Mum sets up support group for home-schooled children

The Edventure Project allows children who are home-schooled to carry out activities, workshops and socialise together

A mum who chose to home-school her son because "his needs weren't met" in mainstream education has set up a support group for others in the same situation.

Kimberley Vallis' eldest son, who is now 15, has been educated at home since age 11 and she has also taught one of her younger sons at home on a flexible basis alongside school.

Ms Vallis, who used to work as a teaching assistant, and her husband decided to start a support group for parents who home-school called the Edventure Project.

"We've got a lot of parents who have kids with unmet needs in the group. You need to feel well to be able to have the confidence to learn," she said.

Speaking about her eldest son, Ms Vallis said: "We had trauma in his primary school years and I didn't want that continuing. Enough was enough. I could see classroom learning for him was not the way.

"He's a very practical person. He also doesn't do well with people, he much prefers dogs or older people. He finds it tricky socialising.

"He's not one of those people who would ever value Macbeth. I tried to expose him to different types of literature and explain why, but that was my passion. His thing was the Screwfix catalogue."

Ms Vallis, who lives in Yate, added that her son had learned skills in plumbing, photography, carpentry and fixing bikes.

She decided to launch the Edventure Project to support other parents who felt their children may be better off being home-schooled and because of a shortage of SEND provision.

The project is a hub for parents and children who are home-schooled to carry out activities, workshops and socialise together.

"Some of our young people aren't made to be sitting in desks, it's not conducive to who they are," said Ms Vallis.

In November, the government said it planned to create a register of all children not in school as part of its Children's Wellbeing Bill.

A DfE spokesperson said at the time: "Our mission is to break down the barriers to opportunity, so every pupil has the best life chances.

"That includes making sure every child is receiving a suitable education for their age, ability, aptitude, and any special educational needs whether they are in school or at home."