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Home Education in the South West
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Home Education South West Newsletter Summer 2010
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Hi All,
Welcome to the Summer edition of the HESW newsletter.
This edition is full of events and ideas that I hope you will find useful during the coming sunshiny weeks.
Hope you have a lovely summer.
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HE news
Ofsted report: Local Authorities and Home Education
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This June saw Ofsted release their report on LAs and home education, leaving a very sour taste in the mouths of many home educators. It was very much a remnant of the last government’s draconian attempts to gain more control over home education. The report was full of statements and recommendations that echoed those of Graham Badman’s which were voted out of Labour’s Education Bill in their entirety earlier this year.
 Graham Stuart (Con MP for Beverley & Holderness and Chairman of the Education select Committee) released a statement following the publication of the report which expressed much of the feelings of the home educating community. He stated that “Parents who home educate deserve our respect and awe at their dedication and achievements, not the relentless suspicion of an over mighty state.” And further went on to say that “Ofsted’s report is seriously flawed and damaging to the confidence of home educating parents who had hoped that the relentless disinformation and bullying of the previous regime was over.”
Although unpleasant, I do not think the report is something home educators should spend too much time worrying about. Both Conservatives and Liberals have already voted against such proposals. It is just these kind of extreme measures of state control and interference in our private lives that the new Con-lib government have spoken out against so publicly. Ofsted’s report does not fit into the new Government’s policy of giving more responsibility and educational freedoms back to parents and families. Nor do the proposals, I suspect, fit in with all the financial cut-backs!
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Vetting and Barring scheme cancelled
Many community groups, including home education groups, have been concerned about how the vetting and barring scheme was going to affect them. Thankfully common sense has prevailed and the scheme has been cancelled. The original database scheme was set to ‘check’ all volunteers and adults working with children and would have covered one in four adults, costing individuals £64 to register. The over burdensome measures would have left some groups feeling unable to provide certain activities and taken away their autonomy in deciding who they wanted to ‘employ’ as volunteers.
Although the Government still feel it is necessary to extend their system of checks to ensure children’s safety, hopefully any new slimmed-down version will not unduly infringe on civil liberties.
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What’s on
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Festival of British Archaeology - 17th July - 1st Aug. To find free events in the SW area, click the south west region on the map and type ‘free’ in the search box.
Miracle Theatre Company - Romeo & Juliet - touring the SW through the summer, many dates & venues.
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Somerset
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Free play days - FREE activities ranging from drum workshops to street dance, beauty therapy to den building at 16 locations around South Somerset through the summer.
Bat Walk - Yeovil Country Park on 14th July Tel: 01935 845946 Click countryside events for more info about this an other events.
 Yeovil Streetfest - FREE street dancing workshops - Yeovil Recreation Centre, 24th & 25th July and Weston super Mare 10th - 12th Sept.
Countryside Day - FREE - Chard local Nature Reserve, 31st July
Lowlands Games - nr Langport, Sun 25th July. The River Raft Race, Mud Wrestling, River It’s a Knock Out, Kids Games, Food to Munch, Family Dog Shows, Tug O’ War, Fabulous Ferret Racing, Live Music in the Beer Tent. Adults £5, kids £1, under 5s free.
Blenheim Gardens Music Festival - Minehead, Enjoy the gardens and music for FREE throughout the summer.
Sand sculpture festival - Weston super Mare, until 5th Sept.
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Devon
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Exeter Summer Festival - until 10th July. Look for FREE events
Events at Yarner wood, East Dartmoor NNR:
3rd July Charcoal demonstration weekend
6th July Hop over Heather
24th July Orienteering Challenge
27th July & 11th Aug Stream dipping
29th July, 5th Aug & 19th Aug Indyarner Jones adventures
24th Aug Bat Walk
Wembury Marine Centre - regular programme of events and activities through the summer, including rock pool rambles, seashore crafts, butterflies & blennies, beach detectives & more.
Blackdown Woodland Fair - 3rd July - family event focusing on wood and woodland activities, carving, bodging, tree surgery, hurdle making, green furniture making, oak frame building, sustainable fuels/energy, bow making, forest school and lots more.
Culmstock Wheels classic vehicles show - 4th July. All proceeds will go to NSPCC’s South West Child’s Voice Appeal.
Way with words Festival - Dartington Hall, 9th - 19th July. A chance for those who read books to meet those who write them.
Birdman 2010 - Ilfracombe 8th Aug - aviators ‘flying’ off the pier
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Dorset
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Sutton Poyntz Victorian street fair - nr Weymouth 4th July
Heathland Ambles - FREE guided walks looking at the wildlife on the heath at Arne Nature Reserve. 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th July
Scrappage Art Exhibition - 17th-25th July FREE at Weymouth
Hambledon Horizons: History on the hill - nr Blandford 1st Aug. Kite making, treasure hunt and lots more family fun exploring the story of humans and wildlife on Hambledon Hill through the ages.
Crafty Pirates & Pirate Tales - Portland Castle, every Mon/Tues in Aug. Free to English Heritage members.
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Local HE groups
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New Groups - looking for more home educating families to join in.
Tinkers’ Bubble, Ham Hill - This outdoor-based group already have a toddler group meeting on Friday mornings at 10am. The group is growing and would like to extend this with another once a week meet for children of all ages to get together for communal gardening and woodworking. There is also a roundhouse for some indoor activities, plus plans for outside excursions.
For more information contact Charlotte or Reenie on 01935 881975
Exmoor, Wheddon Cross - This group near Minehead meet every other Thursday 9:30 till 13:30 and would love to see more families joining in with their activities. Click the link to their Yahoo group and find out more or Contact Kelly 01643 841519
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If your group would like to be featured in the newsletter or you have any news that might interest other local home educators, please get in touch...
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HE camps
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Studland Bay Home Education Camp
Fri 16th - Fri 23rd July
Camping in large field backed by pine woods & stream with cycleways & paths through woods to sea. Facilities at adjoining Burnbake campsite.
We bring canoes, cargo-net, rope-swings, craft, fire barrel. Please bring bikes, drums, instruments.
For more information and to book: Chrystia & Keith 020 8776 8597
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 HESFES - Home Educators Summer Festival
The World’s biggest gathering of Home Educators
Sat 10th - Sat 17th July
For more information visit hesfes.co.uk
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Website resources
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Chem4kids - basic chemistry information; matter, atoms, elements, periodic table, reactions...
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Classics for Kids - learn about composers, music, instruments (hear what sound they make), play music games, listen to archived programmes.
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Project Happy Child - ‘Bricks and Mortar’ reading system. Children learn to read in many different ways, maybe this is the method for your child. Also on this site are many other diverse areas to explore; Infinite facts, 7000+ free dual-language worksheets, math and many other resources.
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[Newsletter Summer 2010] |
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