Welcome to the SHINIES website - the Eastbourne Home Educators Club!
Shinies comprises a group of families who believe that their children will experience a more appropriate form of education if taught at home. Some of the children have been to school, in the early years, and subsequently left - others have never been to school. Each family has taken a view on the current legal requirements regarding education in this country and asserted their rights to home-school their children.
Whereas the Government currently allocate around £6,000 per year, per child, for state education, home-educated families currently receive no financial assistance whatsoever for their endeavours. At Shinies although we try to arrange events and trips to suit all budgets, we have been fortunate enough to receive a recent "Awards for All" grant which has enabled us to significantly extend our range of studies and outings. Some of our most recent visits include Buckingham Palace, Thames Duck Tours, Groombridge Place, Bonners Music Shop, Brighton Sealife Centre, a fabulous sleepover at the London Science Museum and a camping trip to Cornwall to take in The Eden Project. The list goes on!
As a group, our aim is to introduce you to the support and activities which go on in Eastbourne and the surrounding area, either to encourage you in your home-educating endeavours, or to introduce you to the idea of teaching your children at home.
We hold regular gatherings, on Fridays, at Shinewater Community Centre (hence our name!), for weekly topics, science, and singing sessions, as well as meeting regularly midweek for sports activities. During the summer months, all our meetings are arranged to be outside.
Here at Shinies we operate on the premise that everyone is individual. There are no academic expectations or standards required, just a genuine enthusiasm for adventuring through life alongside like-minded people. All members are equally valued and play similarly important roles, giving whatever time and energy they are able to offer to the on-going running and organisation of the group.
