What do I do with DD?

[Flosmom]

Thanks for raising this subject - it has got me thinking about flexischooling for Flo. She is an incredibly bright child, well ahead of the rest of her Year 5 class in literacy and coasting along in maths because she has found the space where nobody notices that she isn't having to work hard. She admits she is getting bored and the teachers admit that they struggle to set work that challenges her. So I guess that quite a bit of her classroom time is less than beneficial for her. Meanwhile she is receiving external tuition towards LAMDA and ABRSM exams and for the forthcoming 11plus. So it struck me a little while ago that it might make sense for her to do, for example, her music theory and verbal/numerical reasoning work in school time rather than having to find time outside school which, clearly, eats into other things she'd like to do, including just playing and being a 9 year old kid.

I think I'm going to write a very nice letter to the school asking them to consider flexi schooling for her. My guess is that they will be quite relieved that I'm taking her out of their hands for a while and giving her the challenges she needs.

But before I head off down this particular yellow brick road - does anyone else have any experience of flexi schooling that you wish you'd known before you started?

By the way - to add my view to the GCSE argument. I think the number of GCSEs that our kids are expected to take is madness. 8 subjects studied well must be preferable to a dozen studied under stress. Given the choice, I'd reduce the number of GCSEs and give dd space to study the performing arts she loves. Responsibility for a child's education rests with the parents, so you do have a say and the school and LEA should be paying attention to you. Hope this helps.

Deb x

[tikka]

Hi
Have 1 friend who flexischooled, but at a secondary school. The hardest part was persuading a school that it was legal!

If it makes for a happier, more fulfilled child then I can't understand how they could say no. So long as your child is registered with the school then the school stills receives funding, which is usually one of their main concerns. Depends on an enlightened Headteacher and good negotiating skills on your part!

Best of luck
Tikka

[Katymac]

If you need links to the gov paper I have some reading you can do

Flexi-schooling is harder to arrange than home-schooling especially in high school because of timetabling, but in Junior it is quite easy the smaller the school the easier

[2dancersmum]

11/12 is about the norm for GCSEs at my childrens school. My son took 14 as his ICT equated to 4 GCSEs but was all coursework. That number of GCSEs is completely managable depending on the choices of subject ie some get very little homework or rearearch needed, others have large demands on time. For me it is not the number of GCSEs that seems strange but the way some are taken in year 9, 10 and 11 to make up the overall number, especially as I was under the impression that the whole system was changing in England so that from next September all GCSEs were to be 2 year courses and examined at the end of the 2 years, rather than being able to take them (or some modules) early as you can at present. My DD is year 11 and took 2 GCSEs in year 10 and 4 modules from other subjects but GCSE work was not even started until year 10. I know our school has to change some things for the current year nines for next year and I would be surprised if there was no impact on your school. Good luck with it all as it does not sound like a pleasant process you have ahead of you.

[Flosmom]

Yes, please PM me any links you have, that would be very helpful thanks.

Flo's school is middle-sized, but I am quite forceful when I need to be, plus used to finding solutions to things that are thrown in the way of progress. I'm not saying I'll succeed where others haven't, but I'll give it a shot.

At my work, we are introducing a lot of flexi-working that goes beyond the usual flexi-time. It's quite hard to get people to think beyond the traditional models, but we're getting there.

Wish me luck...

Deb x

[Hecouldshine]

Yes, please PM me any links you have, that would be very helpful thanks.

Flo's school is middle-sized, but I am quite forceful when I need to be, plus used to finding solutions to things that are thrown in the way of progress. I'm not saying I'll succeed where others haven't, but I'll give it a shot.

At my work, we are introducing a lot of flexi-working that goes beyond the usual flexi-time. It's quite hard to get people to think beyond the traditional models, but we're getting there.

Wish me luck...

Deb x

Flosmum there's quite alot about flexi-schooling on The NAGC (National Association for Gifted Children) website, including advice sheets that you can download for free if you are a member.

I had actually agreed to flexi-school dd for this year - year 6, with her head as she had done all the year 6 work during her year 5, but dd has put her foot down She didn't want to be different, or be pulled out of school for activities I had planned it much like you - music lessons, music theory, etc etc, but she won't have it. So she potters along with the others but with extension work, when someone remembers. She has some extra Maths sent from our local grammar school and will get some G&T maths sessions this term. We did the 11+ work and she sat the tests last term. But basically she gets all her stimulation from her performing arts classes and music activities outside school time! But I definitely agree that Year 6 is the year people commonly do it.

[Katymac]

Yep I am hoping to send Music Theory & Arts Award work in with my DD to do during 'down-time' but who knows whether they will let her or not

[Katymac]

Goodness 6th form at Tring costs the same as uni <gulp>

[puck]

Goodness 6th form at Tring costs the same as uni <gulp>

Actually it is considerably more as the fees are TERMLY (Boarders £9,735.00
Day Pupils £6,635.00 per term!)

Then there are the additional charges which include
Examinations Fees
Outings & School Trips
School Uniform
Music Lessons & Supplies
Vocational Uniform
'A' level textbooks

Better keep buying the lottery tickets!!!!!

[Katymac]

OK so DD won't be going there

Gosh I wish I was rich I know I'll send DD out to work to earn money to go to school to learn how to.......go out to work to earn money

Hmm some-thing's wrong there

[dadadance]

Goodness 6th form at Tring costs the same as uni <gulp>

And no student loans!

[2dancersmum]

Or keep fingers crossed for a DADA (or whatever it will be from 2013). My DD has just applied for Tring 6th form and at least on their application form you can say from the start that the place would be subject to receiving funding!

Back to the subject of GCSEs I should say that with many English exam boards doing 10-12 GCSEs is not as broad as it may seem. English is commonly 2 GCSEs - Language & Literature, Science is a dual award (all three sciences studied and examained but 2 GCSEs overall) but for the brighter students will be a triple award. Maths is often taken with Statistics as the 2 courses have an overlap so that can be 2 GCSEs aswell. So you can see it is easily possible to have 7 GCSEs from English, Maths and Science alone (my DD will have 6). Add in a language and a few option choices and the number soon rises, It is more about how the school manages the allocation of hours per subject/timing of courswork/homework. My DD is not overly academic but she does manage to fit in all the demands of her schoolwork. It is true that she does less hours of extra curricular activity than when she was year 7/8/9 (though some of her peers do everything) but it has been a natural opt-out of activities as she has become more focused on what she wants to do most rather than being forced to because of lack of time. Her teachers in year 11 all comment on how organised she is compared to many of her peers and I think that it because she learned to manage her time way before the GCSE years.

[Katymac]

OK - I don't know what a DADA is....google is not helping much

[Flosmom]

I think they are Dance And Drama Awards - if you put DADA into the search box at the top right of this page you'll find a few discussions about them.

Hope this helps

Deb x

[2dancersmum]

Sorry yes I meant DADA as in Dance and Drama award. This is funding for post 16 courses at selected schools for dance or drama. Other dance courses at places like Cental School of Ballet, Rambert qualify for university loans but many including Tring and Hammond are privately funded but have an allocation of DADAs to give out. Currently if you receive an award you pay £1275 per year for fees and there is an income-assessed part for help with accommodation costs. I know the government is currently looking at funding for post 16 performing arts education and any changes they make to the current system are due to start in September 2013. Hope this is clearer.