Alex, Author at Outside the Classroom

About Alex

Hey there! I'm a passionate mum of one and your go-to guide for developing a home education curriculum. With years of experience as a long-term tutor and educator, I've had the joy of working with families who choose to educate at home—whether by design or necessity—as well as supporting children who need a different kind of learning environment. Armed with both a Bachelor's and Master's in Education, I know that traditional classrooms aren’t for everyone (including me!). Here, you’ll find learning activity ideas, engaging resources, and a dash of learning theory for those full-time homeschooling, worldschooling, or those with kids in school looking for fun holiday projects.

rock unit study

Science Unit Studies

Geology Lab: Rock Unit Study for Home Educators

Searching for engaging home education resources that bring science to life without requiring a teaching degree? This comprehensive…

geology for kids books

Reading Lists Science

Geology Books for Kids

This geology books for kids collection explores Earth science from multiple angles and complements this rock unit study.…

learning through conversation

Teaching Methods

Learning Through Conversation

What if your child could learn simply by talking with you — no worksheets, no special resources, just…

montessori-waldorf-charlotte-mason

Charlotte Mason Educational Approaches Montessori

Charlotte Mason vs. Waldorf vs. Montessori: Choosing an Educational Approach

When families first start looking into home education, they often come across references to educational approaches. There are…

A Weekly Literacy Framework for Key Stage 2 and 3 Home Education

Literacy Teaching Methods

A Weekly Literacy Framework for Key Stage 2 and 3 Home Education

In over a decade working as a home education and homeschooling tutor, one of the things I’ve learned…

home education curriculum

Is there a home education curriculum in the UK?

Parents new to homeschooling (or 'elective home education', which is the preferred term in the UK) will often…

deschooling activities

100 deschooling activities for new home educators

Ever wondered what happens when you step off the traditional education treadmill? This is deschooling - a liberating…

home education national curriculum

Why you should follow the National Curriculum (…and why you shouldn’t!)

Home Education and the National Curriculum: A Flexible Approach UK home educators aren't required to follow the National…

world war 2 unit

World War 2 Unit Study: ‘The Homefront’

Ever wondered what it would be like to live through the war? This World War 2 unit study…

boy reading about the blitz

History Reading Lists

6 Books About Life During World War 2

Are you learning about life on the Homefront during World War 2? This pivotal era in history shaped…

Home Education vs Homeschooling?

In the UK, elective home education is the term given when parents are solely responsible for a young person's education and they are not registered at a school. In other parts of the world this is called homeschooling. In the UK, homeschooling is used to indicate school-provided learning at home (perhaps due to long term illness, or school closures as we did during the pandemic).

This site uses both terms interchangeably, as both terms are used by parents to search for resources.

About Me

Hey there! I'm a mum of one and owner of Outside the Classroom - your guide for developing a home education curriculum. I've had the joy of working with many families who chose to educate at home—whether by design or necessity—as well as supporting children who needed a different kind of learning environment. Armed with both a Bachelor's and Master's in Education, I understand that traditional classrooms aren’t for everyone (including me!).

Here, you’ll find lesson ideas, themed unit studies and a dash of learning theory for those home educating.