Needing help for your home schooling journey:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/needing-help-for-your-home-schooling-journey-2/

And

Here are a couple of links to get you started home schooling:

https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/
and
https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

Contact details:

Craig and Barbara Smith

06 357-4399

email: barbara@hef.org.nz

Greetings all,

There have been a couple of requests lately for people willing to give exemption advice and encouragement.

Just a reminder that this is precisely what we at the Home Education Foundation are here for!

We help with preparing for exemptions and ERO reviews, how to understand and answer the exemption questions, we sit in on ERO Reviews with people, and I’ve even been a witness at a court case involving home education and socialisation. We have tons of material on socialisation, research results in both academic and social areas, ideas on curriculum development and getting into university and links to other information that we send out for free. We have 22 years of experience in teaching our own 8 children aged 28 down to 3 (yes, we’re still at it) and running conferences and speaking in nearly every corner of the country. Barbara just talked a mum who was full of panic through her ERO review preparation, and the mum passed with flying colours! I just wrote a letter to the Hamilton office of the MoE about what I thought was unfair treatment in an exemption application…the mum emailed today to say the exemption just came through!

Being a charitable trust, we do not charge for anything we send out or for our advice, even though most phone calls last between a half hour to a full hour or more. We trust the Lord to move people to make donations as they see fit and to subscribe to Keystone https://hef.org.nz/category/keystone-magazine/ and TEACH Bulletin https://hef.org.nz/category/teach-bulletin/. Although we personally are committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Home Education Foundation is committed to rescuing ANY children out of state schooling institutions and to giving as much help and encouragement as we can to any and all parents and grandparents wanting to have a go at home education.

So don’t hesitate to get people to ring us or send an email. We don’t have an 0800 number but if people ring us on a landline, we can ring them back so we pay for the call since it costs us next to nothing.

Applying for an Exemption to Home School

in New Zealand

Here are two very helpful links

The first is a cut down version of the exemption application, showing you exactly which comments the Ministry of Education (MoE) expects you to reply to:

https://hef.org.nz/2010/making-an-application-for-exemption-from-enrolment-and-attendance-at-a-school/

The second is a lengthy letter giving all kinds of tips on how to answer the comments:

https://hef.org.nz/2010/a-collection-of-exemption-tips-and-ideas/

I’d suggest reading those two, having a go at answering the questions, then give us a ring (06) 357-4399 or emailing your phone number and we will ring you (email barbara@hef.org.nz).

It seems complicated at first, but it really isn’t that bad at all. We can talk you through it. All free of charge. That’s why we’re here.

Websites and blogs:

If you have a website or blog then please feel free to repost this on your website or blog and/or to link to these pages on your website or blog.

Please check on the Home Schooling Support Group closest to you and they will be more than willing to help you out. Click on the link below and go to “contact us” and you should be able to find a phone number or an email address.

NZ Home Education Support Groups

Auckland Home Educators (AHE): (09) 3022 866 enquiries@ahe.org.nz
Auckland: Dorinda (09) 480 6878 (especially helping with children with reading and maths difficulties and other learning disabilities); Erena (09) 269 3532
Blenheim: Linda (03) 578 9177 tempoconcert@hotmail.com and Ana (03) 579 399 apanoho@gmail.com
Canterbury Home Educators: (03) 348 1814 CHEInc@free.net.nz
South Island Home Educators: (03) 312 8790 sihe@clear.net.nz
Dunedin Home Educators: SHEAF sheaf.dunedin@gmail.com Kathrin 03 471 0563
Far North: Toni 09 4080791 leave message or text 0276921344
Hamilton – The Home Educators Network: thenmail@gmail.com Christine (07) 8395513 or 0274334462, Sheena 021 151 1738 or 07 981 1343,Nigel & Heather (07) 859 0303 or Lara (07) 843 2521;
WaiCHE (Karakariki): Jackie 0274 866570
Hawkes Bay: Twin City Home Educators admin@twincityhomeeducators.com
Hearthland Educators (Kapiti, Horowhenua, Manawatu, Tararua, Taihape): 06 3637575 badi@slingshot.co.nz – unschooling
Huntly (Waikato): Mari Swindley (07) 828-9825 (Mari works odd hours)
Manawatu Home Educators (MHE): (06) 355-0721 dayspring07@slingshot.co.nz
Marton-Rangitikei: Steph 06-327-6466
Morrinsville: Ann (07) 889-3797
National Council of Home Educators: info@nchenz.org.nz
Networking-across-the-nation
Nelson Christian Home Educators
NZ Home Education Support Groups
North Canterbury: Lennie Harrison jandl@e3.net.nz (for a donation)
Oamaru and North Otago:Tani Newton (03) 434 9253 tani.newton@vodafone.co.nz;Sandra Murphy (03) 434 5547; Maddy Maxwell (03) 432 6180 mebmmax@gmail.com;
Sara Martin (03) 439 5572 willowbrook@xnet.co.nz
Rodney-Hibiscus Coast
South Auckland Home Educators
Southland Home Educators: Carol herring7@xtra.co.nz.
Taupo: Dario 07 378 1569 021 176 7561 (experience with CYFS and the Courts)
Christian Home Educators Corporate Hamilton CHECH using ACE Michelle (07) 854 3303
Wanganui Home Educators: Lisa Crosse 06 3458645 neil.lisa@xtra.co.nz
Wellington Home Educataors: 04 477-9447 whenMembership@gmail.com
Whangarei Home Educators: 09 437-2725 kerrintaylor@slingshot.co.nz
Winton: Lynley 03 236-7477

There is a wonderful group of mothers (and Fathers) at this Trademe Home schooling/unschooling Message board who are very willing to answer all your questions.
If you are having difficulties with your exemption application, MoE, ERO reviews, CYPs or anything else then please ring me, Barbara (06) 357-4399 after you have spoken with someone in your area. I am here to help with the difficult issues with the MoE, ERO, CYPs and the Courts.

To email the person below please remove [at] and put in @ with no gaps. [at] has been used to avoid spam.

NATIONWIDE:

Barbara Smith, 06 357-4399, barbara@hef.org.nz

(If you would like to talk to us then either phone us or email us your phone number and we can ring you straight back – we are on a flat rate for tolls so it wont cost us anything.)

SPECIAL NEEDS:

Jill Hanna, hanna@xtra.co.nz

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TRADEME MESSAGE BOARD:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Community/MessageBoard/Post.aspx?id=29810245&topic=0&parent_topic=23

EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUPS:

Check the left hand side bar on this page

If you are available to help others with their exemptions and ERO Reviews please email me barbara@hef.org.nz and I will add you to this list. Thanks

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