When the Covid-19 lockdown hit in 2020, thousands of parents worldwide were plunged into the unknown territory of teaching their children at home. Throw new work arrangements, worries about family members and tight freedom restrictions into the mix and the pressures soon began to mount.
Many parents soon realised they needed to look outside of the home for help with this situation. As the coronavirus continues to ebb and flow unpredictably around the world, hundreds of families have turned to Wolsey Hall looking for experienced support and help and, crucially, the structure of an internationally recognised education.
We’ve heard many times from parents recently that their children discovered they preferred learning at home. They love being able to learn at their own pace, whether that’s slower or faster than schools dictate. They love the flexibility of studying when it suits them and they love the ability to delve deeper into subjects that they want to immerse themselves in. So – for many – the lockdown has been a surprising wakeup call as families have converted to home education and are planning to stick with it.
“Lockdown gave us a front row seat to observe our son’s lessons,” explains Kathy whose 11-year-old son now homeschools in New Zealand. “We realised that school dilutes a tiny bit of learning over a very long day. During lockdown we realised our son had the ability to work more independently, deeply, efficiently, and at a more appropriate level. We collectively came to the conclusion that school was taking away more than it was giving our son. He was learning very little, considering it consumed all of the best learning hours of the day. We barely saw him; gone early, home late. He loved school but he loved lockdown more!”
“Having my kids home from school made me realise I could do it,” says Tracey. “I also realised how much my kids benefitted from one on one learning.”
But it’s not just families from mainstream schools who have made the switch.
“My two sons were enrolled in a private British international school and their school were providing online lessons because of the Covid lockdown,” says Kristie, whose family live in Oman. “For our youngest son we felt that the fees weren’t reflective of the quality and quantity of education that we were paying for and expected. Lack of access to resources coupled with the level of effort required by parents, we needed to re-evaluate our options. We found Wolsey Hall through a friend who had chosen to homeschool for the same reasons. We liked that they had access to online resources and were sent textbooks. It fits us well and we can work as slow or as fast as we want to suit their personal needs. I’m really happy we made this decision!”
Lee Wilcock, Principal of Wolsey Hall comments: “We believe that home schooling will be seen increasingly as not just a substitute for traditional schooling in adverse circumstances, but as a positive choice. Homeschooling puts the needs of the individual child front and centre and allows them to work in their own time and at their own pace – something which is rarely possible in mainstream education.”
