Why community is the quiet revolution in home education

“The most revolutionary thing one can do is to introduce people to one another.” — Howard Zinn

Home education is often seen as an act of quiet rebellion — a decision to step away from systems that no longer serve our children, and to build something smaller, slower, more human. But if Oscar Wilde reminds us that disobedience can...

Favourite family board and card games | How playing can teach more than worksheets

Ever watched your child completely absorbed in a game - laughing, problem-solving, working things out, and realised they were learning without even noticing? That’s stealth learning . Also known as hidden education, it’s about weaving learning into activities that feel nothing like school. No...

The industrial revolution and the birth of modern schooling: what history tells us about learning

For most of human history, children learned by taking part in life. They absorbed skills and knowledge through family life, apprenticeships, play, and community. Learning happened as they joined in with the real work of their world—watching, listening, experimenting, asking questions, and helping...

Do you worry about socialisation? Home educated children thrive through hands-on experiences and mixed-age friendships - learning together, not just side by side.

But how do they socialise?

It’s one of the most common questions we get - and one of the most frustrating myths about home education: that our children must be lonely or isolated. It usually comes from a kind place (...

Why terminology matters to home educators When you choose to educate your child outside the school system, the words you use matter more than you might think.

In the UK, the preferred term is home education . It reflects a legal and practical reality: parents or carers take full responsibility for a child’s learning, shaping it around their interests, needs, and pace....

How much does home education cost in the UK?

Home education doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. You can shape it to fit your family’s budget and circumstances. You don’t need tutors, expensive subscriptions, or a stack of shiny new resources. The only unavoidable cost is exams later on, as families must cover these privately.

That said, it’s important to be honest. For most families...

Not Back To School by Naomi Fisher

When my children first didn’t start school, I saw a hole where school would have been. The absence loomed large. I saw empty years ahead with no Back to School Septembers, and no Sports Day in July. No school plays and no class assemblies. No chatting with other mums at the school gate. No end-of-year parties or school friends. I couldn’t imagine a childhood...

Families across England unite to oppose the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

On Sunday the 13th of July, families, educators, and allies gathered in towns and cities across England to protest the proposed Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill , a controversial piece of legislation that many believe would harm, not help, young people. The bill is being presented as a measure to improve...

Home education | Homeschooling advice In the UK the preferred term is 'home education'. If you see me using it, that's because the USA biased Google algorithms proritise their search results for 'homeschooling'. Read why correct terminolgy matters .

Don’t buy or subscribe to anything until you have found your feet.

Don’t panic buy all the stuff, even if it is discounted or a bargain...

Learning through play: From early years to teens

In England, play often gets treated as a nice extra, something squeezed in when the “real work” is done. But research, and decades of experience in home education, show that play is not a break from learning. It is learning. When we think of play, we often picture young children with building blocks or playground...