As a mum and home educator, most people I know love to ask lots of questions about home education and how it works for us as a gamily. A lot want to know because they are considering home ed for their school age children or even their children who are still tiny. Some ask because they just like to know how things work and others ask because I'm sure they just want to know if the girls are getting a valuable education.

People ask what we do? (all sorts!) Do we break up for the summer? (not usually) and how much time we sit down at the kitchen table (far less than you think). But one thing not many consider is the cost of home education. As a self employed person it's something I really have to keep an eye on. Some months we have all the programmes and others we don't. I'm always looking out for deals to make payment easier to.

What do we spend money on for home education?

As I started to write this list down, I realised just how much we pay out for. It's not just the groups we go to, but the ink we use and the folders we need. I've separated the costs into 4 categories; software, groups, Curriculum and other costs (like ink and pencils).

 

Software

Teach My Monster To Read - App originally cost £5, we do however use it for free on the website now though.

Education.com - $15.99 a month (£13 a month plus about £1 bank fees)

Reading Eggs and Maths Seed - Roughly £10 a month for both

Minecraft (and the specific Education Edition) - Just an account when they originally started for about £15 and then we payed about £30 for the education edition, but it wasn't very good.

Groups

Multi Sports - £24.30 for 9 sessions per child (roughly £50 a term)

Drama - £48.10 for 13 sessions per child (roughly £100 for a term)

Swimming - £35 a term per child (£70)

Social Group - £5 a month

Travel - £25 a month train fare for swimming and social group

Curriculum

Exploring Nature With Children (Curriculum and Journal - PDF Only) - Roughly £20 to keep forever

Exploring Nature With Children (Curriculum and Journal - 1 Season Printing and Binding Only) - £5 each year

Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons - £10 one off purchase

Twinkl - Currently £7 a month, but I'll buy a year bundle when it comes back again. We have the middle option as the highest and lowest are no good for us.

Other Costs

Ink £3.49 or £7.99 a month (depending on how much we are at home printing)

Paper - £5 a month

Stationary (Pens, Pencils, Paints, Craft Equipment Folders etc) - £20 a term

Resources Related To Each Topic (such as food for the Dips and Dippers topic) - £10 a month

Trips (Travel, Entry etc) - £50 a year

Total Home Education Cost

Monthly Cost - £69.49

Termly Cost - £250

Yearly Costs (Not including one offs) - £100

Yearly total: £2000!!!

 

How much do you spend on your child's education a year? I'd love to know.