New to Home Education and don't know where to start? Let us help
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Your first port of call is the
National Council of Home Educators in New Zealand or NCHENZ
NCHENZ ‘was set up as an incorporated society in 1998 to encourage, promote, inform and advance home education in NZ at a national level. We are the only national home education body in NZ, and we have no affiliation to any political or religious group. NCHENZ is run by an elected Executive Committee who are all home educating their own children and who volunteer their time for the benefit of NCHENZ.’
This is a fantastic organisation that do so VERY much for home educators in NZ. They do a lot behind the scenes that most people don’t even realise. The website is a powerhouse of up to date, NZ relevant information. They have FAQs, getting started, directory of local groups around NZ, information regarding the exemption process, what a typical day looks like from a varied range of home educators, curriculum advice, online resource discount codes and group access and so much more. Majority of your first lot of questions will be answered right here and find access to many more places to gleam information from as well.
For a deeper dive
Cynthia Hancox is the next place to explore
Cynthia is an experienced home educator who home schooled her 5 children over a 22 year period. Her children have all since graduated but she has continued to spend countless hours supporting families throughout NZ. She is the guru regarding all things exemptions, is the NCHENZ MOE liaison and does incredible things advocating for home educators on a national level.
She has a fantastic guide to exemptions available to purchase as a PDF as well as a manual on Planning your Home Education Programme. She also supports families writing exemptions and assists with MoE questions and hiccups. She is an absolute wealth of information.
Especially supporting those new to the journey:
Homeschool Pick n Mix run by Lisa McKenzie
https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolpicknmix/
Lisa@homeschoolpicknmix.co.nz
Lisa is a home school mum herself and an education consultant. She runs an Facebook page and groups to encourage us on along the journey of Home Education. She believes Homeschooling can give you freedom and joy that you have never imagined!
At Homeschool Pick n Mix you will find encouragement, advice, strategies, and humor to help your family thrive! Be sure to follow this page, so you don't miss out on the new content published regularly.
Lisa helps with writing exemption and especially for those new to homes education. She is a wealth of information and practical steps and shares it regularly!
Wanting online help over a cuppa?
Homeschool Haven run by by Kristy Cammell
https://homeschoolhavenwithkristy.com/
Kristy is a fellow homeschool mum who has a passion for walking alongside those also homeschooling. Offering compassion and advice from experience, Kristy is there, with a cuppa in hand to journey alongside you. Weather you are new to home schooling, still thinking about it, or have been on this journey for a few years or more. You will find a useful nugget of wisdom with Kirsty.
Equipping, Empowering and Encouraging Parents
Sheena Harris with Homeschool Coaching
https://homeschoolcoaching.nz/
Need help navigating the maze of Home Education?? Then Sheena Harris may be able to help!
Education comes from the Latin roots “educare” meaning to train or mold and “educere” which means “to lead out into fullness of Life”.
Are you looking for ways to lead your family into fullness of life? Do you want to shape your children by nurturing and training them with your values?? It is Sheenas passion to guide parents on their unique journey, to discover how they might best achieve this through life-style of home education.
Got teens? Not sure how to navigate the high school years??
Lime Feather Learning is where you want to go
https://limefeatherlearning.com/
Lime Feather Learning is run by a home educating family, with over 25 years experience. Originally from South Africa, Shirley and Riaan and their six children, now reside in New Zealand.
In 2016, after years of recommending the GED® diploma as an alternative to school-leaving examinations, Shirley launched Online GED Prep in South Africa to help candidates wishing to prepare for the GED® tests. In 2020, Lime Feather Learning was established to offer the same opportunity in New Zealand and Australia.
Three of their children have ‘graduated’ from home education by completing the GED®, two are now at university in Auckland and one is working.
Leaning more towards unschooling or have children with neurodiversity?
Nadia James from Learning your Own Way
Nadia is an awesome homeschooling mum with a passion for helping families navigate the world of unschooling specialising in supporting families with children who are neurodiverse. . Her website is full of amazing resources and Nadia herself is a wealth of knowledge and experience. If you are needing help with your exemption Nadia has a range of options to suit your budget available.
Not sure you can do all the teaching yourself?
Francean from Functional Education
Francean offers online NZ curriculum classes inspired by Montessori and Waldorf teaching methods. Her online classes are fun and engaging for children of all ages.
Students watch Francean teaching the lesson - just like she would in the classroom! Your child pauses the video to do the hands on activity which could be painting, math, sculpture, reading and lots more. Children learn at their own pace in the comfort of their own environment with a qualified teacher.
Francean offers a free 7 day trial to see if Functional Education is a good fit for your family.
Looking for community support and informative videos from homeschool parents who have been there and done that?
Fearless Homeschool Membership
Do you want to feel apart of a community of homeschool parents? Have access to hundreds of videos of homeschool mum sharing their experiences and wisdom on a wide variety of topics? Then the Fearless Homeschool membership may just be the place you are looking for!
For more information see the Fearless Membership website or our blog here for more detail.