As a maths tutor, I specialise in teaching the UK Maths GCSE.

Something that not many people realise is that the content for Maths GCSE starts in Year 6/7 and is stretched out over 5 years for the exams to be taken in Year 11.

KS3 Maths (years 7 to 9, or ages 11 – 14) is the maths that is tested on the foundation level GCSE paper.

Most students complete around 8 – 12 GCSEs during their time in secondary school.

The more students I work with, the more I am questioning: why so many GCSEs at one time and why does it take so long?

Just earlier today one of my students was telling me they are learning to draw triangles with a ruler (this is year 8 work for some bizarre reason) the next part would be constructing triangles with a pair of compasses and protractor, which takes 5 minutes to learn, but that won’t be covered until year 9.

So students are waiting an entire year to be taught something that could easily be covered, or learnt from a video, in literally minutes.

There are several success stories about children who, either whilst being homeschooled or in mainstream schooling, complete their maths GCSE far sooner than age 16 – not just maths actually! Other subjects too.

Of course the natural reaction is “oh that child must be super smart” or “wow they were probably pushed a lot and didn’t have a social life”.

I personally disagree with both of those viewpoints.

My current opinion is that you do not have to be super smart to do some GCSE exams before the age of 16 and you certainly don’t have to give up other aspects of your life, living in a virtual prison until the exams are done.

I think if more students (with support from their parents/carers) utilised their time better by planning their GCSE route, particularly from the age of 7 or 8, it would be very easy to start the content for some of the GCSE exams – perhaps around 3 of the subjects, including maths – and be ready for the exams by around the age of 12.

If you look at the topics for the maths GCSE it is basically comprised of:

Number – arithmetic, fractions, percentages, powers/indices, standard form

Algebra – simplifying, solving, rearranging, graphing, algebraic fractions.

Data – histograms, charts, box plots, cumulative frequency and probability

Geometry – shape, area, volume, vectors, circle theorems

Even if your child spent one year on each of those topics, starting at age 7, they would be ready by age 11.

Those topics could easily be covered in 2 years by spending around 30 – 40 mins per day studying each maths topic or concept.

This would hardly require much of a sacrifice of the hobbies or social life that a child would normally participate in.

In fact, because your child is doing the maths regularly at a pace that suits them, they will probably enjoy it far more than the way its currently delivered in school. If they need to spend an extra week or two on arithmetic, they can. If they need more time to understand algebra, no problem.

What resources do you need to do the maths GCSE early and is a tutor neccessary?

There are so many free or low cost resources available online and in print now that as a parent you don’t have to be an expert in maths yourself in order to help your child.

So the short answer is that you don’t need a tutor necessarily.

The longer answer is if you don’t have the budget for a tutor or a course, your child needs to be motivated and driven enough to find the answers and methods they need to figure out the maths. Again, this is not that difficult particularly with the number of youtube videos that are available for every maths topic.

You role as parent/carer is to provide the space, support and light guidance to help your child stay on track. Perhaps helping them set daily or weekly goals on what topics need to be covered.

If you do have the budget and find yourselves getting overwhelmed with the amount of stuff available, then a tutor or online course might suit you better.

How to sit the exam?

You will need to register at an exam centre, an exam centre is any organisation that is registered as a place for students to come and take their GCSE exam under exam conditions.

This could be a local school or college or any other educational organisation near you that offers exams for students.

Please note there is usually a charge to sit a GCSE exam. For example the GCSE maths exam, done privately, currently costs around £200. Prices are set by the centre so do check this well in advance to ensure proper budgeting.

What is the point of doing GCSEs early?

There are several advantages:

Children generally love learning, giving them the option to move faster means they are less likely to get bored and disruptive.

Once they complete their core subjects like maths, english and science, they can focus more on the subjects they really enjoy.

Completing some GCSEs before 16 means there is a lot less pressure and means they can spread out their exams over 4 years instead of doing them all in one summer.

Does your child really need 8 – 12 GCSEs? Not everyone wants to go to university for example, so what is the need for such a range of academic subjects?

Some children simply want to start earning money or do an apprenticeship and would benefit more this route.

Currently the timing for GCSEs is the same time children go through adolescence, if we can ease the pressure they face at this time or help them to study more on their terms and help them to achieve their goals, it would make their teenage years easier.

Are there any drawbacks with this?

It is possible that some children may be reluctant to do this, I am simply proposing keeping the options open for them and at least discussing the possibility of completing their compulsory education early.

Of course if they start to feel overwhelmed or de motivated, its good to re think the plan.

How do you keep children engaged and motivated with the idea of doing exams early?

One of the best ways is to plan ahead.

So even if your children are under the age of 7 at the moment, start thinking about what route would be best for them.

Keep learning fun and playful and never let their academic ability be the basis for their self worth.

Build the basics in a fun way when they are young, things like number facts, timestables and so on can all be learnt by playing games.

As they get older, especially between the age of 7 and 10, start to introduce some structure and weekly goals for their learning.

Talk to them about the advantages of finishing some subjects and getting the exams done and out of the way.

You want to reach a point in your household where education and lifelong learning are the main focus but in a fun and low pressure way.

Children should enjoy their education journey and as they get to the pre teen and teenage years they will hopefully want to choose their own learning goals and work on them whilst being intrinsically motivated.

I hope this has been helpful, drop a comment below if you have any questions or any discussion points to add.

Its true what they say about the link between play and staying youthful.

I approach most things in life as a puzzle solving game.

This means I’m not afraid to make mistakes (as long as no one’s feelings are hurt and I’m not doing anything immoral of course!) and I’m always open to trying new and different approaches.

It also means I enjoy my problems as opposed to finding them stressful!

We need to find ways to instil this mindset and approach into older children – preteens, teens and young adults.

I used to work with a lot of teenagers when I taught robotics in various different secondary schools.

Here are a few things I noticed:

• They loved it when I taught less and let them work things out
• They loved the freedom of choosing their own tasks for their robots
• They enjoyed having an adult there in case they got really stuck
• They loved the choice of competing if they wanted to
• They loved playing around with the software without too much help
• Because there was no exam, they were not limited by any parameters.

In other words, they loved being in charge of their own learning. They were grateful when they were trusted to be responsible learners.

So here is my proposal:

Learning through play doesn’t have to be limited to having physical kits like robots. Learning through play is not just for early years.

If we give space to young adults to explore the things they are interested in and to make their own mistakes without jumping in or trying to correct them or worry about how they will pass an exam: they will naturally stay interested in learning and become independent lifelong learners.

Once your children are over the age of 10 (or sooner) and especially when they become teenagers, they will probably have some ideas of the things they are interested in and the topics that they want to learn more about.

As parents and educators you will probably do best by offering some guidance and a lot less actual teaching.

I understand it can be tempting to force them into a timetable and schedule that is similar to school – particularly if you want them to gain some GCSE qualifications.

However, this might not always work and even if your teens are compliant it doesn’t necessarily mean this is how they are happiest or most content with their learning.

So how do you allow your older children to learn through play whilst also knowing they will actually study and get some qualifications that will help them start to build a stable career and/or financially stable future?

The concept of play at this age involves giving your children the time and space to explore their ideas, create their own projects, try things out and not be shamed when things don’t work out or when something they try ‘fails’.

Support them and give them time to figure out alternatives.

Let’s look at the core subjects needed for most jobs:

English:

Despite the rise of AI, writing is still (and I think always will be) a critical life skill that young people should be practising on a daily basis.

And of course, being a good writer is impossible without being widely read.

So basic english skills come from regular reading and writing.

Find fun projects for your children to write about or interesting goals. For example ask them to find out:

• How would you go about getting a poem published?
• Are there any online writing courses that seem interesting?
• Would you like to earn money by writing and how can you start?
• Is it ok to use AI to write things for you? What are the pros and cons of this? (I will dive deeper into AI and Ethics in a different blog post)
• Can you write a comic book or a short novel?

And so on.

These kinds of projects are probably far more interesting than trying to decipher Shakespeare or interpreting a poem about world war 1.

It will help show them the fun side of studying english. They can pursue their own projects whilst still making time for the GCSE english course and exam.

Maths:

As most jobs require a GCSE in maths I would personally recommend that homeschooled children do at least attempt this qualification.

But how can you keep your child interested in maths especially when they find it hard?

If your child is interested in making money or the thrill of starting a business, this is a fantastic way for them to improve their financial skills.

They will learn about budgeting, how to generate a profit and will need to practice a lot of basic maths like percentages, forecasts, spreadsheets and even bookkeeping and accounting.

All of these make for employable skills that are in demand and build invaluable life skills.

So even if they lose interest in their business or it just doesn’t work, they are not wasting time. They are learning a lot.

But what if your child absolutely hates maths right now??

You will need to take baby steps in terms of building up a habit of studying a small amount of maths per week.

Start with the very basics (most people who hate maths do so because they lack the foundational skills and are too embarassed to re learn the ‘easy’ stuff).

This can be done through maths games and quizzes.

Some basic worksheets are also a good way to build up some small successes which will in turn build confidence.

What you will find is that once your child is confident in the basics, they will start to enjoy maths again.

Try to relate maths to real life as much possible so that your child can see the relevance and importance of it.

I have tutored many students who go from hating maths and struggling with times tables and basic fractions to really enjoying it and finding the ability to get a good pass and even considering studying it further.

Its ok if your child is not super keen on maths, but they do need good working knowledge of the basics.

Small, consistent progress every week is better than trying to get lots done every day.

What about other subjects?

You can apply similar ideas and approaches to other subjects that your child might be interested in studying.

History – find people they can speak to who actually witnessed the historical events that they want to learn about or museums that specialise in those particular topics.

Geography – great excuse for days out!

Languages – So many fun resources online and personal tutors who are native speakers…or a great reason to travel, no??

Programming/Coding – One of the best subjects that is literally learnt by breaking and rebuilding a programme.

The ultimate goal of education is to ensure your children are productive and helpful members of society.

Getting them involved in community projects – or even starting their own – is one of the best learning opportunities they can have.

Working alongside adults and understanding how things work in their local area, setting up initiatives to improve local services and so on.

These kind of opportunities teach your children incredible skills and also builds their network. Who we know is often more helpful than what we know.

Some examples:

A local gardening/food growing group at the allotment

A reading group for early years children

Volunteering at charities, hospitals and local businesses

In summary what I’m saying is learning doesn’t have to be at a set time, at a desk.

That’s one of the main drivers for homeschooling or home education.

As your children get older, let them lead. Let them experiment. Let them play.

Yes qualifications are important.

Yes they need to be able to stand on their own 2 feet.

All of that starts with a love of learning and the best learning happens through play, exploration and investigation.

This is so much easier than it seems and far easier than people like to believe.

Let’s focus on reading first:

In mainstream schools, particularly in the UK, they use a phonics only approach to reading.

This includes making up fake words and using specific sentences to teach how to decode and sound out words in order to read.

The stories are not like normal stories and for some reason they have separated reading, writing, comprehension and phonics into completely different things and subjects. So children learn phonics in isolation from actually reading a book.

Its bizarre and many education experts are pointing out that this is the reason that children do not enjoy reading as they get older.

You can read some thoughts here: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/story/phonics-isnt-working-childrens-reading-improve-they-need-learn-love

and here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2024/may/opinion-phonics-lessons-arent-working-heres-better-way-teach-children-read-and-write

So here is a better and much easier approach that children actually enjoy.

1 – Read with your child every day. Choose a small selection of books, 3 to 5 different but simple books. Books like Spot, Fox’s Socks, or Dear Zoo.

2 – Make it fun. Get into the stories and characters, get emotionally invested in the stories and you will giggle so much with your child/children. Reading with you will be something that they can’t wait to do every day!

3 – Start teaching them the alphabet. Do this through play by drawing the letters, or with magnetic letters and pointing out letters and words in your every day activities.

4 – If you have space use a large whiteboard with markers, let your little ones scribble on it and enjoy the feeling of writing and copying letters etc. Pretend their scribbles say really bizarre things: ‘Mummy ate all the chocolate cake??’ How did you know!!” ‘There is an elephant in the fridge?? We better check!!” and so on.

5 – Soon your little ones will start writing the letters and will probably be interested in writing their names and then the names of family members too. Congrats! This is the beginning of reading and writing!

6 – Start introducing the concept that letters make sounds and different letters make different sounds. (Basic phonics)

7 – Also start looking at basic two and three letter words: Me, You, It, If, We, Hat, Rat, Bed, On, Off (this can be as early as 2 years old, but pay careful attention to how long they are interested, it might only be a minute or two which is fine, they are still learning lots). You may have to wait until they are 3 or 4 years old before they are ready to learn, age really doesn’t matter at this point, every child develops differently. Keep playing with them and keep reading with them.

8 – As they become more interested, which is usually somewhere between ages 4 – 6, they will want to know more and more words. They will want to know how to read and where to find these words in their favourite books that they have read with you so many times. This is a truly fun and precious time!

9 – Revisit common words in their books and talk about the sounds and why they are spelt the way they are. Keep it in context and don’t overwhelm them, make sure they still enjoy the stories and the reading time with you. They may even start joining in by reading the words they recognise for you or with you.

10. Start making small lists of words that vary in length from two to four letters with your child that they can write by copying or memorising and slowly build them into fun sentences. E.g. It, is, hot, cold, fun, my, box, red, egg. You can make these into sentences: It is hot. My egg is in the box. My egg is red! And so on.

Use a mixture of sounding out (phonics) and memorising letter combinations like ‘the’ to read words and work out what they say.

Using this method at around 4.5 to 5 years old your child should be able to read and write basic sentences within a few weeks. Most importantly they will enjoy the process, develop a deep love of learning and build up their understanding of texts and comprehension.

If you keep adding 2 new words per week, keep reading and writing with your child, they will become fluent readers who genuinely enjoy books and love writing.

You can write separate words on large pieces of card and let them rearrange them to build up sentences.

Also sticking their words of the week on the wall is a great way to help them memorise the sounds and spelling.

Asking them why their name (or any family member’s name) is or isn’t spelt with specific letters is a good way to build understanding of sounds and letter combinations.

Whilst this approach still uses some phonics teaching, it is done within context of fun stories and games. It gives children a reason to look at words and sentences. It combines all aspects of reading and writing and keeps the enjoyment and fun of reading as the main reason for learning.

Writing and posting letters to family and friends is another fun activity that builds numerous skills.

Games and resources for learning letters and words:

Scrabble tiles or anything similar that allows children to pick up and physically move the letters and words around on a table are great.

Large word cards which you can make at home or purchase are fantastic as it means children will be moving around the room putting words and letters in the right order – be careful your floor and walls will be covered in sentences!

Alphabet posters, some include basic words as well, available in poundland or other discount stores.

Allowing your child to choose their own notebook and writing pen is always a winner!

Spelling and word matching games are great for taking a break from writing.

A note about testing and assessments:

You will notice I haven’t mentioned any kind of testing here. This is because if you work with your child you will know what they are capable of and how many words they are able to read.

You will know if they are guessing words or actually attempting to sound them out and see what they say.

I personally don’t think that formal tests at this age are beneficial, discreet assessing as you go is the best way. Encourage your child lots and celebrate all the wins. Never make them think they should be learning faster or that they are behind.

Find new games and new methods to keep their interest, having a day off is ok too.

I hope that has been useful so far. I will tackle the maths learning in the next post!

See you there and as always please post any thoughts or comments below – even if you disagree with this method!

Also whilst we are on the topic lets talk about the terms for home schooling and home education.

Some people like to differentiate (and will be offended!) if you use the term homeschooling whilst they prefer to call it ‘home educating’ or even ‘elective home education’. This is because they view homeschooling as literally doing school at home which they despise and hate the idea of anyone trying to infringe on their freedom. (This is more of a UK thing).

Whilst others use the terms interchangeably and understand or view homeschooling and home educating as the same thing. I.e. learning at home or someplace out of mainstream school.

I personally tend to use the terms interchangeably. I find the term homeschooling is far more comprehensible to people who do not homeschool and I also think its a good idea to loosely follow the school curriculum so that we have some idea of milestones and lesson content. I then add on my own extras and move at the pace that I feel is right.

There are lots of differing attitudes in the home schooling community, some parents hate the thought of exams and any kind of pressure and some stick to very rigid schedules similar to school. Then you have other families doing a range of things in between. If you are new to homeschooling take your time to find what works for you and your children and then find other parents and families who have a similar rhythm and goals to yourself.

In this post I will break down different approaches with their pros and cons, hopefully this will give you some ideas to start planning your approach to homeschooling.

First: Decide what you want to achieve

Do you want your children to do GCSE exams and how many?

Do you want them to complete them early – if you are homeschooling it’s possible to complete some GCSEs by age 11 – 14 (my personal recommendation) which I will dive into in another post.

Or are you going to be more laid back and/or decide later?

Do you want your child to specialise in something completely different like a sport or art or chess? In that case that hobby will likely take up most of your child’s schedule.

What do your children want? If they are old enough and mature enough its worth having regular conversations with them so that you are all on the same page and not fighting a constant battle.

Timetables/Schedules

Option 1: Do it like School

You can literally follow a typical school day, start at 9am, several lessons, and then finish at 3pm.

Pros:

Some children and families need that structure and organisation.

Works well for older teens who have deregistered from school and want to continue studying in a similar manner.

You can follow the school curriculum and use textbooks so you all know what to expect each day.

Lots of websites and resources available for this method.

You may even be able to stay in touch with a local or your previous school and get support.

Cons:

Requires constant supervision

You may need a specialist tutor or teacher for each lesson

You need a dedicated classroom space

Might be difficult depending on how many children you have and their age gaps

Option 2: Do it like school for half of the day or specific days of the week

You can do formal lessons starting at 9/10am and finish at 1pm.

Pros:

Less intensive for everyone

Children might work better if they have freedom in the afternoons or certain days

Might be easier to work with one child in the morning and another child in the afternoon

Might be easier for working parents

Cons:

Might take longer to complete work or cover a topic

Option 3: Choose a few core subjects to study in depth

For example you might just focus on reading and writing and basic maths if your child is under 7.

You can choose to go deep into maths, robotics and science with your preteens and teens if they are interested in those subjects.

If one of your children is a budding writer, they can spend most of their time learning how to write, complete writing courses and might even look into publishing a book or blog etc.

Pros:

Allows for mastery of a few key subjects

Allows children to follow their passions

Good for teenagers who want freedom in their education

Less expense as this method requires less tutors and resources

Cons

Won’t work if children aren’t focused well or don’t know what they enjoy

Option 4: Hardly any structure, mostly playing outside (please don’t do this all of the time)

Whilst this is great for early years, 0 to 5/6. And sometimes necessary for a few weeks or months if your children have recently deregistered from school or going through a tough situation. Its not my personal recommendation.

With the rise of the ‘unschooling’ parents on social media where parents are not teaching their children anything and whose children are falling behind in basic milestones such as not being able to read or write anything at age 6, having zero structure is a scary trend.

Please note, unschooling is not the same as learning through play.

Learning through play still has structure and learning objectives for each day or week. The difference is children don’t feel as though they are being forced to learn and it keeps them moving and playing as they learn instead of sitting at a desk.

Summary:

Those are the main type of approaches I can think of at the moment. Some families do a mix during the week or month. They may have 2 weeks of fully structured learning and then a few days to let the children just play or go deep into their areas of interest.

As I said at the beginning as long your children are making measurable progress each week, a mix of approaches is absolutely fine.

To do homeschooling well you need to keep a bond with your children and ensure you are all on the same page with expectations and goals.

Should I teach my children or get expert help?

Once you have figured out what kind of structure and frequency of study will suit your child/children you need to find resources and most likely get expert help at some point.

For under 7s I would recommend most of your child’s learning comes from you, i.e. the parents or main care givers.

This is a beautiful time of growth and precious moments of innocence which will never come back again. Maximise your time with them and learn about child development, emotional regulation and learning through play. Draw and colour with them, show them how to count and bake and make playdoh models.

Im not saying its easy and you will of course need a break sometimes but it will be worth it when you realise how much they love your time and attention and how much of your good habits they pick up and how they learn to trust you as they get older because you were there with them from the start.

You will find that the teenage years won’t be so difficult and all of your time and energy was well spent.

After the age of 7ish you may want to consider getting other experts and role models in. Of course this depends on your own background as well. If you are a specialist teacher or work in a particular field, absolutely you are probably still the best teacher for your child in that subject or area.

For other subjects you may want to use a mix of online schools, subject tutors and mentors etc.

And finally: socialising

Once you have figured out the academic side, you also need to find ways to get your children out of the house and around other people! (So much to think about!)

To help with this the activities page will soon list local and wider activity providers.

In the mean time find other local parents who are homeschooling and arrange activities. Most cities have home ed groups in person as well as online/whatsapp etc. Facebook is also a good place to start finding local groups.

This post is getting long so I will go into more social stuff in a different post.

I hope that has given you some idea on what to think about and different ways you can homeschool.

As always, drop a comment if you do things differently or feel I’ve missed anything important.

Questions always welcome too!

As children move past the early years their play changes. Most children start to become interested in making models and are usually interested in how things work, move or change.

This is a great time to start making with your children.

Don’t panic, you don’t need to be an expert model maker or robotics programmer!

Age 6/7 onwards is a great time to start introducing STEM kits.

What is STEM? STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. The acronym is used to refer to kits and subjects that deal with anything related to those 4 areas of education or learning. As a parent or carer you may well have a job in a STEM field.

So where or how do you start with STEM kits and how do you know which ones are good for your child?

With so many available to buy and at so many differing levels, its not always easy.

Here are some of the types that I would recommend starting with:

Initially simple model making is a great way to gauge your child’s interest without spending a fortune.

Many online shops have basic wooden building kits that are less than £10.

These type of kits are a great way to introduce the concept of using specific pieces in specific places and the idea of following instructions to build something.

I particularly like the wooden kits as they can be painted after which allows for lots of personalisation.

When you feel something slightly more challenging would be appropriate there are a range of physics kits where your child can build basic circuits by connecting together with large blocks.

I recently came across the logiblocks doorbell kit for around £10 (the kids will annoy you with the constant beeping, sorry, not sorry 🤣)

For the price they are reasonable and introduce basic concepts. Also kits like this are not too messy and easy for children to snap together. You can do it with them or leave them to it.

As your children get more skilled and a bit older I would recommend something more open ended where your child can learn to design and build from a choice of things or something they think of themselves.

One of the obvious choices here is a robotics building kit. There is a massive range available to buy now from screenless programmable robots to full kits that require building the robot and programming via a laptop or tablet.

Here are some examples:

VEX IQ

I used to teach extensively with this and it works great for children aged 7 to 18+ as you can build lots of different models and program it in basic scratch and actual programming languages like python.

Of course kits like those are an investment, starting prices are around £250/£300. Make sure you have the space and adequate storage and that your children are good with tidying away and looking after things before purchasing something like this.

Robot Jack/Bee Bots

If you want to start with something simpler, these are some good alternatives which introduce programming concepts:

I know there are lots more on the market, but I will have to do a separate post or two on all the options!

In summary I would suggest starting with small, lower priced options and see how your children get on. When and if you feel they would be interested in something more substantial invest in a kit that will last and challenge them for a few years.

Heading: The benefits of open ended stem/robotics

So why is it worth buying these kinds of kits and introducing your children to idea of making?

Firstly things are shifting, we are becoming more aware of the dangers of consumerism. Teaching your children about the benefits of making and looking after things is important.

We are designed to use our hands and curiosity. Whilst reading and writing is of course the foundation for learning, so too is the idea of experimenting and creating new things.

Not everyone can learn easily from a textbook or theory based lessons.

Immersive learning offers numerous benefits for both children and adults.

Here are some of them:

1. Keeps the curiosity and the fun aspect in learning
2. Allows children to make mistakes and learn by doing
3. Not having instructions for everything makes them better problem solvers
4. Stem kits can be completed in a team, group or individually thus building different interpersonal and social skills
5. When using kits and building things children are encouraged to try new things and come up with new ideas
6. These types of kits combine different topics designing, building, programming, evaluating, improving
7. Project based learning helps children to take ownership of their learning and pride in the things they have made

I hope this has been useful so far. This is an extensive topic and I have tried to summarise it here. If you feel I have missed anything that should be included, kindly let me know in the comments below!

Play isn’t just fun — it’s the foundation of how children learn best. From building towers with blocks to inventing stories in the garden, every playful moment can spark creativity, problem-solving, and confidence. In this crash course, we’ll explore how to turn everyday play into powerful learning — showing you simple, practical ways to guide your child’s curiosity, nurture their skills, and make learning feel natural, joyful, and deeply rewarding.

With the rise of ‘unschooling’ – meaning zero schooling for an increasing number of parents – its a good time to define exactly what learning through play means and what it doesn’t or shouldn’t mean.

First what is play and what is the difference between an activity chosen by a child and that chosen by an adult if they are both ‘fun’?

Play is any activity done for the sheer enjoyment of it. The reason the activity is chosen is intrinsic motivation. In other words it is what the child or adult wants to do because they have decided it from within themselves.

Let’s focus in on children’s play.

Most children will engage in some form of play throughout their day, this might look like the obvious things such as colouring, teddies, building blocks and games; to the not so obvious like pulling pots out of cupboards or dropping eggs from the fridge to see what happens – have you remembered to move them up higher as your little one grows?!

When left to their own devices a child’s play is usually unstructured particularly under the age of around 4 and then slowly as they mature it gets more thought out and structured.

This type of play is hugely important for a child’s development, it is how they learn to socialise (yes, playing on their own does help them socialise, but I will cover that in a different post) problem solve, learn cause and effect and also helps them develop their interests and get into the habit of exploring and learning by doing.

This type of play should not be interrupted unless necessary (like saving the eggs!).

Lately there has been a lot of advocacy for more outdoor play for children of all ages, which I do agree with, however we also need to understand that whilst more outdoor play has massive benefits, academic learning, like reading and writing will not just happen by itself.

This is where us adults need to start using the power of play and combining it with academic skills so that children can learn in the way that they enjoy the most.

Using play in learning to read and write:

Most children (particularly in the UK) start school the same year that they turn 5.

The average class size has 25 – 30 students, with one or two adults.

It is very difficult to give every child the attention they deserve.

There are also differing ages as children in the same class can vary in age by several months.

This means that the approach to learning to read and write is based on standards and there is little room for flexible or different approaches to learning.

If you are homeschooling, you have the advantage of creating different games and trying lots of different methods of introducing words.

Here are some ideas (please comment below if you have some more)

Scrabble tiles (or similar: a lot of fun for children as it allows them to physically hold the letters and make their own words

A4 Card: Write one word or letter per card and let your child build their own words and sentences. Because the cards are large they will need to move around using floor space as well, it makes it really fun and engaging for them.

Car licence plates: ‘How many letter A can we find today’ when you are out and about, you can do the same with words on signs

Outdoor Chalk: In the garden or the park, tell each other stories and write down words and pictures on the floor

Matching: Match up words and pictures, you can make this game yourself using card and markers or these are available to buy.

As long as it feels like a fun game for your child, they will be willing to play and will learn lots. You can add in some child led learning principles here, for example, if they get tired after forming a couple of sentences, that’s absolutely fine. Let them stop and come back to it another time.

The more it feels like their choice, the more often they will play and the faster they will learn.

Using play in Maths:

Whilst I would recommend spending more time on reading first, its a good idea to also introduce maths and number concepts regularly.

This can be done using similar games and objects for learning to count and understanding the concepts of adding and subtracting.

Its amazing how much maths can be learnt by involving your child/children in your everyday tasks, like counting out fruit for a fruit salad, counting spoons needed for the dining table etc.

I have linked a few resources that I would recommend in a previous post here that are great for harder maths concepts.

Workbooks: Some children absolutely love workbooks (its so cute watching them do these as well!) until they learn to read however, they will need you to help them work through the questions, which is a great way to bond and giggle during their learning time.

At what age does learning through play change?

The activities above work great for children up to the age of around 5 or 6.

The key is to keep an open mind towards your child’s education, in other words don’t confine education to being sat at a desk reading a textbook (in fact that’s one of the worst ways to learn when its all of the time).

So what happens after age 6?

By this point children are usually much more independent and are ready to keep exploring concepts more through problem solving.

After the age of 6 is a great time to start introducing STEM kits, Robotics activities and project based learning.

I will be diving into these concepts in part 2 of this crash course.

Here in England there is a large focus on the phonics method of teaching.

At the end of year 1 schools in england do a 40 word phonics screening test with children.

The list of words includes real words like is, in, at etc. but also some made up words to test if children can blend their sounds.

If you take a phonics only approach to teaching reading, my personal opinion is that there will be 2 major issues with this approach:

1: Not all words can be sounded out

What do you do when you get to ‘sum’ and ‘some’?

‘The’ cannot be sounded out

Other problematic words or sounds:

Thought, Though

Their, There

Beautiful

Words inherited from french

And so on…

2. The other issue is that phonics focuses so much on sounding out sounds and symbols that the main purpose of reading – to understand and learn – ironically is lost.

What is the point of being able to read without any understanding of the words and sentences?

So what is the solution?

As with most things, it seems to make sense to adopt a mix of approaches.

Some phonics, or teaching of letter sounds is certainly necessary to help your child understand how words are formed and why those specific letters are used.

E.g Cat, Bat, On, Is etc.

But I would highly recommend introducing context with these words as soon as possible.

E.g. The cat is red.

Also keywords like The, And, Be, But should be introduced quite soon and whilst some can be sounded out, some will need to be recognised or learnt as they are.

The words: The, Then, There

Introduce these words in context and slowly start forming sentences with one of these words at a time so that your child gets used to the spelling formations and the idea that sounds can change depending on context.

The importance of reading with your child from birth:

Also please remember that learning to read and write is much easier if you lay the groundwork from birth.

Always have books around and read to your child regularly.

They understand so much before they learn to speak.

After about 2/3 years of age when they start paying attention to the letters and words they will start recognising familiar patterns.

So reading the same books in your lap where they can see the words and pictures will make a huge difference.

When they start learning to read by themselves, use the same books they have enjoyed and start pointing out the easy common words.

What about writing?

There is some debate about when children’s hands are physically ready to hold a pen and write regularly.

Its best to see how your child responds by offering the opportunity to write, colour etc. and you will know when they are ready and willing.

Keep writing tasks fun and relevant to your child.

Things like writing their own name – they may want to write it on everything they own!

Writing a letter to daddy or a relative etc.

Make it fun and don’t force it too much particularly before the age of 5.

Also letting them choose their own notebooks and stationery is a great way to keep them interested.

Development is different for every child

Just because someone else’s child is reading at 3 years old and yours is still ripping the flaps out of books because that’s way more fun doesn’t mean you should panic or feel like your child is behind.

Every child develops normally and all children have different interests and personalities.

Also ‘early’ readers aren’t necessarily more ‘successful’ later on in life. What matters is that at some point between the age of 3 and 7 your child starts to recognise words and sentences and enjoys some reading and writing.

As long as you keep introducing the concept of reading in different ways through games, conversations, – even through cooking/shopping together – it will click for your child.

I hope this has been helpful, please do share your questions and stories in the comments below!

Its no secret that homeschooling costs can add up and it can get difficult in a single income household.

However there are options, depending on your skillset and if you are willing to put some time and effort in, it is always possible to increase your income.

Firstly if both parents/carers are working full time, you don’t necessarily have to reduce your work hours. It depends on the age of your children, how many you have and what kind of structure/approach you want to take to homeschooling.

If you work from home and your children are old enough, it might suffice to set up a quiet working area for everyone where most of the children’s work and activities are self guided.

How can I continue earning whilst homeschooling my children?

If your children are young and need a lot of care and attention it might make sense for one parent to switch to part time hours or go self-employed so they can work around the children’s schedule.

Going self-employed doesn’t have to mean a loss of income. In fact it’s usually the opposite.

Depending on which sector you work in you can charge an hourly or project rate that is far higher than you would normally make whilst being employed.

This gives you flexibility to work fewer hours and still earn the same amount, or to work the same hours and earn a lot more.

Popular, well paying industries include:

• Freelance writing/copywriting – minimum wage to £100 plus per hour

• Website build/design – anything from several hundred to several thousand per website

• Translation services – £15 – £20 per hour
• Online Tutoring – £20 to £90 per hour depending on experience
• Social media marketing – £15 – £100+ per hour depending on experience

As with anything, if you don’t have experience in these areas, find an online course and build up a portfolio of work, initially you may have to charge a lower fee.

As soon as you build up some customer testimonials and experience, there is no limit on how much you can earn. You can increase your fee every time you take on a new project.

All of the above can be done from home and in the hours that you choose.

How much does it cost to homeschool and what will we need to spend money on.

Its hard to give an exact answer as it depends on how many activities, resources and children etc. as a rough idea it can cost around £50 to £200 per month. More if you will be using private tutors or paid online resources.

The main costs involved in homeschooling fall into a few different areas:

Ongoing small costs: Study books, notebooks, stationery etc.

Large initial costs: Laptops and desks

Activities: Ranging from a few pounds to several depending on type of activities.

Help and resources: Tutors, online subscriptions etc.

The nice part is, its really down to you as to how much you want to spend.

Ongoing supplies are perfectly fine from places like poundland and B&M – especially if your children are young and tend to go through a lot of paper and paint!

Depending on how tech focused you want your children’s schooling to be you can choose a realistic budget for laptops and tablets etc. You can also buy refurbished equipment as long its from a reputable company.

Activities: A lot of activities can be done for free – bike riding, going to the park etc.

For more skills focused activities, like martial arts, robotics, horse riding etc. find out if there are home schooling groups near you as they can often organise acitivities at a lower cost because they have larger numbers attending.

This has been a very brief overview of some options to increase income and what kinds of costs are involved in home schooling. Please do comment below if you have any particular questions and I will do my best to answer or point you in the right direction.

As homeschooling is increasing in popularity, the government’s natural inclination will be to get involved as much as possible and keep children in mainstream schooling as much as they can. You need to know what the law says about home education and what your rights are as a parent when it comes to your child’s education—particularly in the UK—and what you need to know if you choose to homeschool.

1. Parental Responsibility: The Legal Foundation

In the UK, the law makes it clear: education is a parental responsibility, not a state obligation. Under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996, it is the duty of the parent to ensure that their child receives:

“…efficient full-time education suitable to the child’s age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs they may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.“

The phrase “or otherwise” is what legally protects the right to home educate.

2. The Right to Home Educate

Parents can choose to educate their children at home from the outset or withdraw them from school at any time. You do not need to be a qualified teacher. Home education can be informal, structured, or a combination of both.

Key Points:

• You do not need permission to home educate if your child has never been to school.
• If your child is registered at a mainstream school, you must write to the headteacher requesting deregistration.
• If your child is registered at a special school, you must seek permission from the local authority (LA).

3. What You Don’t Legally Have to Do

Despite pressure or misinformation, parents do not legally have to:

• Follow the national curriculum
• Teach specific subjects
• Have a timetable
• Conduct formal lessons
• Use standardised tests
• Be monitored regularly unless the LA has reason to believe the education is not suitable

You may choose to do any of these if they suit your family’s approach.

4. Local Authority Involvement: What They Can and Can’t Do

Local authorities have a duty to identify children who are not receiving suitable education, but they do not have the right to:

• Insist on home visits
• Force you to follow the national curriculum
• Require written lesson plans
• Require specific teaching methods

However, they can request information to establish that a suitable education is taking place. You can provide this in writing, through a report, a portfolio of work, or a meeting if you choose. Keeping everything in writing is highly recommended and remember you do not have to agree to any kind of meetings nor let them in if they turn up unanounced.

If the LA believes the education is not suitable, they may issue a School Attendance Order (SAO). This is rare and usually preceded by opportunities to address concerns.

5. Parents’ Rights Within Mainstream Schooling

Even if your child attends a school, you have legal rights including:

• The right to be informed about your child’s progress
• The right to withdraw your child from RE (Religious Education) and collective worship
• The right to withdraw your child from sex and relationships education (at certain stages)
• The right to appeal exclusions or school placement decisions
• The right to be consulted on significant changes (e.g. change of school hours)

6. Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Home Education

Parents of children with special educational needs have the same right to home educate. However:

• If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), and they attend a special school, the LA must approve home education.
• You are not automatically entitled to receive the same support at home as the school provided

It’s often helpful to work collaboratively with the LA while asserting your rights clearly.

7. Flexi-Schooling: A Legal Grey Area

Flexi-schooling—where a child is registered at a school but attends part-time while learning at home—is not a legal right, but rather a headteacher’s discretion. If they agree, the child remains on roll and parents take responsibility for home days.

8. What About Truancy Laws?

As a home-educating parent, truancy laws do not apply, because your child is not registered at a school. This is an important distinction. If a child is registered but does not attend, then truancy rules and fines can be enforced.

9. Record-Keeping and Inspections: What’s Recommended

There’s no legal requirement to keep formal records, but many families choose to:

• Keep portfolios of work
• Maintain journals or logs of learning activities
• Use digital tools to track progress

These can be helpful if:

• You move and the new LA requests information
• Your child wants to do formal exams and apply to college/university etc.
• You ever face inquiries about your provision

10. Getting Started: Legal Steps to Deregister

If your child is currently in school and you’ve decided to home educate:

1. Write a deregistration letter to the headteacher.
2. The school must remove the child from the roll immediately.
3. The LA may contact you, but you’re not obligated to accept home visits.

Its recommended that you do not accept home visits.

Conclusion

Whether your child attends a school or learns from home, understanding your legal rights empowers you to make confident decisions. Home education is a legally supported option in the UK, and while there may be occasional misunderstandings from authorities or institutions, the law is clear: parents are in charge of their child’s education.

If you’re considering homeschooling, take time to research, connect with local home ed communities, and trust your instincts—you are your child’s first and most enduring teacher.

How to Deregister from School and Start Homeschooling in the UK

Changing from a normal school to home schooling can feel really overwhelming. Even more so if your children vary a lot in age and ability.

However, you are certainly not alone in doing this. Home schooling is on the rise and many, many parents are finding that traditional schooling just does not work for their children anymore.

Families across the UK are choosing to take learning into their own hands, often because they want a more flexible, personalised, or supportive approach to education.

So please, whatever you are feeling and whatever struggles you are facing, understand that support is available and there are lots of like-minded parents that you can connect with.

If your child is currently in primary or secondary school and you’re ready to start homeschooling, this guide will walk you through the steps to deregister from school and begin your home education journey with confidence.

Step 1: Understand Your Legal Right to Home Educate

In the UK, home education is a legal and respected option. You don’t need to be a qualified teacher, and you don’t need to follow the National Curriculum. However, your child must receive a “full-time” education that is suitable for their age, ability, and any special educational needs.

Please note that the beauty of homeschooling is that you if you take out time the time that you used to spend getting ready for school in the mornings, driving through traffic, time spent in assemblies, tutor, breaks, lunch breaks, settling time in class, time waiting for the teacher to help the other 29 children before your child actually got the help they needed…you will find that 2 – 4 hours per day will probably be plenty to cover the mainstream curriculum if that’s what you will be using.

Also the mainstream curriculum is deliberately designed to take around 12 years to cover, it is paced every year so that students only cover a small amount of content every school year.

However if you look at the content, the change each year is very small and it certainly does not take 12 years to learn the content, this is why many homeschooled children are able to complete at least a few GCSEs by the time they are around 12 years old.

So if you want your children to the GCSE exams, why not stagger them over their teenage years instead of waiting until they are 16 and trying to complete all 12 in one sitting. I will write more about this in another article.

Step 2: Write a Deregistration Letter

If your child is currently attending a mainstream school in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, the first step is to write a formal deregistration letter to the headteacher. This letter should state your intention to home educate and request that your child’s name is removed from the school roll.

Here’s a simple template you can use:

Sample Deregistration Letter:

Dear [Headteacher’s Name],

I am writing to inform you that I have decided to withdraw my child, [Child’s Full Name], from [School Name] in order to home educate him/her in accordance with Section 7 of the Education Act 1996.

I would be grateful if you could confirm that you have received this instruction and removed [enter
Child’s Name here] from the roll in accordance with The School Attendance (Pupil Registration)
(England) Regulations 2024 r(9)(1)(f)

Kind regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Date]

Once this letter is received, the school must remove your child from their roll. You don’t need permission, and you don’t need to wait for approval.

⚠️ Note: If your child attends a special school under an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan), you will need permission from the local authority before deregistration.

Step 3: Prepare for Home Education

Once deregistered, you are officially responsible for your child’s education. But don’t panic—home education is incredibly flexible, and there are many different approaches you can take.

Please do not simply recreate school at home, a rigid 9am to 3pm timetable with yourself is most likely not going to be a good idea. A relaxed approach where you and your children decide together what their education should look like and agreed schedules with free time and time to pursue their own interests will be much less stressful for everybody.

One of your main aims with home schooling should be to spend fun time together as a family, especially in the weeks and months straight after deregistration.

Here are a few things to consider as you get started:

• Find Your Approach: From structured timetables to unschooling, explore what might work best for your family.
• Connect with Others: Join local or online home ed groups for support, ideas, and friendship.
• Start Gently: You don’t need to replicate school at home. Many families take several weeks or months to de-school and adjust.
• Keep Records (if you want): While not mandatory, keeping a record of your child’s learning can be useful, especially if the local authority makes contact.

What About the Local Authority?

After deregistration, the local authority may get in touch to ask how you’re providing a suitable education. You are not required to follow the National Curriculum, but your education should be full-time and appropriate to your child’s needs. You can respond to their inquiry with a written educational philosophy or an outline of your plans.

You are not required to allow home visits or provide samples of work unless you choose to. You can communicate by letter or email instead.

I highly recommend keeping all communication in writing.

The LA may try and come to your house unannounced or really push for pre arranged home visits. Again, its not recommended to let them in and nor do you have to.

Legally they have very little power to do anything, though they may try and make it sound like it in their communication with you.

Here is a much more thorough article on dealing with the Local Authority from educationalfreedom.org.uk https://educationalfreedom.org.uk/dealing-with-the-local-authority

Final Thoughts

Deregistering from school can feel like a leap into the unknown, but thousands of families do it every year—and thrive. Home education allows for a personalised, child-led, and often more relaxed approach to learning. Whether your child needs a break from the pressures of school or you want more freedom and connection in your family life, this path is completely valid.

You’ve taken the first step—now enjoy the journey.