Appendix 4: General information
Support for you
We would like to support you as much as possible through your Home Education journey, in the aim of giving all children a full-time, wholesome education that allows their future passions and aspirations to be supported. The aim is to promote a broad curriculum that encompasses many opportunities for our EHE families in:
- Inspiring Individuals
- Empowering Minds
- Defining Futures
Resources
We have a number of suggested resources that could be used to teach your curriculum but - as with any resource - we encourage you to adapt it to your child’s needs and abilities. Use a framework that allows you to monitor progression and is age appropriate.
It's important to make sure that content is appropriate as well as relevant to your aims and objectives; if, for example, your child is sitting an exam with a specific exam board you'll need to ensure that what they're learning meets the specific content and standards. We have split the resources into age related packs, which we can send you separately.
Age 3-5: Early Years Foundation
Age 5-7: KS1
Age 7-9: KS2
Age 9-11: KS3 Subject specific / KS4 Subject specific / KS5 Subject specific
Resources for all
These have been created with an understanding of age-related milestones so please do not feel confined to just one area. If you'd like to request any resources or ask questions email us at ehe@manchester.gov.uk
Useful contacts:
- The Department for Education (DfE): online information about all aspects of education at www.education.gov.uk and specific guidance about Elective Home Education for both parents and local authorities (LA) at www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education
- Home Educating Support Groups & Blogs: There are several national groups that support home educators. They provide information, advice and many useful resources. Some also have local support networks.
- Be aware that it is the responsibility of home educators to judge the quality and suitability of such information, and we carry no responsibility for this.
- MCC Department of Children’s Services (Education): online information about education and schools in Manchester. Named LA officers are allocated to liaise with families who are home educating to assess suitability and to offer advice and information about local services and facilities. We organise termly networks with contributions from a range of organisations, including Health, where home educating families can share ideas and resources and also meet with LA Officers if they have any questions or concerns. We do not provide funding. When you decide to home educate you take on responsibility for all the costs, including tuition and exams.
Children with Special Needs (SEND)
Parents' right to educate their child at home applies equally where a child has special educational needs or disabilities and if the child has an EHCP (educational health and care plan).
However, if you want to take your child out of a special school you need to contact the council for permission. This will only be granted once we are assured that you are providing education that is suitable and meets the specific needs of your child. If agreed, your child's EHCP will be updated to reflect any necessary changes including place of education and the LA will invite you to annual reviews.
A summary of support available is in the local offer, which brings together information for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families. Other potentially useful sites include:
www.chen-uk.com - Guidance for remote learning with SEND
www.he-special.org.uk
www.enquire.org.uk
www.dyslexics.org.uk
www.autism.org.uk
Health & Wellbeing
School nursing service:
The team works with children, young people and their families so they take an active role in making healthy life choices, including if a child is home schooled or not in education. Contact can be arranged in a variety of settings. This includes a health clinic or at home. Contact: sarah.jennings@mft.nhs.uk
The school nursing service follows on from health visiting services, which are provided for children age 0-5.
Emotional Health and Wellbeing:
- Kooth, from XenZone, is an online counselling and emotional well-being platform for children and young people, accessible through mobile, tablet and desktop and free at the point of use. https://www.kooth.com
- 42nd Street is a Greater Manchester charity that supports young people aged 11-25 years with their emotional wellbeing and mental health, promoting choice and creativity. We champion young person-centred approaches that demonstrate local impact and have national significance. www.42ndstreet.org.uk/
Online safety for children and adults
We recommend that you keep up to date with online safety for children and adults. These sites may be useful:
- https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
- https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/
- https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
- https://www.childnet.com/
- https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/uk-council-for-child-internet-safety-ukccis
- https://www.net-aware.org.uk/
- https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/online-mobile-safety/staying-safe-online/
- https://www.barnardos.org.uk/online-safety
- www.chen-uk.com
Internet anti-virus/safety programmes such as Norton are a must but remember they are not foolproof so make sure you know what your child is doing online. If you have your own laptop, please be aware that you need to purchase an anti-virus program that includes an option to block sites.
Other sites for more general information:
- Home Education Advisory Service (HEAS): a support organisation for UK home educators, quarterly bulletin, advice line, handbook of home education and leaflets: https:www.heas.org.uk/ Email enquiries@heas.org.uk
- Schoolhouse Home Education Association: a Scottish charity, which offers independent information and support to potential and established home educators in Scotland. Provides a public information service, a young people’s newspaper project and HE newsletter, and a teenage peer support network. www.schoolhouse.org.uk Email: info@schoolhouse.org.uk
- Freedom in Education: helping people to choose what they want to learn and when they want to learn it. Good privately-run independent website that promotes alternatives to school-based education. www.freedom-in-education.co.uk/
- Home Education Magazine: based in the USA, this is one of the oldest, most respected and informative magazines on home schooling www.home-ed-magazine.com/