HEC has now reached the maximum number of families that we can accommodate and unfortunately we have a long waiting list to join. If you are a local home educating family and not a member of HEC, please feel free to contact us as HEC is still here for you offering support and advice.
We are also happy to support families in setting up new groups.
When do we meet?
We meet for 2 full days a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays (we still seem to struggle to fit everything in!)We also organise lots of Group outings and Educational Visits throughout the year.
Where do we meet?
We hire a 'Young Peoples Centre' for each session. This gives us several spaces to run various activities simultaneously. We have the studio (which we usually use for art and craft), a lounge (as a quiet space or for music lessons), the main hall (dance/drama/science...), the outside space (sport/play/extremely messy stuff!) and we also have use of a kitchen.Who attends?
We have families from Somerset, Dorset and Devon who all home educate for various different reasons and in various different ways. All the families who attend, bring to the group their own special skills and talents that make our group a particularly active and vibrant one. We have adults, who through their different backgrounds bring to the group; dance, drama, music, art, science, languages, sport...and we have enthusiastic children who bring lots of ideas on how and what they want to learn and experience.We currently have about 60 children who attend HEC with an age range of 1yr to 16 yrs old. We have children taking their first steps and children taking their G.C.S.E.s and lots of children in between!
This coming year:
2009 - 2010 is set to be another great year for HEC with lots of fantastic activities lined up:Music technology
Children will develop and record their own music pieces in small groups.
French
This is aimed at beginners with lots of songs, games and fun activities to encourage a basic understanding and vocabulary.
Sport
We will be able to provide sports coaching again for the autumn term on both days.
Music
One to one lessons in recorder, violin, guitar and keyboard.
Under 5s music & movement
A half hour slot on both days for under 5s to expend a bit of energy!
Under 5s circle time
This is a chance for the little ones to gather together to sing and learn new songs, play musical instruments and enjoy sharing time together.
Latin
This will be a 7 week course to run on Fridays.
Drama – role play
This will cover assertiveness, saying no and speaking your mind in a safe setting.
Drama – Shakespeare
Children will have the opportunity to explore the plays and language and act out parts.
Performing arts
The children will be devising and working on their own plays/performances and will have the opportunity to explore dance, music and drama.
Country dancing
Creative dance
A free, creative movement session.
Hockey
Art and crafts
Fridays will be more structured with themes logging into the history session. Starting off with the Roman makes. Wednesday will be less structured, with space for children to create their own ideas.
Knitting/sewing
Geography
This session will be run fortnightly as an alternative to show and tell on Wednesdays.
Science
Robotics
Designing, programming and controlling fully functional models.
iPhotos and iMovies
For those children interested in working with movies and photos.
Yoga
Gentle stretches and exercises based on an under the sea theme.
History
Starting with the Romans in the first half term, with a visit from Exeter museum on 2nd October. The children will decide later in the term what topic they want to cover next.
Show and tell
This is an opportunity for the children to come together to share their news, achievements and objects of interest with each other.
Chess
Child development
For older children who want to get to know the little ones and get involved in their under 5s sessions.
There will also be a number of workshops throughout the year including woodworking, first aid, junk band, knots & ropes, street dancing, play performances and art exhibition.
2008 - 2009:
HEC secured funding for sport this year from the 'healthy living pooled fund'. That meant that the children were able to experience many different sporting activities led by qualified coaches. It also gave some of our adults, who wished to participate, a chance to work along side the coaches, so that we are able to continue to offer a variety of sports to the children in the future. The sporting year culminated in the 'HEC Olympics', which was a fun day for all.The members of HEC put on a play in the spring, Jungle Book. That meant there was a lot of hard work done by all; set designing and building, costume/mask making, singing, script writing and learning, ticket making and advertising locally... There were two very successful performances and HEC managed to raise £160 for the Tulsi Trust.
Many of the children participated in music technology, working in groups to produce a HEC CD of their pieces.
There were numerous other activities throughout the year including; science (water properties, processes & usage, water transport in plants, fish anatomy, microscope work, the blood, the heart & circulation, crystals, mandalas, fingerprints, light properties & eyes...), geometry, probability, IT, robotics, India day, Chinese New Year, sushi making, circus skills, chess club, crafts (jewellery making, doll making, marbling, sock monsters, light sensitive paper prints...), country dancing, Iron age artifact making, field trips, French, Latin, music, little people's song, dance and crafts and lots of fun socialising with friends!
HEC hosted a learning exchange and conference, received substantial funding for resources for the local home educating community and worked with Richard Huish college Taunton and Somerset local authority to secure exam and college access for home educated students.
