The last days of summer draw in and for many, this signals the start of a new school year. But how many of you will not be sending your children “Back to School”? Will you be beginning September with bright new home-school rooms, freshly kitted out with new pencils and posters? Have you decided to shake things up with a new method or home school style?

How successful was “Learn Nothing Day” for my fellow Unschoolers? I’m guessing our homes will not differ much come September. That being said the pace of our days might, for sure! Parks, playgrounds, museums and libraries will be quieter again so we will be out there with all the other home educators embracing the peace and space once more.

Wow. Another Fall. I remember years ago how nervous I was when we de-registered our children from school. There weren’t very many UK websites and books to use for reference back then. It’s what fuelled the idea for my book as I thought how helpful it would be if someone were able to show me exactly “how” they got going in an honest and realistic way.

In the beginning we marked our years by September and even though we no longer do that for us, this coming season does actually feel very different. There have been some significant milestones reached this summer. My eldest turned 18. Thats right. I know, I don’t look old enough. Ahem! He also finished college and is apprenticeship bound, his days no longer revolve around the school bell and calendar. He’s on the cusp of moving out too. I can’t talk about it too much without feeling big emotions.

My Second boy finished his GCSE’s and is beginning his college course very soon and that just leaves me with one little  big girl, beginning her chosen subjects in secondary school. For these two the beginning of the new school term is still relevant and important to them. In a blink, I will have no children left at school and I am looking forward to that time.

It has been over six years since we began a home educating journey that included all of my children. In that time some have gone back to school but my three youngest girls have found that life without it is just as they want it. At home, we are rolling along without too much notice of the back-to-school rush. We do have some new pencils and pens though because who doesn’t love to clear out and restock a caddy?

We’ll open our Never Ending Learning Journals a little more too as the wetter and colder weather arrives but hopefully, that won’t be for many weeks yet. The apps and workbooks will get a look in and my days won’t have so much chauffeuring to friend’s houses or shopping centres because the school kids are back in, instead of out. Also, our read alouds and handicrafts will pick up, in the gentle hum and rhythm of normal daily life.

I have been busy thinking of invitations and activities to strew, noting down various topics and resources the girls might find interesting and all these things I suppose, suggest something new is about to begin here too. Autumn is coming.

Still, assigning a grade level that spans two age years is not something we’re interested in dwelling on. It is not the unschool way. Grouping children as such is for schools measurements and is one of the many reasons I think many appear to fall behind.

They haven’t of course fallen behind anything, as they will only be capable of understanding what is being presented when they are actually capable of grasping it. Their capacity to learn is individual and more suited to age and development than specified school years. A child is ready when they are ready. And learning is still happening. It’s happening everywhere and all the time.

As for counting how many years we have been out of school, we use our anniversary as the date. So, we will hit 7 years sometime in late February next. We are “Not Back To School” this year, last week and next June and I couldn’t be happier about that!

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