they can be ignored in class, or their inquisitiveness is dismissed as they are considered ‘bright’ and don’t need help.
I spend more time than I would outside school teaching them social awareness and subjects which for whatever reason, are no longer on the curriculum such as cooking, sewing and gardening. I am very grateful to have this time with them as they are learning so quickly and it teaches me a thing or two in the process.
CM: Any disadvantages?
HS: Few and far between. I can’t emphasise enough the change it brings to life. Good and bad. It’s a huge commitment as a parent and my whole life for two days stops so switching from ‘mummy’ to their educator has its challenges but I won’t change it for the world. It can be difficult when they don’t want to work and when I have to be strict with them, but it is only beneficial. I am also able to do this as I am self-employed so can manage my time effectively. There have been days when I am exhausted from work and then must put a teacher hat on, so it is important not to spread oneself too thin. We have absolutely no regrets though.
CM: What does the school think of homeschooling? Do they check up on the work you do?
HS: Sadly, we have had no feedback from the school nor any collaboration which is a shame, we did ask for it but understand perhaps now the children aren’t their main priority if they aren’t in mainstream school full time. Once we decided to go ahead (and homeschool the children) any support was either taken away or forgotten about.
The school doesn’t check on what we do. Our decision to homeschool them was no reflection on their teacher; we feel it is the best outlook for our children and I believe we, as parents, have a right not to sit back and let them fester when their needs aren’t being met. Children are all different and I believe for them to have dreams and aspirations they need our attention and one-on-one time. Which, through no fault of their own, teachers can’t give as they are spread so thinly. We always speak positively about the school and will continue to monitor their needs up to and throughout their secondary years.
CM: Do you need to have a background in education to homeschool your children?
HS: No, no background in education is needed. Although I have volunteered and been involved in the running of their previous school as a Governor, various managerial and volunteer roles in childcare settings. I am familiar with Ofsted and Education Scotland. I focus on the children’s emotional needs as well as their educational wellbeing, which is equally important in this day and age. I don’t think there is any right way to teach, I just try to be honest, transparent and present at all times with my children.
CM: Are there any organisations that help parents homeschool their children?
HS: There are literally hundreds of organisations that help parents homeschool. The market is saturated, but I follow in principle the Scottish Curriculum and use websites such as Twinkl and The School Run for resources and clarification. History Hit is also a great site, BBC BiteSize and National Geographic.
CM: Were you home-schooled? Do you wish you had been?
HS: Unfortunately, no I wasn’t home-schooled. How I wish I was!
I hated school and was bored, no one understood my needs and whilst I was always fine academically, I was later diagnosed with ADHD and I wish this was something myself and my parents had known then as it would have perhaps made my path more clear and my aspirations could have been met.
For more information on homeschooling or flexi schooling in Scotland go to MyGov.Scot. Also, search trustable online resources.
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