Why Time & Space Learning?
Educational issues!!
As teachers we had always recognised that many children struggle to access learning in the school environment for a variety of reasons, some relating to various subjects but some finding difficulty with the whole environment and even educational ethos/methods. Some children are happy to sit and be told facts; others need to explore for themselves, make their own mistakes and cement what they learn through practical application. Many of these perfectly normal attributes result in behaviours that are intolerable in the context of a class of 30 children and so such children may find themselves inappropriately branded with a label such as 'SEN'.
As parents ourselves living in a rural area we discovered how hard it is for families with a very limited choice of school and which offered very limited options of ethos or flexibility of learning style to meet our children's needs. So we decided to explore home education.
We have since discovered that our experience is very common and that an increasing number of families- in the thousands per year are finding themselves in Home Education for what ever reason. Many of these Home Educate not for idealistic reasons but out of pure exasperation and some are even encouraged to do so by the school which struggles to meet their child's needs. And as soon as they home educate a new set of problems come along to add to the struggle - the LA tells you that you have to prove to them you are meeting your child's needs! (Despite the fact that the LA has already failed to do just this in the school setting!!)
So - what if anything at all could we do to help?
There is hope!!
There are actually many benefits of learning in an Other Than School setting such as at home, in the community or attending discrete subject provisions; one of these benefits is independent, community based democratic and intentional learning. Children learn very safely and naturally given the right environment - and arguably more safely. Resources for home educators are on the increase and the 'time' that Home Edders have available is often more flexible and actually greater than in school which means they can focus for longer as well as learn at a more relaxed pace. Legal advice is more readily available about what one's obligations are and what most definitely are not! Its unlikely you will get good advice from the LA on HE but some LA's are recognising that HE is not going away and what on earth would the LA do if all HE kids were suddenly sent to school . . . !?
Home Educated kids can and do access college courses, employment and careers and particularly so where they demonstrate authentic attitudes of personal learning and thinking skills inherent in them.
And so what can we do with this opportunity? What can we achieve that could not be achieved in a school setting? This is the challenge!
Solutions
Whilst we (T&S) are not a 'school', or 'child care' we support parents who Home Educate.
We also offer EOTAS and AEP to local schools for reengaging children with learning and wellbeing.
We provide a range of learning and social opportunities that parents might not normally have at home and that even schools would struggle to provide. Our courses are currently normally 2 hours per week and serve to develop the child's independent learning strategies.
Our programs promote teamwork and practical productive learning experiences. We have a number of social groups/contexts for meeting and sharing in a safe and peaceful environment.
Credibility
Our experience over more than a decade shows that our provision works well. Our Home Education strategy has facilitated our own children's access to international learning opportunities, degree courses, fulfilling careers and very happy families. We have many friends in the children and their families who have spent time with us as participants, staff and volunteers and some of whom now contribute to our provision years after having attended as clients. We have trained further in Law and Education and are active in a number of democratic learning contexts to support those who take this big decision; in many cases in the face of significant opposition and with limited funds.