Are you wondering what to do now that your child is deregistered from a UK school? This blog will share some key ideas to consider as you move forward.
My hope is that you have had a chance to consider the implications of deregistering from a UK school. We wrote a blog here if you’d like to dig in a little more: How to prepare to deregister your child from a UK school.
With a strong plan in place, you are now ready to start!
But how do we start?
Can my child gain GCSEs if I deregister?
Yes! Your child will be entitled to register independently to write their GCSE exams. Not all colleges and Universities require GCSEs; Do some preliminary research to see if it’s in alignment with your goals.
Bettering Youth tutors are well positioned and experienced in supporting students who are home schooling to prepare for their GCSEs in a fun, engaging and effective manner.
Should I ‘deschool’ my child?
De-schooling is a time period after leaving school and prior to starting the home education path. It is said to incite the natural curiosity of the child because it stops them from feeling confined by normal school conventions.
Our recommendation is to know if you’re home educating (your own curriculum) or home schooling (following the National curriculum, but at home).
If you’re home educating, then this is a popular choice. Deschooling acts as a ‘reset’ button and provides space between one form of learning and the other.
If you’re home schooling and your child will continue with the National Curriculum, we suggest that they don’t deschool. This is not to say that they shouldn’t have this space. Rather it’s a suggestion to keep them in the frame of mind of a structured approach. This is especially true if they are headed towards more structured outcomes (GCSEs etc).
If I deschool my child, for how long?
The rule of thumb that’s popped up on many HE forums : 1 month for every year that the child was in a traditional school setting. This can become tricky for parents who are choosing to off-role their child when they’ve started KS3/KS4 and have been in school for potentially 8-10 years.
I always encourage the parents we work with to keep consistent communication with their child about the outcomes they’re after and how things are progressing.
How can I support my child’s social wellbeing if they’re working from home?
Students who are home educated are not isolated by any means! There is a strong (and growing) community for home educating families in England. The key is to get involved. Try a variety of meet ups, clubs, provision centres and see what works well.
Bettering Youth has a strong network of educators providing book clubs, maths clubs, chess clubs etc. So please get in touch and we can help sign post you.
How can I support my child’s emotional wellbeing during home education?
For some families, the decision to deregister from a UK school is to protect a child’s mental wellbeing. Many of the families we work with have children who are recovering from severe anxiety, depression, and loss of confidence.
Depending on where your child is along the spectrum of wellness, you may want to consider varying degrees of support.
Ways that Bettering Youth can help a child’s wellbeing once they are home educated:
- Parents have access to a monthly webinar called the Mindful Toolbox: a monthly workshop dedicated to empowering parents to support their child’s wellbeing
- Parent coaching: this is an interactive and personalised form of coaching whereby Sarahlynn and the Bettering Youth team work to provide parents with evidence-backed mentoring to better connect with and understand their child.
- 1 to 1 wellbeing coaching: Sarahlynn provides wellbeing coaching for children who are experiencing big feelings and going through big transitions. She blends a range of support tools to empower children to regain their control.
- Bettering Youth also offers small group masterminds for students to attend on a monthly basis. The topics are pre-taught and then students come together to discuss, practice and share. This community-based approach is popular amongst students who have been previously bullied and are in need of support to reintegrate.
All of the families who work with Bettering Youth are encouraged to engage in a weekly family meeting. These meetings not only allow for family things to be discussed, they are also a great opportunity to do a check-in.
Sample questions:
- What did I focus on this week as my act of courage?
- Did I feel supported along the way?
- What might have helped make the process easier?
- Where did I feel stuck?
- How do I want to celebrate?
- How would I rate my level of intentional working this week?
- What helped me to stay focused?
- What hindered or slowed my progress?
- How can I support myself better next time?
Concluding thoughts on what you need to know about home education after off-rolling your child
In conclusion, deregistration is the first step of a new and exciting journey. It will take some getting used to, so remember to give yourself grace. Not everything will go to plan, and that’s often when the best learning happens!
If your family is knee-deep and not quite sure how to progress, get in touch. Bettering Youth would be happy to connect you with homeschool teachers and wellbeing mentors who can support students with big feelings and transition.
If you’re happy to move forward, be sure to download our checklist for deregistering.
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Deregistration Blog Series for England
Bettering Youth is proud to support families both within and beyond the classroom with academic and wellbeing journeys. If you’d like to discuss your situation in detail, please book a call.