🌟Finding the Flex 🌟with Lucie Wheeler

Lucie Wheeler does a brilliant job making information on alternative education available to the widest possible audience. As a mental health first aider, author, PhD researcher and home educating parent, she has a wealth of understanding of the issues affecting children and young people’s experiences of school. You can find her on TikTok, Linked In and X

I really appreciated the chance to talk to her about delaying school start and flexischooling, the 🌟possibilities 🌟 that already exist in our otherwise rigid school system. 

‘Could it make sense for some children to spend some of their time being educated outside the school environment? That’s what we’re exploring through Finding the Flex.’

‘I think for parents and families, when a school is loudly and proudly saying ‘we are open to flexischooling arrangements for your child’ it’s a signal that you’re really interested in that child’s wellbeing. That you are saying to your parent body, we will listen to you if your child, at any point in their school life, has a need that we’re not quite meeting.’ 

‘It’s like a very simple mathematical equation is it not!? This plus this plus this = why don’t we throw open some other options for these children?’

‘There is a presumption that it will bring with it more work. The Finding the Flex blueprint for schools, local authorities and trusts enables them to implement flexischooling, without creating additional work for staff. We’re really really mindful that there isn’t that capacity.’

You can listen to our full conversation here https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep5-sarah-sudea-flexischooling-and-finding-the-flex/id1733981371?i=1000650910662