THE NEED

Home education is growing rapidly with up to 1700 known to the Local Authority in Cambridgeshire at any one time, up from 800 just a few years ago (figure reported at CHEF Positive Dialogue Meeting, 24 November 2024).

​Since Covid, more families are seeking alternative pathways to meaningful learning and more parents are becoming conscious of the very real possibility that as a society, we are “sleepwalking into a crisis of childhood" (Action for Children, 2019). 

​Our offer acknowledges the value of self-directed learning while being very consciously aware of varying needs for structure and autonomy. We draw on hybrid learning and neurodiversity-affirming practices to offer drop-off sessions to supplement home education and give parents time for their own well-being.
I love my life, if schools were more like home education then everyone would love them.
- Home educated child

​There are few spaces that offer structured yet flexible, child-centred experiences. We aim to follow in the footsteps of other amazing pockets of practice emerging nearby including The Cabin, The Lodge and The Square, Mont21 and the Hybrid School at Sancton Wood, Flexi-schooling at Cambridge International. We aim to make a unique contribution to filling this gap by offering education support services that can contribute interest-led elements to home educated childrens' wider learning journeys.

​We are creating a community-rooted, accessible, co-created learning collective tailored to the needs of today’s families.
The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.
- Plutarch

who is it for?

  • Short and long term home-educated learners.
  • Families seeking a playful, interest-led supplement to home education as an alternative to mainstream schooling.
  • Those seeking a neurodiversity-affirming environment where co-created, flexible, adaptive environments providing varying levels of structure are prioritised.
  • Teachers who want to become facilitators and co-creators, supporting young people to thrive.


Waymakers has a strong focus on wellbeing and interest-led/project-based learning. With schools and SEND provision in crisis, the Children, Wellbeing and Schools Bill threatening to force home-educated children into inappropriate environments and place huge administrative burdens on local authorities and home educating parents, taking action is long overdue and the time is now to explore alternative models of learning.