OPPORTUNITIES AND INFORMATIONHOMEEDUCATIONDiscover and explore opportunities to learn and enhance your skills through hands on learning.www.autismexplorersnorwich.com Autism ExplorersFamily Explorers Fridays 10AM-12PMDiscovery Days Fridays 1:30pm-3:30pm
What is Home Education? Home education is a flexible way of educating your child outside of a traditional school setting. Families can choose an approach that works around their child’s individual needs, interests, strengths and pace of learning. For some children, home education can provide a calmer and more flexible environment, with opportunities to learn through everyday life, play, practical activities and their own interests. It can also allow families to build learning around sensory needs, communication, regulation and wellbeing. Home education doesn’t have to look like school at home — it can be as unique as your child.
Family Explorers A relaxed, welcoming morning for home-educated children and their families to learn, play and connect together. Family Explorers gives children the opportunity to explore hands-on activities, sensory play, creative projects and themed learning alongside their parent or carer. Sessions are designed to be flexible, child-led and SEND-friendly, with plenty of opportunities for social connection and shared experiences. It’s also a chance for parents and carers to meet other home-educating families and build a supportive community.
Discovery Days Learning through play, exploration and doing! Discovery Days are our more structured home-education sessions, designed to give children meaningful opportunities to develop learning foundations, independence, communication, problem-solving and life skills. Through hands-on activities such as experiments, cooking, creative projects, sensory exploration and themed challenges, children can learn in a relaxed environment without the pressure of a traditional classroom. Our sessions are child-centred and designed to meet children where they are — encouraging curiosity, confidence and a love of learning.
Home Education on a Budget Home education doesn’t have to be expensive! Some of the best learning opportunities can be found in everyday life, using things you already have at home. Cooking, gardening, shopping, walking, playing games, visiting the library or exploring your local area can all provide meaningful learning. Try using your local library for books, borrowing resources from friends or home education groups, buying second-hand materials and making your own resources from cardboard, recycled materials and household items. Look out for free museums, community events, nature trails, parks and SEND-friendly activities too.
SEND & Home Education For some children with SEND, traditional school environments can create barriers to learning. Home education can provide an opportunity to create a more flexible environment around the individual child, taking their communication style, sensory needs, interests, strengths and regulation into account. Learning doesn’t have to mean sitting at a desk and completing worksheets. A child might learn maths through baking, communication through play, science through exploring nature or independence skills through preparing lunch.
Working With Your Local Authority If you choose to home educate, you may have contact with your local authority’s Elective Home Education (EHE) team. This can feel intimidating, particularly if you’ve previously had difficult experiences with education or professionals, but communication can often be kept simple and focused on your child’s education. A local authority may make enquiries to establish whether a child is receiving a suitable education. Keeping a simple learning journal, examples of your child’s work, photographs of activities, reading records, trip notes and progress reports can help you explain what your child has been learning. You don’t need to prove that your home looks like a school. Your evidence can demonstrate the education your child is receiving in a way that reflects your family’s approach.
Your Rights as a Home Educator In England, parents have a legal right to educate their children at home. Home education is sometimes called Elective Home Education (EHE). This does not have to recreate school at home. You generally do not have to follow the National Curriculum, use school-style lessons or purchase a particular curriculum. Education can take place at home, outdoors, in the community, on educational trips or through practical experiences. The law does, however, require parents to provide an education that is suitable and full-time, taking into account the child’s age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs they may have. Your local authority has responsibilities around children who may not be receiving a suitable education and may make enquiries where appropriate.
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