What are the benefits and disadvantages of homeschooling in the uk? (Part 2)

The first article in this two part series outlined some of the ‘benefits of homeschooling’ in the UK. This article explores some of the disadvantages to help you make an informed decision on the best route for you and your family.

Disadvantages of homeschooling

1. You are responsible for your child’s education. This includes the roles of teacher, mentor, curriculum designer and careers advisor. Taking on this responsibility can feel very daunting.

2. You don’t get a break, which can be difficult if you are finding some aspects of life or behaviour challenging. You will need to do what you can to ensure you don’t burn out. Constantly adapting to meet your child’s needs could be difficult and feel relentless at times.

3. You will have to create the opportunities for your child to meet other children. This responsibility is likely to cause some parents more anxiety than others.

4. The LEA has a duty of care to the children living in its area so they will carry out checks. These checks vary depending on where you live and might feel like you are being inspected.

5. Applying to further education might be more tricky without standardised test results like GCSEs and A-levels. Providing references will be more complex when applying for higher education places or jobs.

6. It can be expensive. You have to take into account the potential loss of earnings as well as the expense of the resources and trips you will need to complement your child’s learning.

What pros of homeschooling would you add?

What cons of homeschooling would you add?

We would love to hear from you and add your thoughts on homeschooling advantages, and the disadvantages of homeschooling for students and parents, to our lists. Tweet us @planbeeteaching or email us to let us know what advantages and disadvantages you would add to our list.

If you would like to know more about the home schooling requirements in the UK, then check out our blog post.

If you are planning on homeschooling and aren’t sure where to start with designing your curriculum then browse our range of resources and have a look at our PlanBee for Home Educators information page.

Our resources have been created for primary school children by primary school teachers and we are sure they’ll provide a springboard for the wonderful learning you can do with your homeschooled students. 

Get in touch if you’re a homeschooler. We will be happy to share our expert advice and ideas with you.