ABOUT

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

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 dimming at just seven years old. I imagined a different kind of childhood: time to play, to pursue real questions, to learn from a wide world of wonder. So we deregistered from school and set out on an adventure.

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

Though I trained as a teacher, I now challenge 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. 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.

Our four sons are now emerging into adulthood — engineer, events technician, tennis coach, and one still learning from home, working towards his GCSEs and playing bass. Diverse paths, as diverse as they are.

There are many ways to grow up. If you are embracing life without school, or simply reimagining what education can look like, you are not alone. I hope you find something useful here.