The UK has a smaller community of families who choose to home school their children.  Our purposes in “home educating” are two fold.  One, Joshua and Meg have been attending a Classical Christian school, where I am also a teacher, since Kindergarten.  It is our desire that they remain on that track and keep up with their peers.  Secondly, we want to take advantage of our time in the UK for field trips.  There is much learning that can happen outside of our classroom and I look forward to our Field Trip Fridays with Joshua and Meg.  We will not have a car during our year in Durham so we will take advantage or the great rail system.  Most of the trains are comfortable and we can complete our written work while riding to and from our destinations.

I’ve found that the UK is careful with all children and takes education seriously.  They do not have or require that home educated children to be under a “cover school” umbrella.
They do require however home education parents to be accountable by:

• Submitting a letter of “intent to home educate”, including an outline of the curriculum to be covered by each child.  Upon arrival in the UK we will then submit a one year scope and sequence on each child.
• During the school year they may request to see examples of the children’s work or progress.

The woman with whom I spoke at the County Durham offices was very friendly and informative.  They seem to affirm parents who choose to home educate and have many resource for helping parents develop a plan.  They do have accountability procedures to make certain children are learning and progressing.

I also look forward to this priceless year that I will have Joshua and Meg full-time.  They are growing up so quickly and these years to shape and influence their lives will seem like a blur.  I am looking forward to slowing the hectic pace of life and just enjoying the moment with my 7th grade and 4th grade students.