The term ‘invisible children’ wrongly paints home-ed kids as lost or at risk. In truth, they’re thriving outside school - seen, loved, and learning in their own way.
There’s a damaging phrase that has been popping up in media stories for years: “invisible children.” It’s often used to describe children who aren’t in school, as if being out of sight means out of mind. As if children...
When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower – Alexander Den Heijer
So often, families come to home education after watching their child struggle to thrive in school. They’re told their child is behind, too distracted, too sensitive, too slow, too much. But what if the problem isn’t the child?
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.
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...
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.
As September rolls around, the familiar hum of the "back-to-school" season fills the air. Shops brim with school supplies, uniforms, and lunchboxes, while families gear up for the whirlwind of early mornings and jam-packed schedules. But for a growing number of families, this September signifies a shift away from convention. Instead of rushing back to classrooms, they’re embracing the freedom and...
School starting age: Why Finland waits until 7 – and the UK doesn’t
In contrast to our broken system, children in Finland don’t start formal schooling until age 7. Before that, children can attend daycare or preschool, where the emphasis is firmly on play , creativity, and social development rather than formal academics. This approach supports healthy emotional and cognitive growth in the...
Did you know that autistic pupils are facing barriers to their fundamental right to education? A leading charity has sounded the alarm, revealing a shocking 166% increase in the number of autistic children persistently absent from school over the past four years.
Let’s delve into the numbers. In England alone, over a quarter of autistic children – that's roughly 51,000 out of...
