4 Education & schooling Flexi-schooling’s rise
For children that thrived outside the traditional school structure while learning at home during lockdown, fl exi-schooling is becoming an appealing alternative. Words: MaryLou Costa
6 SEPTEMBER 2021 FAMILY VALUES — AN ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE IN
Flexi-schooling is of interest to a growing number of parents who not only want to spend more time with their children, but believe experiences outside of school make a valuable contribution to education. It’s where a child is enrolled at
school, but attends part-time, while also being home-schooled. T ere are around 80 schools in the UK currently off ering fl exi-schooling, according to the Centre for Personalised Education: 22 of those specialise in and actively promote fl exi-schooling, while 59 off er it on a case-by-case basis. T is is usually down to the local authority and head teacher’s discretion, based on a family’s application. “Reasons for fl exi-schooling range
from parents not being happy with the education system to giving children more time to pursue other interests like sport, drama or cultural experiences,” says Sarah Maude, head of school at Rackenford C of E Primary School in Devon, which fl exi-schools 17 of its 81 pupils. Following their own interests
and pace is what attracted Heather Ledbury and her family to fl exi- schooling for their 11 and nine- year-old sons. T ey do three days at the New Forest Small School (NFSS) in Hampshire, with two at home.
“We want the support, community
and resources that school provides, but also want our children to have a self-motivated approach to learning and access to links beyond the school community. For example, we hope to spend some of our time at home connecting with a local charity,” she explains. While Heather plans to lead the
home education aspect, fi tting this in around her self-employment as a community worker, her husband will also be heavily involved. T e role of dads in fl exi-schooling
shouldn’t be underestimated, as illustrated by NFSS’ headteacher Maz Wilberforce. Her 11-year-old son Luka spends one day a week at home with her husband Ivan, doing hands-on activities like woodwork or building computers. “T ey’ve formed a relationship in a
diff erent way to if they just saw each other in the evenings. T ey have a strong bond,” Maz enthuses. Likewise, Edinburgh-based Lynn
Houmdi’s six-year-old son Rayyan attends school Monday to T ursday. On Friday, he learns Arabic and attends mosque with his father, Yassine. T ey also visit museums and go on bike rides. “Being able to share my husband’s culture and language is so important,” says Lynn. Flexi-schooling is also a lifeline for
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Flexi-schooling is also a lifeline for families with neurodiverse children
families with neurodiverse children. Hertfordshire-based Angela Duce’s six-year-old son has severe autism and hasn’t coped with full-time school. He’s now in school just two hours a week, and home-schooled the rest of the time, until he can get a place at a new special needs school in September 2022. “I think for a lot of children like this, fl exi-schooling may be the only option,” says Angela.
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