Michelle's Comments

Hi Michelle - just wanted to send you a slightly belated welcome to RUN/particularly the UK group on here. I have seen your message on the South of England Unschoolers group too, and will reply to your questions on there (though it will be tomorrow, as it's getting a bit late now). I do need to slightly demote myself though from Tracy's description - that group is not meant to be 'mine', it is meant to be jointly owned by its members!!! 

look forward to chatting on here at and on the other group too

Carole 

Hi Michelle.  Yes, that's right!  That's Carole's group (and I'm a member too).  Feel free to post any messages / questions to everyone in the group there.  I'm sure you'll receive some helpful feedback.  Keep in mind that the group - as its name suggests! - is purely one for meets with other unschoolers.  There are clearly also many home ed groups that unschoolers can join in with within the area.  Some are very informal (suiting unschoolers completely), and some perhaps might appeal to some of the more structured 'home-schooling' approaches with scheduled activities.  Either way, there's a lot going on.  I'd hazard a guess that where you find sizey home ed groups, statistically you'll meet several unschoolers within them.  But this all said, I understand your family lives further north, so I hope you get some feedback from someone in that neck of the woods to help you decide!

 

Ooo - one other idea.  Why don't you call 'Education Otherwise' and ask to speak with the County Representative for those counties you're most interested in?  Okay, so Education Otherwise represents home-educators of every style within the UK, but if you manage to contact the country representatives and ask them specifically to advise you on any 'inside info' re the spread of unschoolers in their region, you might find the answers you're seeking re where your family would ideally like to live?  They won't know for sure as clearly many unschoolers won't have joined Education Otherwise as members, but you might get a bit of an idea or find out about any unschooling networks further north within the UK.

 

Message or email me for any more help if you need it.  (Telephone numbers, or whatever...).  Bye for now!

 

 

I've just sent a 'Friend' request to you!  Because I can then message you with the details to join Carole Lovesey's group, if you're interested.  But this only applies to the South and South East, so no good if you're thinking of further north or west!

Hi Michelle. Just read your message to UK Unschoolers!  Carole Lovesey could give you a good idea of spread of unschoolers along the South, as she runs the UK Southern Unschoolers' Group.  (She's a member of RUN.) I may be biased, but there are quite a few unschoolers in our neck of the woods, and all along the South coast right into the South East.  We're in Romsey, between Southampton and Winchester (and close enough to Salisbury too).  But I believe there are also a fair few Unschoolers around Basingstoke area.  I think Carole has about 70 - 80 unschooling members (representing the same number of families) in her Yahoo group, and various events and meets are posted through that.  We have a 6 year old son and 3 year old daughter.  There are several unschooling families in our immediate area.  But we also go to a couple of wider 'home ed' groups most weeks too, our local one which is run VERY informally (so suits unschooling families). and we offer option outings / day trips.  You'd find that between Southampton and the New Forest (where we are) right up towards London that there is a high proportion of home educators - relatively speaking - and many home ed groups, with activities taking place every day between them.  Clearly some home ed groups include a higher proportion of unschoolers than others though.  If you have any other questions re unschooling in our part of the country (and / or other home ed groups), just let me know.  Though I couldn't say how many unschoolers there are further north than the South and South East.  (And just in case you do come back, my husband is going to be launching a Dad's-plus-children home ed social group soon too (including but not limited to unschoolers), with meets taking place monthly on weekends in the South.)  Immediate suggestion though would be to contact Carole Lovesey.  She's lovely, and will be very helpful, I'm sure!

hello Michelle,
yes NIM is a little girl who doesn't go to school instead she has amazing adventures...
I ordered Nims island from a reccomendation from someone on this site for my son to read, however it was a little beyond him so i have been reading it and it is really inspiring and has no schooly propaganda
Angie x