FAMILIES staged a protest in Stratford Park, Stroud against proposed Government reforms which they fear would make home education too similar to school. Parents and children from across Gloucestershire enjoyed a picnic and covered the bandstand in messages in opposition to Graham Badman’s independent review of home education.

Under the law currently, parents simply have to provide their children with a full-time education suited to age, aptitude and ability.

But the review suggests that home educators should have to submit 12-month learning plans to the county council.

Organiser Claudia Weston, of Stratford Road, Stroud, home schools her children Louis, nine, and Esmee, six.

"The main thing for me is that children love learning and everything they are learning comes from their own imagination and interest," he said.

"If that changed it would be like having school at home.

"I wouldn’t have the same relationship with my child because I would be making them do something at a certain time – I would become a teacher."

The protest on Wednesday was one of several taking place across Britain during a public consultation on the proposals, which ends on October 19.

To sign an online petition against the plans, visit http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/EHEreview/