Home Education Matters

What can the world of dog behaviour teach us as parents? Is it all about compliance and control? Do I really want my child to sit on command?? Join dog behaviourist, Jo Moorcroft, and I as we discuss what we can learn as home educating parents from the ever advancing world of dog training. Sounds like everything home educating isn't? You might be surprised!  [This podcast is very much a labou...

Today Diane and I have a fun and irreverent discussion about life as a home educator. We chat about our preconceptions of home education versus the reality of life as a home educating family. Ranging from the education aspect to community life, we take aim at our previously held beliefs and discuss how these have been challenged by the reality of being home educators. There's laughter, discussion...

It's great to be joined again by Dr Naomi Fisher as we discuss how best to support your anxious child. We discuss the anxieties inherent within our education system (in fact integral to them) and also lots of practical advice for how to help your child navigate their anxiety, coping with it as a family and supporting them through it and out the other side.  [This podcast is very much a labour...

Join Andrea and I as we discuss the crisis in teaching, how to shift from teaching to tutoring and the specific benefits of the home education sector. As a home ed parent, I discuss the things to look out for when choosing a tutor and Andrea gives some amazing insight into why she loves teaching home educated students and the differences in our approach to learning compared to school children. Whe...

Today I chat with Katherine Sneep from HomeMade Education about how to go about choosing your I/GCSE subjects. We discuss timing of subjects, favourite ones to start with and potential pitfalls of certain curriculum subjects. It's a great whizz-through exam choices for anyone with home educated children aged from 10 upwards.  [This podcast is very much a labour of love, but it's also both a c...

In the second of our Charlotte Mason double bill, I talk to Diana Edwin about how to take this popular approach and use it to help your child through their GCSEs and A levels. Often this educational approach is used by home educators with younger children but then gets dropped as the child nears exam age. Diana explains why the CM approach is an empowering way to retain your child's love of learni...

In the first of our Charlotte Mason double bill, I talk to Amanda Goodchild about the benefits of using this approach with your home educated child. We discuss the details of the CM approach: what it is and what it isn't, and tell you everything you need to know to decide if it's the right route for you and your child. [This podcast is very much a labour of love, but it's also both a costly and ti...

Today's episode covers all things you need to know about EHCPs for your EOTAS or home educated child, including how to get an EHCP, what can be included in one, how the process differs from when in school, how to carry over your EHCP from a school setting, and the benefits and negatives of getting one.  Karen is in our FB group 'Home Education Matters' and happy to answer any questions you ma...

"You're not going to walk around with a calculator in your pocket all your life" ... Or are we? Join Canadian education entrepreneur Maxwell Roach and I in our lively discussion on the role that actually knowing stuff plays in education. Do we need to know basic maths facts? Is the why more important than the what? Are some sectors of the population needed to just unquestioningly do grunt work? Is...

Tired of the limitations of GCSEs? Does your child not fit the narrow mold of our standard (and some might say, antiquated!) assessment system? Maybe you're looking for something without final exams or a system that is more inclusive of your child's preferences? Then this podcast is for you, as Debs and I discuss all the wonderful options out there that map across to GCSEs. Freedom and flexibility...

Helen and I go through 26 (yes, 26!) different ways to home educate. From structured to unschooling, Charlotte Mason to Reggio Emilia, delight directed to tidal learning - we discuss each one, what it is and why it might work (or maybe not work) for you and your family. Home Education in all its variety! How do you do it? Is your approach on the list? Tell us in the comments and let us know. [This...

Harness your child's techy brain and find out what various qualifications are open to them. In this podcast, I am joined by Holly from TeachAllAboutIT to discuss all things tech education. From gaming courses and internet safety to GCSE and A level Computer Science, we deep dive into specifications and syllabi to discover what options your home educated child has.  [This podcast is very much...

Today's episode is a whistlestop tour through all the things you need to know about home education. We cover: deregistering your rights and responsibilities report writing dealing with your local authority qualifications and college entry different home ed approaches deschooling sitting exams other people's judgement how to engage your child in the process This is an amazing episode full of inform...

Diane and I discuss some of the most common questions that parents have when considering home education, from "Am I clever enough?" to "But isn't it really boring??" we answer all your questions openly and honestly. If your question isn't answered, comment below and we'll answer it for you. [This podcast is very much a labour of love, but it's also both a costly and time consuming process ... if y...

Join me as I chat with home educating businesswomen Kate Symonds, Claire Hirst and Veronica Williams. From imposter syndrome to spinning never ending plates, we talk about the challenges and enormous benefits of working from home while home educating your children. [This podcast is very much a labour of love, but it's also both a costly and time consuming process ... if you'd like to Buy Me a Coff...

I'm very excited to be joined by Dr Naomi Fisher today, author of hugely popular home education book: Changing our Minds. Join us as we discuss unschooling and the delicate balance between protection and freedom. We look at teen development and educating with respect and equality, with a focus on screen use. Have you ever wondered how to incorporate screen use into your family with honour but also...

This second part of our discussion on the US system and how it can be applied to UK home educators sees me chat with Helen Harrold and Jenni Cassidy about their AP offering. Providing an option for British home educated children to combine a High School Diploma with APs in order to attend the very best universities in Britain, join us as we discuss the benefits of AP qualifications compared to A l...

Michele Holmes is on a mission to bring the High School Diploma to UK home educators. Join me as I chat with Michele about why she thinks the American system is perfectly suited to British home educators, and how it equates across to our UK system of GCSEs. No exams, broader range of subjects and parental assessments ... sounds too good to be true? Have a listen and find out! Breaking news ... I m...

Have you removed your child from a traumatic school experience? Do you want to know how to heal your child but still support their learning at home? Worried about how to allow recovery time for your child whilst still doing enough to keep your Local Authority team happy? Struggling to re-engage your child with their learning? Today I talk to Karen Bonthron who works with the LA to support home edu...

Exams in the UK are all about hoop jumping. And there's nothing home educators like less than pointless bureaucratic hoop jumping! But don't worry. We've got the ultimate guide to hack the system and make exams as seamless and easy as you dare. From Environmental Management to Edexcel English Language and beyond, we've got some amazing hacks to get you through exams.

Today I'm chatting with Jemma about how best to help your child at home with maths. Maths is all about balance ... no, not balancing equations but learning how to balance rote learning with understanding, fun with efficiency, and freedom with repetition. Join us and learn some great methods to facilitate your child's maths as part of your home educating journey.

Check out our in depth chat with unschooling expert Heidi Steel. It's a fascinating insight into this child led approach to education, detailing both the challenges and the benefits of partnering with your child to choose how, what, when, where, what and why they learn.

Home educating? Why stick to the usual schooly curriculum subjects? These two subjects are 100% exam assessed with fascinating and relevant content for our home schooled / home educated teens, and so are fabulous options for home educators wanting to sit GCSEs as external candidates.

Autonomous parenting? Partnership parenting? Unschooling? Radical unschooling? Come and join Sarah and I as we chat all things autonomy, respect, tolerance and red lines. Some ideas are challenging, and some controversial, but they're all fascinating! Check out this super fun rollercoaster of a chat through the world of free flowing home education.

Join Diane and I recapping some of our highlights (and lowlights!) of 2022 as home educating / home schooling families, and looking ahead to our goals and New Year resolutions for 2023.