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SEPTEMBER 2024
20 September
27 September

Monday 20 Sptember.
Richard writes

The blog is back and will now continue weekly for.....until we need another break. As the byline says this blog is there to give you an insight into who we are, how we think and what we're doing. Our monthly education podcast looks more at matters educational

If you follow us you will know that our newest and probably biggest project is our School of the Air. If you're new to our site you can read all about it here. Unlike any other part of our site this one requires some funding, some income. Originally Molly and I considered making a small charge to use the material but we both believed that might have meant those most in need would, or could, miss out.

Therefore, we needed to raise those funds differently. Sponsorship was one way, asking for support from individuals was another. Approaching companies for sponsorship takes time. Whereas Molly and I make decisions quickly, companies don't. It is a long-drawn out process of endless phone calls, emails, frustration and hope.

By early August it became clear that, although we had some promises, even some commitments, we would not have sufficient funding in place for the first year of School of the Air. We might be able to do a few months but we did not want to start and stop nor could we spare the time to chase sponsors once we had started the project.

So, on a very pleasant sunny afternoon, sat in my garden, we made one of those quick decisions that two people on the same wavelength can do and decided to delay the School of the Air start until January 2025. It means we will not be in sync with a conventional English academic year but as we are aiming our material at home educators this shouldn't really matter. We then gave ourselves a full four month period to get that funding in place.

Meanwhile we are also upping our search for individual supporters who like what we are doing and can spare a small amount of money, either as a one-off through our GoFundMe page, here, or with a small monthly donation, in return for some goodies, on our Patreon page, here. Hopefully this means the School of the Air will begin at the same time as 2025 does.

Finally, I have, with a certain amount of pride, to announce we have won another award, recognising the work we do. We have been chosen as the best UK provider of learning material for Home Educators & School and the best Nature-Led Resource Provider, both for 2024. This latter part owes much to Molly so, through this blog, can I thank her for her enthusiasm and commitment in being with me, indeed staying with me, on this venture. She is a best friend, a trusted work partner, a source of inspiration and knowledge, fun to spend time with and the worst timekeeper I know. Sadly this seems to be hereditary. More next week.

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Monday 27 Sptember.
Richard writes

One of the downsides of the job I do, and there are very few and nothing major, is that I don't get to meet, face-to-face, the young people who are using the material Molly and I are producing. I do get emails and messages from parents and teachers and we will soon see examples of work that the young people can do on our site but an actual real meeting doesn't happen very often at the moment. During our 2026-27 journey we have plans to change that but as of now, it doesn't happen.

Therefore, it was an incredible pleasure recently to pop along to a special session run for home educators by the St Osyth Priory Education Centre, funnily enough not only in St Osyth but also in the priory that has been there since the early 12th century. It has an interesting history, having been given by Henry VIII to Thomas Cromwell after it was dissolved, along with nearly all monasteries, on 28th July 1539. We may write more about the priory in the future, suffice it to say that exactly one year after being given the priory Thomas Cromwell lost it when Henry VIII decided Cromwell should lose his head as well. You can read about that, if you want, here.

However, back to my visit, all parts of my body connected. There were about 15 children of various ages, from 4 to 14, some of whom come to the monthly sessions on a regular basis. Some had recently started home education, some experienced it all of their life. The children showed no outward sign that home education had caused any problems. They communicated with each other easily, chatted to me and joined in the session, which covered foraging and pond dipping and fishing with no complaints and no sign of apathy. In fact the only apathy was shown by the fish in the pond who refused to be baited.

Molly and I had already been along to the centre, met Helen who runs it and discovered someone who has a very similar view on education to us. Indeed she has, indeed does, home educate some of her children in the same way as I did, according to Helen when introducing me, a long, long time ago. Both Molly and I are planning to work with Helen and the centre in the future. Watch this space.

I also had the chance to chat with the mums who had accompanied their children. Each had a different reason for deciding to home educate and most admitted it wasn't an easy task. But it was the anxiety that school had caused the youngsters that seemed to be an major reason. In cases like that I firmly believe the happiness of the child should be the main factor in choosing to home educate unless, as I do now, you believe that such an education will provide a better education and a more personal education than that available in mainstream school. If that is your belief, don't be afraid to do it if you can. Our website can support you and I am sure there are other groups like the one run by Helen that can provide more support and a chance for your youngsters to socialise.

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