ABOUT

Hi, I’m Alice — unschooler, mentor, and advocate for the right to learn.

I am an introvert and reluctant radical, happiest in the hills and by the sea.

You may have met me in the home educating world, heard me speak, or stumbled across me online. I am a passionate advocate for children’s right to learn in ways that feel safe, consensual, and learner-driven.

Children have been my greatest teachers, and still are.

I saw the light go out in my son’s eyes

In January 2010, I saw the light go out in my eldest son’s eyes, his curiosity dimming.

He was only seven! I wasn’t having that ….

I imagined giving him a different kind of childhood: time to play, to pursue real questions, to learn from a wide world of wonder.

So I deregistered him and his brother from school and we set out on an adventure into organic education.

People tell me I took a risk, but it was a risk to leave him in school and watch his anxiety increase, his motivation further diminish.

I followed my children’s lead, facilitating and co-creating learning journeys as individual as they are.

Those boys are in their twenties now.

My younger two sons, now aged 20 and 14, have never been to school. We have enjoyed living as if school doesn’t exist. Imagine that!

I once trained as a teacher but, for over 16 years I have been challenging the assumption that school is where education happens.

In 2016, I gave a TEDx talk — no small thing for a girl who was once selectively mute. I hope it continues to inspire parents to think outside the box.

My Mum reminds me that he seeds of unschooling were sown in my own childhood. I used to refuse school – I always imagined a better way of learning.

In 2023, I completed a Masters in Childhood in Society at the University of Warwick, receiving a departmental award for research that centred the voices of children who have never been to school. These children have a lot to teach us about the ways in which they learn.

Our four sons are now emerging into adulthood — engineer, events technician, tennis coach, and one still learning from home, working towards GCSEs, loving exploring high level mathematics, and playing bass.

Diverse paths, as diverse as they are.

There are many ways to grow up. If you are considering home education, embracing life without school, or simply reimagining what education can look like, you are not alone.

I hope you find something useful in our story, that it inspires you.

Do get in touch if you would value a conversation and some encouragement on a road less travelled.