Still homeschool? Just moved to London.

[Calizzy]

I have a 7yo, 5yo, 2 yo, and baby due in February. Our family has recently moved from Southern California to London. I posted a few months ago about not knowing if we would continue homeschooling, but now we are here and I have visited the school and have a more solid grasp of the pros and cons. There are many pros and cons but there is really 1 main area that is the biggest hang up for me. On the pro homeschooling side, we are Christians and I believe that it is my responsibility to shepherd and train my children, especially according to what we believe. Also, I love reading good literature with the children, love going on daytime walks, appreciate teaching them so much more than academics (cooking, laundry, etc.),and while I don't love it I do appreciate the ability to correct bad behaviour during the day that would otherwise go unnoticed. This morning I toured the school that I would send them to. It was a very nice school. More integrated than I was expecting, subject matters are woven in to free play very well- for instance in the 1st grade class they were painting Christmas plates, but the teacher explained that they were really practicing writing and spelling. Also, they didn't have individual desks, they had tables with 5 or so kids at each one and more of an "activity centre" type of approach than strictly teaching. It was a lovely school. The main con that I saw from the tour was that in the 3rd grade classroom they were working on reading time and the children were all reading printouts with comprehension questions. I hate that kind of thing. I so much more prefer real literature. So, I would just keep homeschooling, but here is my biggest reason for sending them- I feel like they will miss out on so much of the British experience if they are just home with me all day and not actually out in their community. Part of the reason we accepted this position in London was to provide a learning experience for the kids. But if they are just home with me all day, life if not much different than California. I want to be part of the community and I want them to be immersed as well. To sum it up I guess I would say: is it worth giving up the flexible wholistic lifestyle of homeschooling (along with good literature curriculum) for the sake of really diving in to British culture and lifestyle?

 

As a side note, I am having baby #4 in February so it would be both an added pro and con to the situation. Pro to be able to send the kids to school and just rest during the day. Con that they wouldn't be able to spend much time with their new baby sister and learn baby care.

Thoughts?

[GailV]

Could you start out by sending them to school, and then regroup as necessary?  Friends moved to Oxford and did just that.  One child ended up coming back home because that was a better fit, but others stayed in school.

 

One printout worksheet wouldn't turn me off the school, though.  I would figure we could still have real literature -- I mean, the British Library is right there next to St Pancras station, so easy to visit and for the kids to see that literature is important (okay, that's the voice of pure jealousy talking there -- so many opportunities in London, and such good public transport!).  

 

And I think they would still have plenty of time to spend with their baby sister.  The (eventual) youngest of your family (perhaps this new baby, for example) will not be spending a lot of time with a baby sibling and will presumably grow up into a balanced adult who can figure out baby care.

[Bluegoat]

I would send them.  The reading material is easy to supplement if necessary.  My reasoning would be the same - the cultural immersion would be the advantage.

[fourisenough]

Two words: bedtime read-alouds! I would send them, then make sure you pick a lovely book to read-aloud with each on a daily basis. I'm jealous!

[Tanaqui]

If you send them, and then decide it isn't working, you can always pull them out again. And your kids are pretty young. If you liked what you saw in the younger years, then you can just plan to remove them once they get a little older.

 

As for chores and baby care, I promise, it doesn't take that many hours to learn to do the laundry and diaper a baby. You can learn that as a teenager and still not be too far behind. I'm seeing more pros than cons on your personal list, so it sounds to me like you're leaning in that direction.

Edited December 9, 2015 by Tanaqui

[OneStepAtATime]

I agree, send them.  You can pull them out later, but this will be a good cultural experience.  There will be plenty of time for read alouds/richer literature exposure at home.  And the baby will be there for cuddling and playing with and changing diapers, too.  School doesn't last all day.  If it ends up not working out, then you can always pull them later.  (Pssst....I would suggest that you not mention too strongly that if things are not working out they can homeschool again.  If they happen to have a bad day, they may start expecting you to pull them out right away.  We all have bad days.  Doesn't mean the overall experience isn't still sound, KWIM?).

[kalusignan]

I really think you could make either decision. I've lived overseas with my children, and we continued to homeschool while we were there. You can still get a cultural, immersion experience without sending them to school. Extracurriculars like art classes and sports are a great way to do that. Trust me, after awhile, you will all be feeling the culture shock and consider your home a comfy haven from the headache that living in another country can sometimes entail. With homeschooling, you'll have the opportunity to experience the culture, but also be able to enjoy the comfort of your American life at home. For us, it was the best of both worlds.

 

That being said, I see no problems with sending them to school. It's something you could easily do for a time and then reassess if it's working for your family or not.

[mumto2]

We moved to England permanently when my dc's were 7 and 9. We never considered sending them to school which is something I occasionally regret, for social reasons not academic. We live in a small village so we all(entire family) missed out on some shared group experiences when they were little that might have been nice. I don't know the moms unless I know them from church. That being said beyond our primary in the village, my secondary choice at that time is not the one I would choose now, although still generally very popular. So it's very likely I would regret my decision to send them to school decision now. If your dc's are able to go to a school you like this late in the year that is a plus. In my area you fill out paperwork for school choice and changes in October for the upcoming year. Without having done that it is hard to find a place in popular local schools.

 

What we did.....lots of passes. We went on some sort of a field trip almost every single afternoon for the first couple of years. We are not near London with the wonderful museums and still did so much. Many things are free but many of the paid admissions offer 1 year free after you pay for a day. The parks are wonderful here for older kids, different play equipment than the US designed for bigger kids. Part of this probably depends on how much you will be able to be out of the house with a new baby. If they are in school they will most likely go on a huge number of field trips by American standards. Making sure the children have real life exposure is a priority from what I have observed, nationwide.

 

How long are you planning to be in London? A friend just left that was in a similar situation and sent her little girls to a primary C of E school in London. They arrived in August. They were very happy with the school but not home schoolers before.

 

I hope this helps....

[SebastianCat]

I would send them.   Depending on the total amount of time you plan to stay in London, it doesn't need to be a permanent decision.   Just send them for the remainder of this school year, then re-evaluate at the beginning of the next year.   By then you may decide that you've all adjusted to the new culture and you're ready to bring them home again, or you may decide that it's a good fit for everyone and continue.   Just continue to make the decision for one year (or one term) at a time, and even one child at a time.

[lea_lpz]

Consider school looking "different" while in London, which it will be as you'll have a baby and toddler...I would probably focus on trying to keep a up the basics, for me this would be math, Lang, Bible, and keeping up read alouds. It sounds like these are your priorities too based on your post. The rest I would leave free to learn about the culture your in. Lots of field trips, park days, library trips, etc

[Calizzy]

Thanks for the comments. We are not sure how long we will be here. We moved for dh's work and there is no end term on his new employment. So we will be here as long as we want to be here. I am just having such a hard time thinking of letting them go :( I can't imagine them being away 7 hours a day 5 days a week...

[Tanaqui]

Schools in London have a Christmas break, don't they? Do local organizations run day camps like they do in the US? It's not quite the same thing, but two weeks in day camp could be your test run to see if you can handle having them gone during the day, without floating the "school" word in front of them and setting their expectations :)

[Ellie]

 I feel like they will miss out on so much of the British experience if they are just home with me all day and not actually out in their community. Part of the reason we accepted this position in London was to provide a learning experience for the kids. But if they are just home with me all day, life if not much different than California. I want to be part of the community and I want them to be immersed as well. To sum it up I guess I would say: is it worth giving up the flexible wholistic lifestyle of homeschooling (along with good literature curriculum) for the sake of really diving in to British culture and lifestyle?

 

As a side note, I am having baby #4 in February so it would be both an added pro and con to the situation. Pro to be able to send the kids to school and just rest during the day. Con that they wouldn't be able to spend much time with their new baby sister and learn baby care.

Thoughts?

 

I would never describe the classroom experience as "being out in their community."

 

You don't have to say home all day. Your life could be full of field trips, and then your dc really would be out in the community.

 

And as you say, your dc will miss being with each other (I'm not that concerned about their learning baby care).

[...................]

I would send them and see how it goes,

 

....now my husband on the other hand would never send them as he is so convinced that individualized education in a zero threat environment is 100% necessary. He would have me hire a nanny to help on field trips around London before he would ever send them to school! and he would want them to attend sports, dance, whatever extra curriculars they could. And it would be totally exhausting trying to "make it all happen"

 

But there's the rub- you are *one* mom with a new baby and would need to figure out how to get the kids everywhere all the time in order to provide that enriching experience. It's exhausting here in the states with two big kids. I can't even imagine trying to reinvent the wheel with a baby in a new country.

 

If you send them to school they will get at least some enriching experience through much less or no effort on your part and you can hopefully just take trips when you **want** rather than feeling forced to go out, take trips and get around and involved.

 

Considering the new baby, I vote for school!

[Shellydon]

No way would I send them to school.  They would miss out on everything fun about being overseas.  I would keep them home and do a ton of field trips.  I would plug into local homeschooling groups for social time.  I can't imagine sending littles away all day.  Keep them home, visit the city and make some friends.  What a wonderful opportunity to have a great experience with your kids.

Edited December 10, 2015 by Shellydon

[Loesje22000]

When we moved to Belgium to school, for integration reasons.

I still had my Dutch expections of school so it clashed between teachers and me.

It didn't help to integrate.

 

When we decided to homeschool we used more afterschool activities, and more daycamp activities during school vacations, like other Belgian children do. We are still 'foreigners' and ever will be.

 

But I tend to think there are more ways to integrate then school alone.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

There are a lot of British homeschoolers!  Before making a final decision, you might check to see how active local homeschool groups are for where you are living.   You may be able to have your cake and eat it too.  

 

Either way, no decision is permanent.  You can put them in school and take them out after a year when they feel more at home, or vice versa.  

[EmilyGF]

No way would I send them to school.  They would miss out on everything fun about being overseas.  I would keep them home and do a ton of field trips.  I would plug into local homeschooling groups for social time.  I can't imagine sending littles away all day.  Keep them home, visit the city and make some friends.  What a wonderful opportunity to have a great experience with your kids.

Wow, I feel the opposite.

 

I spent a year abroad when older and I would have missed out on being overseas if I had been homeschooled. School was where I learned about the culture and the country. I had a class called, "The Development of Socialism in Germany in the 19th century" - nothing like US history classes! It gave me a chance to go to the symphony, a German production of Hamlet (!), and the opera. The friends I made in school (granted, I was older) and I went on numerous day trips to surrounding cities and countryside. They made it their duty to show me the culture, inviting me to parties that I normally wouldn't have been involved in (including an intimate wedding, meaning I was probably the only person who hadn't known the bride for 10+ years). The school was completely understanding when I had to take a week off in fall and a week off in spring for travel.

 

ETA: I think my answer would change for long term vs. short term move. If I were going abroad for one year (and this is a possibility), I would put my children in school as a way to meet people and figure out how the country works, as well as to expose them to the culture. A lot of culture is exposed in school... Granted, other countries don't necessarily structure their lives around school, but I'd give it a try. If I were going abroad for five years, I would think differently. I think having a baby soon makes having the kids in school make more sense. You probably won't be trekking around the town to see every museum. It is halfway through the school year just about anyways, so it wouldn't even be a full year. 

 

Emily

Edited December 10, 2015 by EmilyGF

[mumto2]

Now that I know that the OP is in London indefinitely I would be less inclined to encourage the school option. There are some really active home ed groups in the London area that plan some fabulous outings where they book in as schools and do the education options. Low cost with first rate presentation. I have been invited to a couple but never able to participate.

 

This is a group of Christian Home Educatorshttp://www.thehomeservice.org/that my family belongs to. I am not sure how active they are in London groupwise. I have belonged to many groups here since my move. Many have had a wide range of participants but all have been amazingly accepting of different beliefs.

[SporkUK]

I would say it is not worth giving up home educating and the flexible lifestyle for using schools as a way to dive into UK culture.  As a USian in the UK, there are many other ways to experience British life than schools especially if you are here long term. I can certainly see the appeal for the rest of the school year [which goes way later than US ones as most UK schools have comparatively short summer breaks] so you can rest and baby time, but then you still would have to disrupt naps and keep your schedule around the school run and things. As my British partner says - school is school so it not going to more cultural here than there [other than all UK schools are Christian unless specified otherwise], especially the way UK schools work many of them really aren't community schools so it would just be experience the culture of that school rather than actual British life. If you really want the British school life, put them in uniform and have them do a nativity play with tea towels on their heads and random animals as those are pretty much the only universal concepts going for primary schools. The British film Nativity is suppose to cover that well. 

 

Better ways of diving into British culture and life: Joining a local HE group can be good, I can send you UK facebook ones if you life as it is good for getting recommendations for local ones. I've heard London has many. Best thing I did for mine to get them into local community was arrange park days on my local facebook group. Mumsnet, forum for mums, has local chat groups that can be active and good for finding local activities. There are also national organizations like St John Ambulance which the older 2 could join which have a very long history and have country-wide opportunities for experiences and meeting people. British TV is a good step in for rest days. Make a list of various UK sites you would like to see. Find your local council's website and go through the museum and library pages and parks and local groups for events - many of them have free events weekly or monthly that will give you far more UK culture than school. 

 

I guess, having been here and home educating here a while and having a British partner who is even more against sending them to school before GCSE age than me now, I'm not exactly sure how British school is meant to help you dive into UK cultures better than living life in your community. Everything will be different because you have to do it here. I think you need to trust that you can show enough of UK cultures without school -- and maybe that British cultures and life aren't all that different and it's the little things that really make it which you'll only see by being in the community. 

[mamiof5]

Another vote for no school, no way. Yes, the cultural immersion is important, but I'd try to provide that as much as possible. The way I look at it? My family is vthe same regardless of where we live. The unity and interactions I love from homeschooling are the same, regardless of my location. For me that comes first. And to have the chance to explore another country together?? Too fun and exciting!!! No way I'd put them in school :)

Edited December 10, 2015 by mamiof5

[katilac]

This sounds like your new normal for the foreseeable future, so I think you need to do in London whatever you would do at 'home,' because London is your home for now. You're not visiting, you're living there. 

 

So, if you would homeschool in the states and get the kids out into the community in other ways, that's what I think you should do now.

 

If you would send them to school in the states when having a new baby, that's what I think you should do now. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Arcadia]

If your husband's pay can afford a nanny or a helper, I'll homeschool. Else I would put them in school until homelife stabilise after baby is born.

 

How walkable is it where you would be staying? If it is walkable then it is less isolating. Else it can be stressful.

 

My mom came to the states on a 6 month visa to help when my youngest was born and I only have two kids. My mom was here 3 months to help with oldest and my in-laws helped the month youngest was born. So I had free help on and off from August to July. It was nice to leave baby at home with mom while I bring my then 1 year old to wellbaby checkups and gym class (he walk very late) using public buses.

[waa510]

As someone living overseas, I get what you're saying. Part of being in Japan for us was..wait for it....experiencing Japan ;) That said, being at home with you doesn't have to be isolating.

 

My kids are in US Girl Scouts Overseas (West Pacific region). The American troops frequently set up events with the Japanese scouts. Could you enroll your kids in Scouting in the UK? (I think it's called Guides or something?) Or some other UK-centric activity for kiddos? Maybe a UK HS group too? This would get them interacting with the culture quite a bit. Also, just being surrounded by it when you go out and about does more than you'd think. My kids used lots of British terms for things just when their best friend has a British 'mum' :D back in VA!  Here, my kids have picked up *so* much just from having a few friends who go to Japanese school, elderly Japanese neighbors who think they're adorable and love talking to them, weekend outings and trips, restaurant visits...everything. I too thought I'd need to be way more intentional about it but so much is happening from simple immersion. 

 

I'd go with your gut on this one. It sounds like you were uncomfortable with some aspects of the school. I'd homeschool for now (if only to give your kids a while to adjust to their new life while maintaining their 'normal' of being home with you) and then revisit next school year. JMO. 

[mazakaal]

I'm an American living in the UK. I've home educated, had one kid in state school, and had another kid in private school, so I've got a bit of experience. That's a tough choice.

 

I could see it being difficult to get the two older ones to and from school with  the 2yo and baby to look after between feeding and naps and nappy changes. But having the quiet while the older ones are at school would be great.

 

There are some lovely aspects to the British schools - field trips and sports days and school fetes - but I wouldn't enrol them in full-time school for those fairly minor things. You can do field trips as a family, and probably far more than the school would do. We used to do sports days with our home ed group. And there are village fetes and church fetes that you could go to.

 

I would look into what kind of home ed groups are going where you live. Check in yahoo groups and facebook groups for the name of your part of London and "home education" or "home ed." If I were you I would probably continue home educating for this school year, and see how that goes, if you manage to make friends in the neighbourhood without school, if you find a good fit with other home educators. If it doesn't go well, then you can enrol them in September.

[Carol in Cal.]

There is so much to see in the London area, and public transportation is so wonderfully available.

My inclination would be to go ahead and homeschool, and maybe switch to the local school down the road.

[TranquilMind]

I have a 7yo, 5yo, 2 yo, and baby due in February. Our family has recently moved from Southern California to London. I posted a few months ago about not knowing if we would continue homeschooling, but now we are here and I have visited the school and have a more solid grasp of the pros and cons. There are many pros and cons but there is really 1 main area that is the biggest hang up for me. On the pro homeschooling side, we are Christians and I believe that it is my responsibility to shepherd and train my children, especially according to what we believe. Also, I love reading good literature with the children, love going on daytime walks, appreciate teaching them so much more than academics (cooking, laundry, etc.),and while I don't love it I do appreciate the ability to correct bad behaviour during the day that would otherwise go unnoticed. This morning I toured the school that I would send them to. It was a very nice school. More integrated than I was expecting, subject matters are woven in to free play very well- for instance in the 1st grade class they were painting Christmas plates, but the teacher explained that they were really practicing writing and spelling. Also, they didn't have individual desks, they had tables with 5 or so kids at each one and more of an "activity centre" type of approach than strictly teaching. It was a lovely school. The main con that I saw from the tour was that in the 3rd grade classroom they were working on reading time and the children were all reading printouts with comprehension questions. I hate that kind of thing. I so much more prefer real literature. So, I would just keep homeschooling, but here is my biggest reason for sending them- I feel like they will miss out on so much of the British experience if they are just home with me all day and not actually out in their community. Part of the reason we accepted this position in London was to provide a learning experience for the kids. But if they are just home with me all day, life if not much different than California. I want to be part of the community and I want them to be immersed as well. To sum it up I guess I would say: is it worth giving up the flexible wholistic lifestyle of homeschooling (along with good literature curriculum) for the sake of really diving in to British culture and lifestyle?

 

As a side note, I am having baby #4 in February so it would be both an added pro and con to the situation. Pro to be able to send the kids to school and just rest during the day. Con that they wouldn't be able to spend much time with their new baby sister and learn baby care.

Thoughts?

Have you investigated the legalities there?  That is your first question, I think.

 

They are so young, that they really will be fine no matter which way you go.  I'm personally very glad that we had those early years together and it was all very unstructured.  Structure comes later, in my view (and mine certainly have performed well under structure).  But then, you do have a valid cultural point. 

 

So, figure out what your legal requirements are and then go from there.   I'm sure you will make the right decision. 

[mazakaal]

There are no legal requirements here at all. You don't even have to register if you've never had your kids in school. There is no annual evaluation or standardized testing. If you had your kids in school and pulled them out to home educate them, then you would have to inform the school of that in writing, and they would inform your Local Education Authority who would contact you to set up a meeting. They would then check up on you periodically, but there would be no particular curricular requirements. You would merely have to show that they had been making progress educationally. Each LEA is different, and I've heard of some that are very helpful and easy-going, and some that can be tough to work with. If you want more info, google search Education Otherwise. They have all the legal information available.

[Peaceful Isle]

For me, it would not matter where I lived, I would still homeschool. That is just my thoughts for my family. Everyone is different. 

 

If you want them involved, maybe you could look for classes they could take, or music lessons, or take many field trips. You could explore the world around you. 

 

 

[Rush]

I would definitely send them. The schools in London are very good. Many public schools are even better then private.

Edited December 26, 2015 by rushhush08

[stutterfish]

"... but here is my biggest reason for sending them- I feel like they will miss out on so much of the British experience if they are just home with me all day and not actually out in their community."

 

Forgive me for asking, but if they are in school, surely they won't be out in the community? They'll be tied to a desk from 9am-3pm, (yes, worksheets and printouts standard practice here), and then they'll most likely have homework, or after school activities. They will meet a lot of children, but in a fairly artificial environment, and after a day at school might have little time or energy for other things.

 

Also, I'm curious to know why homeschooling them would mean you're at home all day. When my kids were the age of yours, we were rarely home...even with a newborn :) There are lots of homeschoolers in and around London, and I'm sure there would be lots of activities and day trips available if you made contact. My kids have definitely had far more involvement with community than if they'd been in school.

 

Btw, Don't necessarily be taken in by the shiny exterior on school visits. Even the best British schools are still. just. schools. The focus of education here is primarily on curriculum and meeting targets. Good teachers do can best they can within the limits imposed. There's a reason why homeschooling is on the increase in the UK :)

 

By all means send them to school, but don't do it just because you think it's the only way to integrate into the British way of life. There are many opportunities outside of school and you are in an ideal location to meet others who have chosen an alternative to school education :)

[Tranquility7]

I grew up overseas, and in my dreams, DH would take an overseas post somewhere! But alas, he is firmly rooted in the US. But if I were in your shoes, I would totally homeschool. I would make tons of excusions all over London taking only public transportation and carrying along as little as possible. I know that sounds hard with littles, but honestly it is what I would do. I would try to visit all sorts of places, not just museums or other historical/tourist places, but even just typical public libraries, parks, etc. Take walks on city streets and through little neighborhoods. Ask around and figure out what the local moms of little ones do, and do those things.  Bring a Kindle loaded with good stories set in London or somewhere in England and sit and read aloud in Hyde Park. Read Paddington while having a spot of tea in the Herrods dept store. Go to the British Museum every week, lay baby on a blanket (or if you are brave enough, nurse baby under your shirt!) and sit and read SOTW chapters to the others and then explore the relevant exhibitions.

 

You are living my dream!! :-)