How To Find Homeschool Groups Near You (Quick & Easy!)

How To Find ‘Homeschool Groups Near Me’

Whether you have recently started home educating, or you have been homeschooling your child for a long time, it is essential that you are able to find groups of other home educators (without endlessly Googling ‘homeschool groups near me’!)

This article will explain how to find UK homeschooling groups, including academic, social, special interest, and support groups for parents and carers. Personally I have found it invaluable to have a strong support network of likeminded families and as a single mum to three children who has home educated for 10 years, I couldn’t be without them!

Over the past decade I have written many posts about essential areas of home educating that have helped families find their feet in their new homeschooling life. My most popular posts that may help you are:

Homeschooling groups in the UK vary from online Facebook groups to structured classes and from regular meet-ups to casual friendship groups. My biggest support in our homeschooling journey comes from other friends who are also home educating their own children and with whom we meet up regularly for play dates, and occasionally for (adults only!) drinks and dinner.

These people are the ones who will actually understand from a first hand perspective what it is like to homeschool. They understand the 24/7 commitment, the seemingly unending quest to keep the kids fed, the too-often scrutiny from strangers, the occasional overwhelm that you feel as you start to type “maybe school is the answer?” into a Whatsapp message.

If you don’t live near other homeschoolers, the Facebook support groups for UK homeschoolers can be a lifesaver. At the tap of a few buttons you can get help, advice, support and empathy from thousands of other people going through a similar experience to you, and this is absolutely invaluable.

I consider some people I have met on these support groups to be genuine friends even though I have never met them; we share the same values and lifestyles and that bonds people whether they are in physically proximity or not.

Aside from the “how on EARTH do you keep your houses tidy while homeschooling?” and the “anyone know any good YouTube channels for a space-lover?”, UK homeschooling support groups provide a safe and knowledgeable space where home educating parents can ask for help regarding more serious issues- whether that is regarding homeschooling law, relationship problems or mental health.

Knowing that you can go and ask more experienced homeschoolers for help and support is, in my opinion, invaluable and the homeschooling support groups are an essential tool in any parent’s home education toolbox! Here are quick and easy ways to find different types of homeschool group in the UK:

How To Find UK Homeschooling Groups On Facebook

To find your local UK homeschooling support group, type in “homeschooling XYZ” into the Facebook search bar (where XYZ is your local area or county). This will pull up groups with other homeschoolers who live near to you, and reaching out to people in this group to ask about meet ups or seeing if anyone wants a play date, is a great way to start growing your homeschooling social circle and support network.

You will also be able to ask about local academic, arts, sports and social meet-ups within these Facebook groups- there will often be extra-curricular type clubs specifically for home educators.

National home educating groups are also invaluable, both for finding resources that other parents may be using and connecting with other homeschooling families. These are groups that I belong to or have been recommended to me by other home educating families:

Home Education UK. This is the largest UK home educators’ Facebook group with plenty of activity; questions about homeschooling styles, resources, law and more.

Home Schooling UK. This is currently the second largest Facebook group for homeschoolers in the UK and within its files are excellent and long lists of local groups by district in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are also lists of groups for special interests such as crafting, cookery and photography, as well as links to groups for children with special education needs.

Homeschooling UK is another group with over 5000 members where people post questions and recommendations for homeschool parents.

London Homeschooling Groups

Obviously London, being the capital of the UK, has a vast number of homeschoolers and plenty of London homeschool support groups, both casual and academic. Groups for home educators in London include:

South East London Home Educators

West London Home Education Group

London Home-Ed Pre-“Schoolers”

South Croydon Homeschoolers

Caterham Home Education group

How To Find UK Homeschooling Groups Close To You Without Facebook

If you’re not on Facebook I really recommend you join even for a short while to connect with other homeschooling families; it is simply the quickest and easiest way to find other home educators. Once you have done that you can find nearby meet-ups and start getting to know people in real life, and support circles often naturally emerge from there- home educators tend to know other home educators, it’s a small(ish) world!

If you don’t want Facebook at all, check in your local area to see if there are libraries, museums or other attractions that host homeschool sessions (a local art shop in our area runs one, for example) and go along to them to meet other homeschoolers.

Creating Your Own Homeschool Support Group

Just as important as meeting up with other home educators for day to day socialisation and activities, is carving out time when home educating parents can connect on an adult level and offer each other deeper emotional support.

Homeschooling obviously means that we are with our children most of the time, and having evenings when you can enjoy a meal and talk about careers, relationships, dreams and struggles is really very important for homeschooling parents just as it is for any parent.

Our local group of homeschool parents regularly meets up for meals and getting into this habit is a really good and valuable idea. You could take turns meeting at each others’ homes every few weeks, or book a table for drinks or dinner.

However you do it, make the effort to connect with other home educating parents on a deeper level than just your child’s friend’s parent. There are very few people who fully understand what homeschooling is like so these relationships are priceless!

I hope this post has given you some ideas for finding UK homeschool support groups; the chances are that no matter what you are going through, someone else will be going through it too so sharing your highs and lows really is beneficial for everyone.

Comments

shazia says

April 27, 2020 at 12:01 pm

Hi
tHanks for the video i have a question where can you find free resourses of a 8 year old who hasnt learnt much in school .
my daughter does not know how t read properly still what can i do?
sh
kook forward from hearing from
you
shazia

- Adventure Travel Family says
  
  April 27, 2020 at 1:52 pm
  
  Hi Shazia, I hope you are well. Many 8 year olds still can’t read fluently and this is OK- if your daughter would like to improve her literacy skills I can recommend the Reading Eggs and Teach Your Monster To Read apps. I also think reading to her each day would be helpful and encouraging any creativity will help too, so as much free play as possible!
  
- Rebecca Harwood says
  
  August 1, 2020 at 4:45 pm
  
  Hi im starting to homeschool my 7 and 9 year olds i do not have facebook is there anyother way to find home ed groups also in the east Anglia region or essex
  
John Hendry says

October 7, 2020 at 2:37 pm

My daughter has not attended school.gor over a year due to anxiety ,stress and other characteristics associated with her autism diagnosis. We are seriously thinking of home Schooling her . Does anyone in this group have any details of home schooling groups in the south london area ( we live around Cystral palace )