Would it be legal?

[BuntyB]

Hi,

I am no further foward with finding an appropriate school for my daughters. I know I could teach them at home, but this would mean leaving Uni with a year to go and will stop my chances of a decent job at the end. On the other hand, I cannot bear to see my eldest so unhappy.

 

I am not alone. I have spoke to several parents who are appalled at the dismal choice we have with secondary schools. Supposing several of us got together to teach them in a group either ourselves or by sharing the costs of tutoring, would it be possible? legal?

 

I am just wondering if we would them be creating our own school and be subject to lots of red tape. Any ideas?

 

Shona x

[oxgirl]

Hi,

I am no further foward with finding an appropriate school for my daughters. I know I could teach them at home, but this would mean leaving Uni with a year to go and will stop my chances of a decent job at the end. On the other hand, I cannot bear to see my eldest so unhappy.

 

I am not alone. I have spoke to several parents who are appalled at the dismal choice we have with secondary schools. Supposing several of us got together to teach them in a group either ourselves or by sharing the costs of tutoring, would it be possible? legal?

 

I am just wondering if we would them be creating our own school and be subject to lots of red tape. Any ideas?

 

Shona x

 

 

There is nothing to stop home educating parents from getting together and teaching their children in groups. Education Otherwise hold fortnightly meetings for home edders where they have 'lessons' and just mix and have fun. I suppose these could be called 'schools' to some extent, but it would be organized to the specifications of the parents involved.

 

A new group was set up in our area and particular home edding familes were invited to join the group, it held all sorts of lessons and activities but takes a lot of organization and drive to keep it moving in the direction required. There were also a lot of disagreements about how things were run, but they had weekly meetings where everyone put in their ideas, and particular responsibilities were taken on by particular people, etc.

 

~ Mel ~

[Canopus]

It is perfectly legal to set up your own school but you won't get a penny in funding from the LEA. The school can be run in evenings, weekends, and school holidays and not just restricted to weekday term time.

[butterfingersbimbo]

sounds like a really good idea.....good luck! it would be such a gutter if you had to quit uni, so hope this works out for you.

[Kathryn]

It has been done before, Shona, and not just for SEN reasons. I read an article a few momths ago about a group of parents who set up a new school in an area where choice of schools were limited and they were fed up with not being able to get places for their children. I think it was in London somewhere but alas I can't remember the details. I'm sure it takes a lot of commitment to make it work, I admire those who have the courage to do it.

 

K x

[baddad]

Hi shona -

 

A friend of mine was talking about this to me the other day. She is considering something along these lines for her son's secondary provision...

She's quite a regular visitor to the forum, so when I next see her on I'll point her this way if she doesn't find it herself.

In her case (I think) the 'school' would be staffed by professionals rather than strictly 'home ed' but with a 'teacher-parents' co-operative, IYSWIM (IE the staff would be teachers who happen to have kids on the spectrum who attend the school rather than parents who 'trained up' to teach...

 

More info soon, I hope

 

L&P

 

BD

[BuntyB]

Hi all,

Thanks for all your encouragement.

What I had in mind is to use the church hall, bring together parents on a rota to keep an eye on the kids and encourage working, but share the cost of a tutor or teacher to come in to do more specialist work for GSCEs.

 

We have, however, had a development on the school we want who have now agreed to do a 4 day trial for the girls and see if they fit in. (Hooray!) If this works out it will be a whole lot easier, but this could still be an option for other parents.

[gladysmay]

what a fantastic idea, I am sure I heard of one that was started up by parents also, and that it is a very good school with great expertise!

[Canopus]

It takes a large amount of effort to set up your own school and keep it running. You also have to take into account the financial side of things as well. If running the school becomes a full time occupation then it must charge fees of a level high enough for you to make a living. My advice would be to employ teachers who are knowledgeable about their subject and enjoy working with kids, rather than qualified teachers who are more used to working in a structured bureaucratic environment.

[pleasehelp]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/248810.stm

Hi, I found this really quite old article relating to the couple who started their own school in London. They did have to remortgage their own home to do it tho It does say tho that the NAS had involvement which may be a starting point for making enquiries if you are serious. Seems like it would be a lot of hard work to raise funds but if you get lucky enough you might find somewere local to hire the use of a building as a starting point-from tiny acorns and all that...and the red-tape and bureucracy is the same for any school i guess, you will just need to have a head for getting to grips with that kind of thing.

It may also be worth contacting some of the larger Independent school 'groups' such as Hesley because it may be that they can offer useful pointers on how to go about things and it may even be that 1 such organisation may be interested in a joint venture for anyone able to prove their own clout and ability to pull something like this off? Who knows but one thing is for certain as with anything especially relating to special needs if you dont ask you dont get; the worst that can happen is they tell you to get lost

I have thought about the self-same thing on numerous occasions for our own area as the provision whilst good in some areas is sadly lacking in others especially because though we are lucky enough to have a good range of special schools for those with 'learning difficulties' and who are below the average ability for their age there is absolutely DIDDLY if they are not behind or indeed gifted and way beyond the capabilities of peers and just cannot cope with a mainstream environment-how ironic that some of the brightest people in our community are denied the chance of excelling and achieving their potential because the whole reason they ARE so bright is in part at the very least owed to the fact they are on the spectrum