"I trained as a teacher then took my kids out of school so I could spend more time with them"
- 10 months ago
A mum has taken her son out of mainstream education to 'de-school' them after training to be a teacher and wanting to spend more time with her children.
Bethany Bishop, 29, took her oldest son, six, out of education in May 2023 and is now transitioning from learning at school to being educated at home.
She applied to train to be a teacher - but decided against joining the profession because she wanted to spend more time with her two sons.
Bethany said her son struggled when he first started school and didn't enjoy certain aspects including writing and the homework he was given.
Now, she lets her son choose whatever he wants to do - even if that's a lie-in, playing with Lego and an afternoon at the park.
And she plans to continue home educating him for as long as he wants.
She admits he misses his school friends, but said they meet up with them outside of school hours and he joins other home-educated kids to play.
Bethany also hopes to home-school her four-year-old child when he is old enough.
Bethany, from Hexham, Northumberland, said: "My eldest son was in year one and we decided to take him out of mainstream school after researching about homeschooling.
"Through that transitional period, we did some research and came across the term 'de-schooling' which we never heard of.
"It's the idea that every year the child is in mainstream school you give them a month to de-school.
"I applied to be a teacher last year and I got accepted but I thought I will be going out and teaching other children when I can teach my own children.
"I wanted to spend more time with my children."
Bethany her and her husband had always thought about home-schooling but didn't feel ready.
Her eldest son started reception in 2021 and was taken out of mainstream education in May 2023.
Bethany said: "My mum is a teacher and her view is that she is very supporting of home education through primary school age.
"She knows my children and knows me - she knows they will thrive.
"I have had a really positive experience with his school, he had a lovely teacher and his school was very supportive of us going through a home education route."
Bethany said it has been "surprising" for her son to come out of education but said he is enjoying the freedom it's given him.
She said the only thing he misses is his friends but they have kept in touch with them.
Bethany said: "I talked to him about the fact we were doing this.
"We put forward the idea to him and we asked what he thought.
"The one thing he said was that he would miss his friends but we have kept him in contact with them and joined other home educators in the area.
"He has found a lot of freedom in that he is going to play with Lego for hours on end, then I am going to read books - he is such a bookworm."
In the UK there is no curriculum for home educators and no requirement for the children to sit exams.
But, many home educators will choose to follow the national curriculum.
Bethany Bishop, 29, took her oldest son, six, out of education in May 2023 and is now transitioning from learning at school to being educated at home.
She applied to train to be a teacher - but decided against joining the profession because she wanted to spend more time with her two sons.
Bethany said her son struggled when he first started school and didn't enjoy certain aspects including writing and the homework he was given.
Now, she lets her son choose whatever he wants to do - even if that's a lie-in, playing with Lego and an afternoon at the park.
And she plans to continue home educating him for as long as he wants.
She admits he misses his school friends, but said they meet up with them outside of school hours and he joins other home-educated kids to play.
Bethany also hopes to home-school her four-year-old child when he is old enough.
Bethany, from Hexham, Northumberland, said: "My eldest son was in year one and we decided to take him out of mainstream school after researching about homeschooling.
"Through that transitional period, we did some research and came across the term 'de-schooling' which we never heard of.
"It's the idea that every year the child is in mainstream school you give them a month to de-school.
"I applied to be a teacher last year and I got accepted but I thought I will be going out and teaching other children when I can teach my own children.
"I wanted to spend more time with my children."
Bethany her and her husband had always thought about home-schooling but didn't feel ready.
Her eldest son started reception in 2021 and was taken out of mainstream education in May 2023.
Bethany said: "My mum is a teacher and her view is that she is very supporting of home education through primary school age.
"She knows my children and knows me - she knows they will thrive.
"I have had a really positive experience with his school, he had a lovely teacher and his school was very supportive of us going through a home education route."
Bethany said it has been "surprising" for her son to come out of education but said he is enjoying the freedom it's given him.
She said the only thing he misses is his friends but they have kept in touch with them.
Bethany said: "I talked to him about the fact we were doing this.
"We put forward the idea to him and we asked what he thought.
"The one thing he said was that he would miss his friends but we have kept him in contact with them and joined other home educators in the area.
"He has found a lot of freedom in that he is going to play with Lego for hours on end, then I am going to read books - he is such a bookworm."
In the UK there is no curriculum for home educators and no requirement for the children to sit exams.
But, many home educators will choose to follow the national curriculum.