Established in 1999 by a handful of home-educating families, the IW Learning Zone has considerably grown in size and is now a registered charity. The expansion of the group reflects the national increase in families opting to home educate. The reasons for these increases are numerous but include:
- Wanting to tailor education specifically to a child's ability and aptitude.
- A history of bullying or other social problems at school.
- Wanting to spend more quality time with children and to be in control of their educational experiences.
- Religous, spiritual or moral values.
- Learning difficulties and special needs, including 'bright' children.
- Wanting a broader or different education for children than offered by regular schooling.
As a member of the I.W.L.Z. you will receive a calendar of activities being organised by members every month. You can choose any that interest your family and phone the organiser to book a place. Sometimes numbers are restricted and you will need to book early, and sometimes an activity is only appropriate for a specific age group. You are expected to be with your child unless the organiser specifically says you may drop them off.
Because to a large extent we follow the children’s agenda, who knows what we will be doing next? There is no such thing as a typical workshop, but every organiser will be happy to explain what they offer and what materials and equipment, if any, will be needed.
Last year we held a total of 247 activities. These were very diverse; arts and crafts, camps, walks, talks and socials. Some were one-offs, others were on-going courses. All these were possible because Learning Zone members volunteered to share their time, skills and knowledge. Workshops are a gift between members. It is important to treat them with respect. Nobody is obliged to offer workshops, it isn’t a condition of membership, but we hope that each member feels able to contribute to the group’s experience in their own way.
The Newsletter
The newsletter comes out every second month. It contains details of all the workshops and events that individual members have organised. It also contains interesting chat and articles, children’s comments etc. We rely on members to volunteer to put the newsletter together along with the workshop co-ordinator who supplies the calendar of events. If you are interested in being involved we hold a 'newsletter day' every second month where members can come along and contribute to the newsletter. The details of the date and place of the next newsletter day is listed in the newsletter, bulletins and online calendar.
Between newsletters you will receive a bulletin (via e-mail if you have an e-mail address) with an updated calendar of events for the coming month plus any other important notices.
Local Education Authority (LEA)
Our relationship with the L.E.A. has so far been quite good. We have two members who volunteer to act as L.E.A. liason officers. You can talk to this person about, for example, what to expect on a home visit. Should you ever feel that you are being misunderstood or harassed in any way, please contact one of the L.E.A. liason officers for advice and support. You will find their names listed in the newsletter.
Committee Meetings
A committee runs the I.W.L.Z.’s day-to-day business. The main officer’s are listed in each newsletter. The committee meets every month to discuss business and brainstorm with the aim of ever improving the organisation and what it provides for its members. These meetings are open, and all members are invited to come along and are encouraged to contribute their ideas. Look in the newsletter/calendar for the meetings and come along!
The committee is elected once a year at the Annual General Meeting held in September. If you would like to have an officer’s role or support other members, this is your chance to say so.
Publicity
If you would like to help spread the word about the group, please ask the secretary for leaflets and posters. If you meet someone who wants more information about the Learning Zone, please pass on their name and address to the new members secretary who will send them an information pack.
The Future
The IWLZ provides a forum in which members can share issues and concerns, celebrate achievements and plan for our children’s future. It can also be an inspiring environment for contemplating the future of the organisation and of education in general. If you are inspired and have ideas about ways in which we can grow and develop then please speak up! However, big or small the idea, it may be that others share your vision and together you could make it happen.
Workshops
All members are invited to run workshops. It need not be a grand affair. If you are already doing something interesting with your child and would like to share it, that could be a workshop. You may feel that what you are doing would work better as a group activity.
If you decide to run a workshop or tutorial, the first thing to do is to contact the workshop co-ordinator , listed in the newsletter. You can then agree on a suitable date and this will be included in the next calendar of events. The workshop co-ordinator can give advice on organising and running your event, but here are some points to think about:
1) Advertise: Put your event in the newsletter by contacting the workshop co-ordinator in good time.
2) Attendance: Parents are expected to be with their children during workshops. If you are planning a tutorial with just the children, or don’t mind a drop-off event, you can say so. You can also specify a suitable age group and limit numbers as you wish. Please mention all these preferences to the workshop co-ordinator, along with any small cost for expenses.
3) Workshop equipment: The equipment box is part of our resource library and is available to any member. If you are running a workshop, you have first call on any resources. If you think it may be useful to you, you can phone the holder listed in the newsletter and arrange to borrow it. The workshop box contains pens, pencils, scissors, glue guns, stapler etc.
4) Expenses: You shouldn’t have to pay for workshop expenses yourself. It is reasonable to ask for a small donation towards any costs from participants, or you can claim expenses up to £5 from the treasurer.
5) Equipment: Our resources include; reference books about many aspects of education, Videos, CD Roms, games, craft kits, science equipment, camping equipment and a video camera.
These are held by various people as listed in the newsletter. This stuff is for YOU, so please ask to borrow it.
Access to Healthcare Services
As a home educating family, you are still entitled to use the school’s health services. This includes the school’s dental services and the Health Promotion Resources Centre on Coppin’s Bridge. The contact numbers for these services are held by the membership secretary. You can find their contact details on the contact us page
Youth Centres
As an I.W.L.Z. member, you have access to the Island’s Youth Centres if you need a large venue for a workshop. Contact the workshop co-ordinator for information on availability and how to book.
The youth centres are;
St. James’ Youth Centre, Lower St. James’ Street, Newport (At the junction of St. James’ Street and Lugley Street, opposite the Green Centre).
Ryde Youth and Community Centre, 97 High Street, Ryde (Turn off at the ‘Babyneeds’ crossroads, past ‘Jayhards’ the plumbers merchant and it is on the corner of the next junction).
There is no allocated parking at either venue, so you will need to allow time to find parking in the town.
Welcome to the Isle of Wight Learning Zone - We look forward to getting to know you!