Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a list of Frequently Asked Questions and have broken them down into two categories, Home Education FAQ and AWE Club Lesson FAQ.
Home Education FAQ
Can I telephone the club?
Over the years, we have found that telephone calls can often take between one and two hours. To ensure we can help as many families as possible, we provide support by email rather than by telephone, except in an emergency. This allows us to give detailed written information and advice that you can keep and refer back to whenever you need it.
As a home educating family, you are completely free to make the decisions that are right for your child’s education. Because every family’s circumstances are unique, it is often only possible to offer general guidance rather than specific advice. However, we are always happy to suggest useful resources, websites and Facebook groups that may help with your particular situation.
We understand how daunting it can feel when you first begin home educating and what a significant decision it is. Our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page answers many of the common questions that new home educators ask and is a great place to start.
We also host a large Facebook support group where you are very welcome to share your situation, ask questions and receive advice and encouragement from experienced home educators and other families who have been through similar experiences.
This is the link www.facebook.com/groups/994693681332418 or search for Home Education and Home Schooling HELP and Support UK
If you have any questions about AWE Club specifically you can ask on the AWE Home Education Club Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/AWEHomeEducation
Is it legal to Home Educate?
Yes! See the Home Education guidelines from the Government on this link:
How do I deregister?
You need to write a letter to the headteacher of your child’s school. Keep a copy and don’t forget to sign it! Templates you can use as a guide are available on this link from the Education Otherwise website:
https://www.educationotherwise.org/resou…/template-letters
How do we sit exams?
Home Educated students have to sit exams as private candidates. This can be arranged at a school or at a commercial exam centre and parents must pay for exam entry. There are very strict deadlines for booking exams so don’t leave it until the last minute. Make contact a year in advance so you know which schools or centres will support your child. To start with read the HE Exams WIKI:
https://he-exams.wikia.org/wiki/Subjects
Looking for Exam rules and procedures?
This link will help you with all the latest news. It is from the Joint Council for Qualifications which is a membership organisation comprising the eight largest providers of qualifications in the UK:
https://www.jcq.org.uk/summer-2022-arrangements/
If you want to skip straight to the Private Candidate section which is what Home Educators need to know, this is the link:
ttps://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Private_Candidates_FAQs_Summer_2022_v2.pdf
Help! I need legal advice
Legal advice is available from Fiona Nicholson, start here:
Is Home Ed Expensive?
It can be or not! it entirely depends on your choice. There are lots of free resources as well as discount codes and special prices for Home Educators. It is usually advised that you don’t commit too quickly to expensive resources that may turn out to not be appropriate for your child.
Useful links for discount codes are www.awediscounts.com and Home Educators Secret Discount Codes Facebook page.
AWE Club lesson FAQ
Age limits for classes
AWE Home Education Club courses and lessons are taught to the ability level, not the age of the student’s so groups are always mixed ages. For example, if your child is very good at Maths at age 13 but struggles with English you can choose for them to be in a GCSE/IGCSE exam group for Maths but a year 7 class for English. The ages we have put on the course timetables and lesson detail documents are a guide only. Most courses are flexible so do ask us if you are unsure. There are a couple of exceptions for example FILM Studies requires students to be 13 due to the content of the films they will study.
How much do lessons cost?
Fees range from £8 to £12 an hour and are paid half termly in advance. Deadlines for payments will be on the website. There are no sibling discounts as everyone pays the same to share the cost of using professional teachers whom most home educators would find too costly for them as individuals. Costs are subsidised from Club funds where available, so we rearely cancel poorly attended lessons.
Where can I find term dates?
Use this link to find the dates for each school year. AWE lessons align with the Essex school holiday dates:
Which specification do AWE teachers teach for English IGCSE?
AWE teaches Edexcel IGCSE Specification A. There are no coursework requirements so students grades depend on final exams sat in the summer exam series each year.
You can read more details about the different options on this link https://he-exams.fandom.com/wiki/English_Language#Options_for_English_Language
My child is very anxious. How can you help?
Anxiety is extremely common among children and young people today and is one of the most common reasons families choose to deregister from school.
Supporting young people with anxiety is something we have many years of experience in. Our teachers understand the challenges that anxiety can bring and do everything they can to help each child feel safe, supported and able to learn at their own pace. Over the years, we have been privileged to witness many remarkable transformations as students have grown in confidence, formed friendships and rediscovered a love of learning.
We also recognise that anxiety affects the whole family. Many parents come to us feeling overwhelmed and worried about their child’s future. Seeing those same children gradually begin to participate in group lessons, chat with other students and even head off together for lunch are moments that remind us why we do what we do. Watching families regain confidence and hope is one of the most rewarding aspects of being part of AWE Home Education Club.
Anxiety Strategy
Our approach is to give the child back a sense of control. For many young people, school has become a place where they have felt compelled to attend despite experiencing overwhelming anxiety. Over time, that constant stress can become exhausting and eventually reach a point where attending school feels impossible.
If adults experienced the same daily fears and worries that many anxious children face, most would look for a way to change their situation. Adults generally have the freedom, experience and ability to make those decisions. Children, however, are often told they have no choice—that they simply have to keep going. When a child feels they have no control, their anxiety can become even more overwhelming.
Our experience has shown that returning a sense of choice and control can make a real difference. Recovery is rarely immediate, but when children are allowed to progress at a pace they feel comfortable with, they often begin to regain confidence and make gradual, positive steps forward. It can also be reassuring for them to discover they are not alone. Knowing that many other children have faced similar challenges, and are learning alongside others who understand, can be incredibly empowering.
For some children, the first step may simply be travelling to the venue and staying in the car. That is perfectly okay—it is still progress. The next step might be walking to the door. This could take half an hour, or it could take several weeks. However long it takes, the pace is led by the child.
Children are always reassured that it is okay to return to the car if they need to, or to leave a lesson at any time. There is no shouting, no telling off, no humiliation, no detention and no bullying. Instead, they are welcomed into a calm, understanding environment with kind, experienced teachers who recognise the challenges of anxiety and are there to support them every step of the way.
Homework
It is great when children do homework and send it to teachers for feedback but please be aware that it is not compulsory! We have found after many years of experience that some children do not respond well to the pressure of homework and deadlines especially if they have anxiety or school based trauma. It is of course different for every child so please do be guided by your child and their personality and goals. We strive to ensure children are self-motivated and happy to complete the homework tasks with the understanding that feedback and practice is useful for them to progress.