Articles

How a home education photography course helped a Suffolk teen find her passion

With results day around the corner, Suffolk teen Caitlin Banham is an example of how home education can transform your relationship with learning.

Teacher and founder of Aced Qualifications , Deborah Hayward, is currently celebrating the successful impact their photography course has had upon recent student Caitlin who, after being inspired by her studies at Aced Qualifications, has been...

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How the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is impacting home educated children’s mental health

When legislation causes anxiety: supporting our children through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

The passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (CWSB) through the House of Commons has been deeply unsettling for many families—but for my son, it has caused a level of stress and anxiety I never expected.

Like many home-ed children, he thrives in a learning...

The Children’s Wellbeing & Schools Bill. What happens next?

The Children’s Wellbeing & Schools Bill. March 2025 update.

Labour MPs have voted to back the Children’s Wellbeing & Schools Bill.

I’m appalled but not surprised.

So what happens now?

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill has now finished its journey through the House of Commons, but MPs can still submit written questions and contact the minister on behalf of their constituents. The bill has now moved to the House of Lords, where it...

Not Back to School: Naomi Fisher on Childhood Without Classrooms

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...

What did you learn at school today? By Naomi Fisher

School isn't the only way to get an education, and the school way isn't the only way to learn. In fact, some of the skills we need at school are quite different to the skills we need in order to direct our own learning.

This table from my new book contrasts some of the skills we need to do school 'well' with the...

Are exams harming teenagers? Naomi Fisher questions the system

Exams are very strange by Naomi Fisher Do we really want our teenagers to spend their adolescence on a conveyor belt of high stakes exams?

What a strange thing we do to our young people in this culture and time.

We make them spend several years learning things that they often have no interest in, that they have not chosen and that they will in many cases never use again. We tell them...

The Right to Refuse: Allowing children to say no

The Right to Refuse By Naomi Fisher

We don’t value the right to say no, when it comes to children.

We pretend that we do. We teach them about consent, and that their body is theirs alone.

We read them books and show them films about saying no to adults who tell them not to tell their mum about a secret or who try to lead them away from their family.

Then we tell...

How Do Children Learn When They Don't Go to School?

How Do Children Learn When They Don't Go to School? By Naomi Fisher

Most people have no idea what child development and education looks like outside school when young people have autonomy. I've been told that children will endlessly move from whim to whim, or that they'll never learn to set goals or work hard. Here's what actually happens.

Young self-directed children play. They play...

Families unite in Exeter: a stand against the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

A powerful stand for parental rights at the CWSB Exeter rally #TheHomeEdDaily #ChildrensWellbeingBill #AreYouListeningNow #HomeEducation #ParentalRights

On Saturday, home educators, parents, and supporters came together across the country to stand up for parental rights, educational freedom, and the protection of children . The rallies were a testament to the strength and...

Home Education Works — Our Family’s Story from School to Success

Home Educating – and beyond! By Ross Mountney

I sometimes think the government would like to devise an injection for all kids at birth that would make them all grow exactly the same! It would make it so much easier for them; if all kids learned the same, achieved the same, at the same time, in the same way, without having to pay attention to individual needs! Then the politicians could have...

The Fight for Our Children's Future: Stopping Government Intrusion into Our Homes

For generations, parents in the UK have had the fundamental right to raise and educate their children in a way that aligns with their values, beliefs, and unique needs. However, this basic right is now under threat like never before. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (CWSB) represents the most significant government intrusion into family life and education since the 1870 Education Act...