ABOUT

Hi, I’m Alice, unschooler and advocate for the right to learn, Mum of 4 boys, introvert, and reluctant radical, happiest in the hills and by the sea.

I’m a Sussex girl at heart, and a seeker of magic in the spaces between us. I believe that when two people meet, with genuine openness and respect, we each have something to teach and something to learn, no matter our age.

My children have been my greatest teachers. They still are.

In January 2010, I saw the light go out in my eldest son’s eyes, his curiosity and questions about the world diminishing.

I wasn’t having that – He was only 7!

I imagined a different kind of childhood with plenty of time to play, to pursue the pertinent questions and things of interest in a wide world of wonder.

So we deregistered from school and set out on an adventure into organic education, crafting a learning journey which emerged from our interests and questions, and all we encountered in our life and community.

My younger two boys have never been to school. We live as if it doesn’t exist.

There were times growing up when I struggled to attend school myself, so the seeds of our unschooling were sown in my own childhood and imagination.

Though I trained as a teacher, nowadays I like to challenge conventional ideas about schooling and the assumption that school is where education happens.

In 2016 I gave a TEDx talk. It was scary for a girl who was once selectively mute. But this girl had something important to say.

In 2023, I completed my Masters in Childhood in Society at The University of Warwick, receiving an award from the Department of Education Studies for my research project which looked at the learning narratives of children who have never been to school, sought to centre children’s voices, and challenge the dominant narrative that school is necessary for learning.

Though my heart home is in the South Downs, my husband, Krish, and I – like so many people – are rootless urbanites, currently residing in the West Midlands.

He worked for many years as a secondary maths teacher but, reflecting our commitment to lifelong learning, last year made a career switch and works in battery manufacture as a technician.

I am a family manager, mentor, writer, speaker, and informal researcher of education outside of school. I still don’t really know what I want to do.

Despite their unconventional education, our sons are emerging into adulthood and pursuing pathways aligned with their very different interests:

Our eldest is an engineer. He is fixing up his own house, and has just graduated with first class honours, completing his degree around his work. Our second works as an events technician, following the completion of a successful apprenticeship. Our third is a tennis coach following the completion of a BTEC at college. Our youngest continues to enjoy learning from home. He is working towards GCSEs, especially loves maths, and is a talented self-taught bass player.

So, pull up a chair and grab a cup of tea …

There are diverse pathways to adulthood and work, as diverse as our wonderful young people. If you are embracing the idea of life without school, or reimagining education, you are not alone.

I hope you find encouragement and inspiration for your journey here.