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View Full Version : Home educating a mindee over the age of 5



therach76
27-05-2014, 06:55 PM
Hi, I hope someone can help me.

Ive been asked by the parent of a 2.5 year old girl who I currently mind, whether I would consider sharing the home education when she turns 5 up to the age of 16. I just wondered about the legalities of this? I am not a qualified teacher or tutor. I am also wondering what OFSTED would make of this and the impact of the other children under the age of 5 that I mind.

Has anyone else been asked to do this before as I feel slightly uneasy about this. Obviously I want to continue the great relationship I've built up with the parent.

Thank you in advance.

Tealady
28-05-2014, 08:56 AM
It's a long way off yet so I would just say that I would need to consider it all the implications and decide nearer the time.

My concern would be that Mum would slowly up her hours at work leaving me to most of the educating.

Personally I would only do it a few hours a week if it fitted in with my current way of working. If Mum wants home education, then she should really be doing it IMO

tulip0803
28-05-2014, 09:49 AM
How long is LO with you each week?

I have a LO who is about to turn 5 and will also be home educated. I have her 4 days a week. I am not a tutor I am a childminder - I provide educational activities which she will learn from when she is here but I am NOT going to home educate her that is down to her parents choice. At the moment she attends from 11am which allows us to do toddler groups before she arrives. Luckily LOs parent understands this and is happy with it as she wants to be the one providing her education.

I cannot make any promises to complete certain work at certain times as I will still be caring for possibly 3 under 5s and 2 other over 5s and my own DD (10) at the same time. There was a post on here a couple of days ago about struggling to help children complete homework with other mindees about - This could end up the same way. All I can say is that it is OK at the moment but we may need to look again as she gets older.

You need to think about -
How will you go to toddler groups and meet the needs of the younger children in your care with a 5-16 year old?
How will you provide a quiet space for her to work as she gets older?
Will you be providing her educational activities or will the parent be providing what you are expected to do?
How will you answer her questions on things you are not sure about whilst caring for 3 under 5s?
Will parents expect you to stay in and tutor for the entire time?

I would make no promises up to the age 16 - I would be willing to see how it goes but I would not be able to "tutor" the child for the entire childminding time - if I was a tutor I would be able to charge a lot more than I do now.

Legally the child has to be receiving education by the term after their 5th birthday (legal school age) - in reality she has been in an educational setting since she started with you. The parent will have to show that the child is progressing in their education should the LA ever come to check. I have one HE friend who has been checked as she withdrew her children from school - another has never been checked as they never started school. This LOs parent says she won't show anything to anyone checking.

Maza
28-05-2014, 10:00 AM
Totally agree with Tealady. None of us can commit to things that far in advance anyway. Mum also needs to be realistic and think about what is best for the child - does she really think a 15 year old wants to be in a house full of under 5s? With the best will in the world it would be hard for her to find somewhere quiet to do her work. Also, you would have to spend time researching everything you teach - Physics, Geography, Chemistry...We struggle to fit everything in with the under 5s, let alone a much older age group. What about all the resources she would need? I don't think you would ruin the relationship with mum, not once she thinks about it practically. x

munch149
28-05-2014, 10:09 AM
I would want at least double the money for it. Then I could afford to have one less preschooler to make it a bit easier to give this child the attention they needed. I have a teaching degree tho so probably would do this. It would depend on how much tho as wouldn't want to be doing it every day and would definitely not be willing to commit until 16 in fact I wouldn't touch secondary education full stop as I wouldn't be confident in it and wouldn't want to let the parent and child down.

Zoomie
28-05-2014, 10:46 AM
I have a 5y child who is home educated. Current hours are about 12 a week and child fits in with what we usually do, although I do miss one toddler group session because mindee is obviously much older. Parents are both teachers and mindee is quite advanced in all areas except social / emotional and that is one of the reasons mindee didn't cope in a preschool environment.

When we discussed this about 2 years ago, parents did say they would pass on work to do but so far this hasn't happened. Mindee is still under eyfs till end if August though and I am able to carry on getting nursery funding till end term when they turn 5.

loocyloo
28-05-2014, 11:13 AM
I have a 11yr old ad hoc mindee who is HE. Mindee comes when both parents need to work. Apparently mindee brings work to do ... never seen any and all mindee does is play with LOs or sulk if things don't go his way! I've asked if there is anything I could do but have been told no. I have to say I do have concerns as this child is usually in a totally adult/one to one environment and struggles when not the centre of attention.
Sorry OP, didn't mean to go off on a tangent. I think some people HE very well and it does benefit the children, but it does require thought and I'm not really sure how it would work on a regular basis with younger EY children.

Emra81
28-05-2014, 11:55 AM
I can't remember the exact wording but isn't there something in the eyfs about the care of older children not impacting on that of younger children.....I can't see a set up whereby taking responsibility for home educating a 5-16 year old WOULDN'T impact quite significantly on the younger children and don't know how it could be justified to Mrs O :-S Although I really struggle to agree with home education in principle (totally respect a parents right to choose that route though!) so tend to find that my thinking on the subject is a bit negative! :blush:

FloraDora
28-05-2014, 01:35 PM
A friend of mine home educated and worked 3 days a week. Those three days, where she attended the childminder were classed as her 'weekend' and so the weekend and 2 other days were her home ed days, all be it, trips out were classed as her education. It seemed to work but that was in the days when no one questioned what activities you did with children at the childminders.

therach76
28-05-2014, 02:23 PM
Thanks so much for all your advice and thoughts on this.

My main concern is the impact on the EYFS children - I consider this to be my main role as a childminder and I'm sure OFSTED would take seriously any type of 'neglect' in this area.

I know on the occasions my 9 year old son is off school, it does change the activities we can do, and attending toddler groups and sure start centres is limited - therefore I would not be fulfilling my commitment to the EYFS.

I have spoken to a Quality Assurer within my local Children's Services and she has suggested leaving the education side of things to the parent (which I am happier with) and maybe offering a few hours in after school time. I'm hoping this is a compromise the mum will be happy with, but I know this is something she has her heart set on and I know she will be disappointed with my decision.

Thanks again everyone, appreciate all your feedback X

rickysmiths
28-05-2014, 02:27 PM
In a word NO. I wouldn't even get into discussions, 2.5 years is a long time away and anything could happen. I would also make it very clear that the parents should not figure me into any of their future plans in terms of home education at all.

I would never have considered Home Educating my children why would I take on other people's children?

Anacrusis
28-05-2014, 05:34 PM
Hi, I'm a home educator & have childminded a home educated child from aged 5 - 6 and a half. It was no problem for me because the parents home educate in the same way as I did - up till about 8 /9 years old my philosophy was play, play, and more play with lots of interesting experiences, activities and conversations along the way. The older one fitted in with the younger ones with no problems at all, all the kids got on great and had fun together.

I've also got a younger one who I've had for nearly two years, whose long term plan is to continue coming to me when they reach "school" age.

I've never had any HE kids come for more than two days a week, generally the parents want to do the HE themselves but need to work part-time.

I don't think I would take on an older child who I had to teach in an academic way, or have time to get a child to complete pre-set work which they needed help to do. Especially if they didn't want to do it lol!

Do you know what the parents are looking for from the childminder? If/once you do, the best thing is to consider how it would fit in with the children you already have and more importantly, whether you want to do it.

A couple of my HEed children have just left last week, they were lovely kids & I miss them! Good luck whatever you decide :)