I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I love how my mummy and daddy teach me. I can go to nice places, the beach is my favourite, and the aquarium. I learned how sharks lose lots of teeth, so they have lots of shark fairy’s under the water that rescues the teeth and give the shark a pirate coin.

What makes you happy?

Having my mum and daddy teach me, going to the park, doing lots of painting! Oh and dancing and being a princess like Brave!

Have you ever been to school?

No.

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I’m frightened about having to be forced back to school.

I’m worried for mine and my little brothers future and safety growing up with this government its not fair they make decisions for us when they don’t know us or listen to us i was bullied by teachers and children in my secondary school and it gave me bad Anxiety.

I wasn’t sleeping and cried everytime I had to go even in school teachers always said I was lying even when other children told them and writ statements to head of year teachers told other kids about my anxiety and made it worse most of the time I hid in the field behind a shed or in the toilets they kept suspending me for not being in lessons and not helping me or listening.

They didn’t listen to my mum either in meetings and never did what they promised to do in front of my mum when my mum left they changed and would shout i recorded the teachers and my mum kept me home we decided to home educate.

Im now safe and have friends.

Im learning more i don’t trust school or government I’m worried my mum will get in trouble and I will because I won’t go back to school it’s not safe you feel alone and they don’t listen but you have to always listen to teachers and follow rules adults in school don’t follow.

It’s to noisy and busy to learn at school.

At home is pieceful and not rushed i actually like learning now I feel calmer and happy.

What makes you happy?

Home educating
Family and friends
Animals
Makeing my own choices
People listening to me

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I like home educating.

I like everything about it.

I felt bossed around at school and that made me feel really sick of being told what to do.

All the teachers told me what to do. To sit at a desk and do boring work.

Learning at school made me feel stupid. I hated it.

Home education is way better. I love it more than anything.

YAY!!

What makes you happy?

Learning with my family makes me happy!

Eating when I want makes me happy.

Running round in circles makes me happy!!

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

The world is my classroom and i love it that way! 

I see plenty of people and plenty of people see me… including one of the police officers at Downing Street recently who we were speaking to and he showed us around the police vehicles!

What makes you happy?

That I am in control of my own body; I can make noises when I need to, go outside to get fresh air anytime, go to the bathroom whenever it’s needed etc.

I love seeing my friends, going out for bike rides, I love the Sea Cadets but most of all I love learning all day everyday in whatever way that looks at the time.

Have you ever been to school?

No

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

The government has no right to my personal information.

Given how incapable they are of protecting us with the information they have, I think they need to sort their own lives out before they start interfering with anyone else and wasting tax money.

I love being home educated. It allows me to study the subjects and take the exams I want, rather than being shuttled through a few basic exams by an overstrained system.

What makes you happy?

Reading makes me happy, as does studying history and drawing.

I also enjoy listening to podcasts and history talks.

Sometimes I enjoy writing stories as well.

Every Friday I attend the local Explorer’s unit, which I greatly enjoy.

On Thursdays I go to a church youth group nearby.

Have you ever been to school?

No

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I went all through primary school suffering from chronic eczema and I struggled with anxiety and would have panic attacks, sometimes I would be sick. 

I didn’t feel safe and looked after at school. I started high school and my skin was so bad that I couldn’t hold a pen because my fingers would crack and bleed. 

I am now home educated and my anxiety has gone, my skin has cleared and I feel free to learn. 

I am so much happier learning at home.

What makes you happy?

I still see my friends from school each week and I can take part in more active things like skating, trampoline and indoor climbing because my skin isn’t sore anymore.

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I just like it because we’re at home together.

It wouldn’t be fair if I couldn’t learn at home.

I go to lots of sessions and get out and about with loads of my friends we have fun and I choose what I learnt about so I can enjoy it. We do great projects.

What makes you happy?

Learning at home, going to the beach, forest school and walks with my family and friends.

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated and attend an Alternative Provision.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I never want to go back to school.

I always cried and missed my mum.

I didn’t like when teachers pulled me from my mum.

I didn’t like wearing uniform.

The only thing I liked was home time.

What makes you happy?

I like gaming with my mentor.

I like learning with my mum, sometimes late at night.

Dogs make me happy and soon I am doing some learning with dogs course.

I love my physio sessions and play therapy.

I love playing pickleball with my family we play every Friday together.

I also love cooking and baking and do it lots. I love bouncing on my big physio ball.

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I have been home educated for 7 years and I do not want to go back to school. 

I like the freedom that home education gives me and how I can learn about stuff I’m interested in! 

I like to be able to move around and not sit in a classroom for hours and be able to wear clothes that are comfortable for me. 

I also enjoy being able to spend more time with my family and friends! 

I do not think that school is the best option for everyone, I think parents and children should be able to make their own decisions because we know what’s best for us.

What makes you happy?

Spending time with my family and my dog makes me happy, I also enjoy seeing my friends. 

I like going places and seeing new things. I enjoy cooking new recipes and trying new foods. I’m also learning to roller skate.

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I choose not to go to school. I find that I struggle under pressure, if there’s a time limit I start to panic, my mind goes blank and I can’t remember or think properly.

Home ed means I can do it in my own time. It means I don’t have to learn what everybody else learns. Not everybody has to learn the same things. Every job isn’t the same is it? I get to learn about whatever catches my interest. We’re not stuck to a rigid schedule. If we suddenly decide to learn about Romans we can do that for an hour or a week until we decide to start learning about something else.

What makes you happy?

Cycling, trivia, tidying, maths, roller skating, toy car collecting, reading, eating, athletics, drawing, looking at wildlife and being with others.

Being able to practice my talents, not being restricted to weekends. I love being able to practice using tools, taking things apart and fixing things. Friday is mechanics day with dad.

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I love being home educated because I get to make lots of art and play with my friends and make terrariums which is really fun and I love the flexibility of it.

What makes you happy?

I love baking sculpting coming up with stories and I LOVE drawing and dressing up my cat.

Have you ever been to school?

No

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I did not like school because no one understood me and sad and upset, the school was strict i even got put into isolation for not making eye contact and not smiling, even though they knew i am autistic and don’t like eye contact.

What makes you happy?

Being home educated, i can eat when i want i can use the toilet when I want. i can do lots of subject, i love researching my favourite singer Bob Marley I wouldn’t get to do this at school as one of my piece of work. i love that i get to cook everyday. now i get to be myself.

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I didnt like school because it would make me very anxious the teachers did not understand me i did not feel safe going to school due to how a staff member was being with me it made me very uncomfortable . I am scared to be sent back to school. 

The government is saying how it isnt safe to be home educated but in my case it was not safe to be in school around a teacher i should of been able to trust and home is my safe place

What makes you happy?

being home educated
being able to learn subjects i love
getting to express myself
getting to spend more time and have a better bond with my family
being educated by someone that understands me and my needs

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I was always being punished for shouting at my bullies to leave me alone, I was always sat in the office of my school with no work to complete, and when I fought back I would always get suspended, whilst me and my parents would be told that the kids are little angels who would never do anything wrong.

My Parents last straw was when I had 2 massive concussions and bumps on my head – one of which was caused by an unqualified teacher pulling a group of us to a local park and not watching the other child attack me, I also had a massive nose bleed with bleeding and bruises all over my face and I was crying every hometime at the start of the new school year, wanting to never return. 

At the time of my nosebleed and bruises the teachers only made the bully sit on a different chair but still in close proximity to me and the teacher was completely dismissing the state my face was in to my parents evening lying about it. I was year 2 (I was technically year 3 but was pulled back a year to see if it helped me to concentrate on work, but the bullies were friends and neighbours with each other).

I am now 12 (so year 8) but I try to have little social interaction as it protects me, but with my work I have actually improved I couldn’t even write properly as they would force me to use my right hand and told me to be normal. I had SEN support while at school but they never helped me, when I said that writing looks funny they demanded my parents get my eyes tested – they said my eyes are perfect.

What makes you happy?

Having my mummy learning and teaching me, going on local trips and even going on a plane to Menorca.

I also love pigeons and mummy takes me to feed them and bought me books to learn about them

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I am scared they will force me to go back to school and I dont want to. I was dragged about by my nursery teacher in school because I wanted to play, I was 2.

I dont like school at all.
I am happy and I dont understand why we have to share so much information for it to sit and do nothing.

I also dont want to be forced to contact my dad, or keep talking about my bad experiences. I just want to live my life, do my work, have fun, maybe do some traveling.

I am thinking about moving to America when I am holder. I feel like it would be a better place to live than here.

I am 12 years old.

My government doesn’t care about me or my safety. If it did then it wouldn’t be doing things that would cause me to get upset and get scared.

My mom could go to jail because I would refuse to go to school and I kkow she would not force me to go because she knows how scared I am.

What makes you happy?

My mom
Friends
Scooting
Being able to go out to clubs during school times.
Being able to start my gcses early.
Go to meetings during school times like my film studies gcse on zoom.
I am very proud of my assignment feedbacks from my film studies.

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am in school.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I used to love school, primary school was fun and interesting.

Since I have started Secondary school, it’s a bit like going to a prison everyday.

The uniform is tight and I look like I’m going to work like my Dad does in a suit!

I wish there weren’t so many strict rules, sometimes I’m not sure if I’m doing something right and I am too scared to ask in case I get a strike and a detention.

What makes you happy?

Learning things I love and enjoy.

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated and attend a Virtual School.

What would you like to tell everyone?

School was too noisy and too busy.

My teacher and my class were nice to me but I didn’t like school because it was too much and it made me feel really bad and I couldn’t get to sleep because I didn’t like school.

It would be good if there are schools that are more quiet and schools that understand people who are autistic.

What makes you happy?

Since being home educated I have more friends.

I like being friends with people who are really inclusive.

I love my online school and I learn better because I feel comfortable.

I see my friends at the park and at my drama group and we meet up and sometimes go swimming.

My friends are home educated and some of them do the same lessons as me.

Lots of my friends are home educated and one is at school.

I love designing comic books, playing with my friends and I especially love maths!

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I was home educated until year 3 when I had to go to school. It wasn’t what I wanted or what my mum wanted.

Some other grown ups thought it was best I did and they didn’t give my mum any choice.

School was the worst place ever. Too noisy, too bright, too busy, always sat with people that were horrible to me. I was bullied for the two years I was at school, all the teachers did was tell me there was nothing they could do about it and I needed to be more resilient.

They blamed me. I was pushed over, hit, horrible things said to me, excluded from games at playtime.

No one listened to my needs because I wasn’t naughty but inside I was screaming I just wanted to run away.

I couldn’t focus or concentrate, punished for my hypermobility and not being able to keep up with the work as I was too stressed by the environment and in too much pain from the uncomfortable chairs.

It all became too much and I couldn’t get myself into school, there was so much inside my head, I started hurting myself.

I tried one more time to go to school, the teachers peeled me away from my mum, I was screaming and crying, they pulled me inside and locked me between two sets of doors so I couldn’t get out to my mum. I couldn’t go back after that.

The teachers said they didn’t do it, they lied. All they wanted was me back in school, they didn’t care about me or my feelings they just cared about my attendance.

I changed to a different school, it was right next to home but I still couldn’t make it every day. It was all too much, they tried better than the old school but they still didn’t listen to my needs. They said I just needed to try harder.

I couldn’t sleep at night, I was hurting myself even more, I didn’t want to be here any more.

I didn’t want to leave the house or see my friends well not that I had friends at school, I just wanted to be safe by my mums side.

What makes you happy?

I’m a year into being home educated again. It’s been great. I feel like I have my life back.

I’m not hurting myself any more, I’m not stressed any more. I’ve made loads of friends, I can sleep at night. I’m happy to leave my house and my mum.

I didn’t really learn anything at school and now I’m learning all of the time. All of the things that interest me. We’ve been on loads of trips for hands on learning.

I feel way more confident with numeracy and literacy.

I’m doing great in my swimming lessons, and scouts and I love going to youth club I couldn’t do any of this before as I was too stressed.

The same children that bullied me in school go to activities I now attend, they started to bully me there but the adult leaders there wouldn’t have any of it and they stopped it straight away. So if they could stop it why couldn’t school.

I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time. I’m looking forward to the future and I never want to go back to school ever again.

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I like to meet our friends and have fun with them, especially at the beach.

I also like to be with my family, learning at home is good for me.

I like doing a project together with my brother and mum.

What makes you happy?

Horse riding and going to the beach together.

It makes me happy that I can be with my mum.

I don’t have to worry then.

Have you ever been to school?

No

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I was having Absent seizures (Epilepsy) in school, they made me very tired. I tried really hard to keep up in school.

My mum tried to tell my school, before a Doctor actually said I had them but they didn’t believe my mum or me.

I like to drink lots of water and two things I could only do in break time was drink water and use the toilet.

We were not allowed to drink if the teacher was talking.

School was too busy and too much shouting. I didn’t feel safe.

What makes you happy?

My dog
Family
Eating/drinking when i want
Water/seaside

Have you ever been to school?

No

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I like Maths and Physics, especially quantum and theoretical physics.

What makes you happy?

Talking about Maths and Physics with my mummy and daddy.

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I think the government should go away and leave me alone because I’m perfectly fine.

I think me, dad and mum should be able to make our own decisions about my education.

I like being home educated because I don’t want to sit down everyday and I like to wear my own clothes.

I don’t want to look the same as everyone else and shouldn’t be told what I can and can’t wear.

Home education means that I get to learn about things that I’m actually interested in and I can spend extra time when I need it to understand maths that I find more difficult.

It is important to me that I get to spend with my family and dog, instead of being away from them all day.

What makes you happy?

Loads of stuff makes me happy!
• my dog
• my family
• home
• clothes/fahsion
• nails
• theme parks
• food
• baking/decorating cakes

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

Home education is definitely the type of schooling I want to do, because I think it is best.

I want to be flexible so I can fit in other activities. Also to be able to choose which books I like most for studying that are good.
I like it that I don’t have to get up early in the morning to go somewhere, because all I have to do is eat breakfast, get the books out and I’m ready to go.

Also I want to have time to learn how to do jobs around the home with my mum and dad and learn new skills from them, like cooking and maintenance.

What makes you happy?

I can keep on going at a subject I enjoy, such as handwriting class, see photo, without having a time limit.

I can catch up on other days without having any pressure of having to finish on the same day.

Also, I like practising and playing the piano plus recorder, reading and spelling.

Mathematics are also what I enjoy, especially long division and multiplication.

I like creating and building things, finishing things, following instructions, fine work, creating art projects and making videos.

Also I’m very happy playing tennis, swimming, skiing, cycling, walking, running and most things.

Have you ever been to school?

No

I have Alternative Provision.

What would you like to tell everyone?

What does institutional neglect, emotional abuse and trauma in a school look like and feel like? A child that cannot access the toilet, cannot eat their lunch, cannot go outside, unable to ask for help, feels sick every school day, is refused sen assessments because no one see’s it.

I didn’t feel safe, I didn’t feel I was any good at anything, I didn’t feel included. I didn’t want to be there. No one listened, no one cared, no one came to help. School staff suggested I should be Home Educated or try a part time time table, that bullying was just banter, that they didn’t see any sen, only panic attacks. I wanted to learn online because there would be no bullies and no distractions.

What makes you happy?

To be heard, listened to, believed. Allowed to be who I am and not be attacked or bullied because I look different or I am slower or quieter than my peers. My friends accept me as I am.

I enjoy learning and want a safe place to learn and be supported when I needed help. I enjoy looking after my pet cats, playing rugby and winning at Uno, and spending time with my family and friends makes me happy. I want other people to be happy too.

Have you ever been to school?

Yes

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

I do not like doing what schools do. I am very dyslexic learnt to read when I was 11 but in school I would have seemed behind. I’m not behind at home and I can work slowly and learn to do things in ways that help me.

I work on online lessons and learn criminology, forensics, law… and loads of other courses. I like to work outside and have done blacksmithing, woodworking, laid a patio, built gates and walls, worked with animals and learnt how to lay paths and turf. I like to grow vegetables too.

I hang out with my friend several times a week, and we chat all the time. I do scouts and volunteer. I’m not hidden or disadvantaged because I get to do more than a lot of school kids do.

I am happier learning at home or in small groups like our co-op so I don’t have to feel stupid, I do hard subjects my way so I can learn without being stressed.

What makes you happy?

I am happiest when I can work on my interests. I like to fish, play darts, build and make things, invent and draw. I am happy moving and not sitting still, I like to learn whilst moving about and I like to do hands on not book learning or writing.

Have you ever been to school?

No

I am Home Educated.

What would you like to tell everyone?

School felt like I was always behaving the wrong way even though I didn’t mean it and I’d get shouted at a lot. It wasn’t nice and made me sad. I needed a smaller class with a more patient teacher. I wish they understood me.

Home education is better than school because you don’t have teachers shouting at you and you can do the things you’re interested in. I can’t sit still so now we can have more breaks. I can also have lunch when I want and I like Cubs and my tutor for maths and English. I’m ahead in maths but I wasn’t allowed to be ahead at school and it was boring.

What makes you happy?

I like coding, animating, games development, film editing, creating electronic music, playing outside, meeting new friends and being allowed to do the things I’m interested in.

Have you ever been to school?

Yes