Homeschooling better than going into school currently.

growstuff

Local authorities make what is legally an informal request for information about a child’s education provision if they know they are home-educating. This is not the same as an inspection. Usually, if this request happens, it's responded to with a letter.
There is no legal requirement for
a home educated child to be seen by anyone - though some families/LEAs choose this.
Also, unless the law changed very recently, parents don't even need to register with their local authority.

Hope this helps.

How very strange! I know at least half a dozen people who home school their children and they have all been told that there is a legal requirement for some form of inspection.

I suppose this just shows how different schools are coping with the current 'home schooling' whilst school is closed. My youngest, also year 8, is accessing the online curriculum with minimum supervision from me. They start with a registration group in the morning which is live and then they do PE (I send him out on his bike) and then lessons on line with breaks in between and in all honesty, it is working well but I am trusting him to get on with it with the hope he will be able to go back to school in the near future.

The other issues you mentioned, it really is not acceptable for your grandchildren's stepmum to slag off their mother to them! Can their Dad not be encouraged to have a word with her? Presumably she is an adult and has enough self control not to do this The other issue is the other child. It doesn't matter if the child has issues or a tough time at home, the school need to manage her environment better so she doesn't lash out at other pupils. You grand daughter shouldn't have to adjust her own behaviour at all and I would actually raise this with the school if it is putting off your granddaughter's eventual return.

There are lots of areas growstuff who don't abide by the law in an attempt to (basically) bully parents.
Obviously it's easier to give in to pressure than stand up for your rights - and I do accept that you don't want the hassle and worry if you are home educating in good faith.

Hardly any areas cary out inspections - Nottinghamshire used to do so 30 or 40 years ago, for example, now they take reports. If they believe from the reports that the provision doesn't meet the educational requirements of the child, legally they have to prove the educationis inadequate. In the "old days" this was very hard for LEAs. Now, at this point I think they would justify an inspection on "safeguarding" grounds.

My sympathies are with your GCs who seem to have an absent father, a combatative stepmother and a mum who is doing her best to cope whilst working in the care sector in a pandemic. They must be grateful to have your care and support. Don't worry about the maths, the school should have a system where if it is something too difficult they can have contact with a teacher.
If they are happier at home then they will learn better anyway.
Nobody will come out of this period unscarred and all we can do is work to lessen the impact on our children, which seems to be somethng you are doing.
Hope it goes well.

Trisher is right here.
Keep the children happy and stable and support them as best as you can with study without too much worrying.

Personally, (if I had to choose) I would rather have a happy, stable child who take time to get their maths than an anxious worried one with good scores.
They do know they are loved. In that they are some of the lucky ones.