Oscar Wilde wrote: “Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.”
It is a powerful line. And for many home educating families, it lands somewhere deep. Because many of us come to home ed through a quiet act of disobedience. Not the loud, reckless kind. Not...
Learning doesn’t follow a straight line What I used to think learning should look like: Workbooks. Steady progress. Timetabled ‘learning’. Educational apps. A clear beginning, middle, and end. What does it actually look like? Messy bursts of curiosity. Half-finished projects. Sudden leaps after long lulls. Ideas that spark, fade, and sometimes return months later - or not at all.
Home educated children can have rich and varied social lives, but friendships outside school do not always happen automatically. Here’s what socialisation actually looks like, from local groups and mixed-age friendships to teenagers, online friends and children who simply need less social contact.
If you tell somebody you home educate, there is a good chance one particular question will...
Why UK home educators are losing trust in their local authorities – 2024 report findings
A major report from Educational Freedom published last September, exposed how many UK home-educating families are being let down, misrepresented, or actively harmed by their local authorities (LAs). Drawing on 818 survey responses, Freedom of Information requests, and nearly two decades of...
Actions to take against the Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill
I know many families don’t have the time or capacity to get heavily involved in the protests - but signing and sharing a petition takes just a couple of minutes, and it does make a difference.
Our voices must be heard. We need to make it harder for the government to ignore us, and easier for them to be held...
ChatGPT can now be customised far beyond a single set of instructions. Here’s how to adjust its tone, memory and responses so it works more naturally for your family and the way you home educate.
If you use ChatGPT regularly for home education, spending a few minutes on the personalisation settings can make it considerably more useful. Instead of repeatedly explaining that you are in the UK,...
Using AI for education and teaching children. How LLMs like ChatGPT can transform learning at home.
Artificial intelligence is quietly becoming a helpful tool for home ed families. Used with care, it can support learning in ways that feel personal, flexible, and rooted in real life. AI can help you reflect on what your child is already doing, build on their interests, and make sense of...
Home educating as a neurodivergent adult comes with its own challenges, and overthinking it spirals...
I frequently worry that I’m not doing enough with my demand-avoidant youngest son. Or I have a ton of great learning ideas, but can't focus on one to actually do.
My mind jumps between random, hyper-focused rabbit holes—yesterday’s included mantis shrimps, growing lavender, and...
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...
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...
