how does waymakers work?

Waymakers is a not-for-profit community interest company (CIC). We are not a school or childcare provider but a learning collective making it easier for home educating families to come together in shared spaces to supplement home education, which parents remain responsible for.

The Directors, Helen and Kristy have been home educating in Cambridge since 2015. Below are brief biographies to tell you a bit more about us, other staff and associates. Here we also signpost people who align closely with our values and other 'things of interest':

Helen

​Helen (Waymakers Co-Founder and Co-Director) is Mum to a marvellously autistic PDA, home-educated 10-year-old. She is a fully qualified teacher with Qualified Teacher Learning & Skills status. She has a background in journalism, educational research, development and policy. She was a senior member of a team involved in longitudinal research and development work on post-16 citizenship education and co-founded a community interest company (CIC) to finalise this work when government funding for it ceased. The outcomes of this work pointed very clearly to the value of young people having autonomy in their learning, the freedom to pursue their interests and passions, high levels of trust from the adults who work with them and the importance of being active members of a wide variety of communities. 

Having grown up not knowing she was AuDHD, she is passionate about children, young people and adults understanding how their own minds and bodies work best, having their voices heard and needs met. When her daughter (born 2015) was very young, she completed training on setting up self-directed learning groups with the Founders of The Cabin and The Lodge and is an advocate for consent-based approaches. She is also an active member of the Cambridgeshire Home Educating Families community. She is also our level 3-trained designated safeguarding lead. She has also had a lifelong interest in animals, has owner-trained her daughter's assistance dog and has volunteered with animals with many charities including Guides Dogs, The PDSA, RSPCA, The Cinnamon Trust and The Dogstar Foundation, Sri Lanka.

kristy

Kristy (Waymakers Co-Founder and Co-Director) is a stay-at-home mum to two daughters (10 and 3) and a passionate advocate for home education and child-led learning. She believes that being at home during the early years provides the best foundation for healthy development - emotionally, socially, and intellectually. With a background in early childhood education, she holds Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) and a master’s degree in Play Therapy. She chose to step away from her professional career over a decade ago when her eldest daughter was born.

Her eldest daughter attended Cambridge International School on a flexi-schooling basis for 18 months during covid. This experience only deepened her appreciation for the freedom, connection, and creativity that home education allows. Now, Kristy actively supports the home educating community by running a range of local groups and clubs, including a Crochet Club, Project Fair, Stay and Play at Orchard Park, a Lunch Club, and occasional Parent Socials. She is passionate about creating spaces where families can come together, children can explore their interests, and learning unfolds naturally through relationships, play, and real-life experiences.
Without Barry, we might not have continued with home education.
- Home educating parent with eldest child entering higher education

Barry

​​Barry (Waymakers Curiosity Hub and Deep Dive Facilitator) is a fully qualified Primary teacher and has worked with the home education community in Cambridge for over 20 years, providing drama sessions which have been and will continue to be a key focal point for social and personal development for hundreds of home educated children. 

Barry is well known by Cambridgeshire Home Educating Families for valuing the input of every child in a safe and welcoming space, working towards cohesive, collaborative and nurturing drama groups. These sessions are about performing and experiencing activities together, taking a wide view of drama which includes (but is not limited to) improvisation, devising, partner work, speaking and listening, script work (for older groups) and movement. More importantly, the purpose is also to increase self-confidence, self-esteem and social skills.

He has also run children’s summer camps and workshop events around the country, including active childcare for conferences, festivals and corporate events. This has led to working with, among others, Joe Wicks, Cambridge Folk Festival and Noel Gallagher (though sadly not creatively).

​Barry is also a part-time teacher at a Cambridge primary school working in different year groups, teaching music and running singing assemblies. He also offers 1-2-1 tutoring for primary and secondary age pupils (believing that rapport and moving at the tutees pace is key). Barry is excited to expand his portfolio teaching career into new and progressive areas of educational practice by taking a lead role with Waymakers to work closely with children on interest-led, project-based learning that places high value on values progressive education, autonomy, neurodiversity and wellbeing.​​

SOIzic

Soizic (Waymakers Steering Group) is a fully qualified Primary teacher and education researcher passionate about practices that foster and support children’s inner motivation to learn, including learning through play, democratic education, project-based learning and self-directed learning. Her PhD research delved into children’s autonomy and agency in learning, and she is champion of children’s rights – their right to play, their right to have a say in their education, and their right to be free from controlling and coercive teaching practices. She has been a friend of the Cambridge home education community since a serendipitous meeting with Helen in 2020 and has a keen interest in self-directed education communities within home education spaces. 

Soizic is also an active education researcher. She is a member of the Centre for Play in Education Development and Learning (PEDAL) at the University of Cambridge where she is currently working on a project called the Early Years Library, and she is an affiliate member of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy at UCL. She was an advisor to the HundrEd Spotlight on Child-Centred Learning and was an invited witness to the Raising the Nation Play Commission. She is also a Trustee of the Atelier 21 Foundation which aims to transform schools through the Playoneering approach, rooted in Reggio Emilia principles, developed at the Atelier 21 Future School. Soizic has two children (aged 3 and 7) and once presented at an academic conference wearing a Bluey t-shirt at a talk about the moral injury from being a teacher in our education system. ​Soizic led Tinker Lab for our first half term and we are delighted she is staying on as a member of our steering group.

SaRAH

Sarah (Waymakers Tinker Lab Stay & Play Facilitator) Sarah is a fully qualified teacher with a PGCE in Early Education from Homerton College, Cambridge. She began her career teaching at a small school in the centre of Cambridge, but after the birth of her first daughter, she quickly realised how different it felt to be on the other side of the school gates—as a parent. This shift in perspective made her acutely aware of how young children are when they start school in this country, and of the high expectations placed on them from the outset.

Since then, Sarah has been a full-time mum, cherishing the past 12 years spent raising her three children. She has thoughtfully shaped each of their educational journeys based on their individual needs at different stages, and currently home educates her six-year-old son.
Sarah has long been fascinated by early childhood development and how children learn. Her passion began early—helping neighbours care for their newborn twins at the age of nine, becoming intrigued by language acquisition during her school years, and pursuing as many relevant modules as possible during her degree. After completing her PGCE, she continued exploring alternative education models, including taking part in a course focused on setting up self-directed learning spaces.
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She is passionate about empowering young people and ensuring their voices are truly heard. She believes in creating environments and experiences that nurture, inspire, and respect children from the very beginning. Sarah recognises that deep, meaningful learning happens when children (and adults) feel safe, happy, and valued.

charlotte

Charlotte (Waymakers Deep Dive English GSCE Teacher) is a fully qualified and experienced Secondary teacher of English at Key Stage 3, GCSE and A Level. She has worked in a variety of settings in the U.K. and abroad, including as Head of English. As a response to the need for students to be supported more holistically in schools, Charlotte trained as a life coach alongside her teaching role, and she now uses coaching to support and empower teachers, parents, home-educators and children.

Driven by child-led approaches as a parent and inspired by the way her son taught himself to draw as a toddler, Charlotte has home-educated her two children (aged 8 and 5) from the start. An active member of the local home-educating community, Charlotte is a strong advocate for community-building and the founder of The Square, a self-directed, consent-based parent and child community.

Charlotte is excited to be leading Waymakers' GCSE English group from September. Using creative and interactive teaching methods with a strong emphasis on group work, weekly sessions will cover the Cambridge International syllabus in one year.

Mihal

Mihal (Waymakers Therapeutic Support Advisor and founder of Soul Light Balance) works with children in the home education community and beyond, providing therapeutic support and has been a parent volunteer in the local home education community since September 2024. She also home educates her own son.

Her journey into spiritual counselling began in 2019 when she moved from Israel to the UK. Her background is rooted in animal-assisted therapy, where she specialised in working with young children, addressing juvenile delinquency, and supporting young adults through severe trauma. She holds a degree in psychology, a diploma in animal-assisted therapy, and a diploma in spiritual counselling. Her services are designed to provide support and guidance for individuals of all ages who are facing various challenges. She offers offer home visit therapy for individuals, including children, who struggle to leave the house. This personalised approach ensures that everyone has access to the support they need in a comfortable and safe environment.

Using a blend of conventional psychological practices and spiritual methods, her approach is holistic, focusing on the mind, body, and soul. She is passionate about helping individuals 1-2-1 or in small groups, realise their potential and uncover the answers they seek within themselves. 

cambridge acorn project

We regularly signpost people to the Cambridge Acorn Project - they have been supporting local children and families affected by trauma, abuse and financial hardship for the last decade.  They have helped to positively change the lives of thousands of children and their families.

Based at Cambridgeshire Music (see below),  they offer services to home educated children, a significant proportion of whom come out of school with trauma. Cambridge Acorn Project recognise that trauma can steal opportunities from children and believe that things can be different.

They are committed to providing therapeutic services that ensure families have access to support in a way that is meaningful to them. Their work strongly upholds the need for individual choice, and provide a range of services and approaches which respond to individual circumstances. 

SPRINGSTEAD COMMUNITY LIVING ROOM

Springstead Community Living room is a cosy, temporary community venue in a new-build development in Cherry Hinton. It comprises two adjoining rooms both with access to an outdoor garden and play area, kitchen, toilet and a small room which we can use as a quiet space as needed.

This space will eventually be replaced by purpose-built community centre. It is home to Waymakers Curiosity Hub and Tinker Lab for the time being. Other home education sessions are also run here independently.

We will also be running Deep Dive sessions here and at other venues in and around Cambridge e.g. we have Deep Dive GCSE English at the Meadows Community Centre.

RACHAEL

Rachael Crowley (Waymakers monthly online theme-based class teacher and founder of Learn at Home with Rachael) is a qualified primary school teacher with over 15 years of experience working in schools and three years of teaching online through both group classes and 1:1 tuition. She specialises in English, maths, and science, as well as a range of foundation subjects.

With a strong background in Special Educational Needs (SEN), Rachael brings a patient, supportive, and highly adaptive approach to her teaching. She also holds a Dyslexia Diploma among other advanced qualifications, enabling her to provide targeted, evidence-based support tailored to individual learner needs. Rachael runs online low-demand, low-commitment theme-based classes for Waymakers online for children who cannot currently access Waymakers in-person activities.
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emma

​Emma (Waymakers 1-2-1 Tuition Support and founder of Core Ambitions Tutors) is a highly experienced teacher and tutor with over 25 years in education. She is known for her warm, flexible, and deeply personalised approach to teaching, with a strong track record of supporting children of all ages and abilities — including those who learn differently and who are home educated. Emma creates online lessons that are truly tailored to the individual. Whether families prefer a structured, curriculum-aligned approach or something more open, creative, and interest-led, Emma designs sessions that meet each child where they are. Her focus is always on building confidence, independence, and a love of learning.

She has extensive experience working with children with Special Educational Needs and is especially skilled at supporting neurodivergent learners. With a calm and intuitive teaching style, she creates safe, supportive environments where children feel understood and able to thrive. Whether your child needs academic stretch, gentle encouragement, or a completely new way of engaging with education, Emma brings compassion, creativity, and decades of expertise to help them flourish.