Cotswold Forest School

Embracing learning through nature

Home-Education and Cotswold Forest School workshops.

What is home-education (or home-based education)?

Home-education is an alternative to school; any family can choose this option for their children - parents choose to keep primary responsibility for the education of their children as is their right in law, instead of delegating it to a school.  Once a month Cotswold Forest School offers families who home-educate the opportunity to learn, meet new friends and have fun in our beautiful woodland.  Activities include shelter building, tree identification, out-door cooking, fire lighting skills, nature detectives, archery, willow weaving and a wealth of stimulating projects.  We aim to encourage learning through cross-curricular links and there is usually consistent attention paid to basic literacy, numeracy and social skills.

Youngsters attending a home-education workshop facilitated by Cotswold Forest School

Often asked questions.   Source: www.education-otherwise.org/index.htm

Who learns at home?
              A variety of people from all walks of life choose this way of learning for their children. Home                                   educators and their children are a very diverse group.

Why do parents choose education at home instead of school? 
Some families make a carefully considered decision to home educate long before their child reaches "school age." There may be philosophical, religious or various other reasons for their choice, ultimately they feel that in some way they can offer a more suitable education for their children at home. It is also a natural choice for parents who have enjoyed participating in their child's early learning and see no reason to give up this responsibility when the child reaches the age of five.

How do children learn at home? 
The method of learning which you choose to adopt is entirely up to you and your child; you can use any approach that you consider to be suitable. There are as many different ways of educating as there are families.

The practice of most home educating families tends to fall somewhere between the two following descriptions, and however you choose to home-educate at first, you may find, as many other people have found, that your methods will change as you become more experienced and confident.

Many people believe that education can be highly successful in many ways other than the approach which is necessary in school - this view is certainly supported by research which has investigated effective learning.

How can I teach my child what I do not know myself?
You do not need to 'know everything' - a more important skill these days, with the ever increasing volume of facts which changes and soon becomes out of date, is learning how to learn, how to think, how to find information and where to look. The whole family is likely to become more resourceful, use more iniative; often you will learn alongside each other, enjoying each other's curiosity and the thrill of discovery.

Some parents may wish to learn about various educational philosophies and systems to help them decide on their personal approach to home education. Often this will inspire a family to combine a variety of different ideas into an eclectic, unique system perfectly suited to that particular family.

There is no "correct" educational system which suits all children and all families, as children are individuals who learn in different ways and at varying speeds, and families have different lifestyles from one another. It is vital for parents and children to choose the kind of education which is right for them, and it is also important to be flexible and adaptable as the child's needs change.

We live in an 'information-rich' society, and there is a vast amount of educational information to buy, or for free - libraries, television, museums and historic buildings are available to all - all you need is to investigate what is around and seize every opportunity to collect 'information.'

In every local community there will be enthusiasts in many hobbies or professions who are usually more than willing to share their expertise; sometimes friends or neighbours my happily offer special knowledge and resources; and there are always evening classes, Forest Schools, private tutors, correspondence courses, educational books, materials and specialist equipment, on-line resources, etc.

How much does education at home cost? 
There is no financial assistance for home educators, so inevitably some expense will be incurred. However, home educators do not have to buy school uniforms, pay bus fares to and from school, or the other incidental expenses connected with school. Home education can cost as much - or as little - as you are prepared to spend.

Social and educational visits involve some expense, but many local EO groups can arrange group discounts for trips to places of interest. Clubs such as Brownies, Cubs, Cotswold Forest School, Woodcraft Folk etc. are popular with home educators and schoolchildren alike, so you may have this expense anyway, and there will be a number of national or local clubs. As of May, Cotswold Forest School is delighted to be able to offer group discounts for all HS & HE groups.  Please contact enquiries@cotswoldforestschool.co.uk for further information.

Home-education links:   www.education-otherwise.org      gloshomeeducators@ yahoogroups. com