CASE STUDY: Andrew in Dumfriesshire
Year 5

We live in South West Scotland and we have a 23 year old son, a 19 year old daughter, and two younger sons aged 9 and 7. We have one wage earner in the household, and own a large house with lots of space and lots of animals. The nearest village is a quarter of a mile away, and shops over six miles away.

I home educated our daughter for her first year of primary school as there was no place in the local school, we had no idea that she had attention deficit disorder and when she went to school it was difficult for her to adjust. We found a great school for her junior years but senior school just could not accommodate her and she just didn’t fit into their boxes. At 13 and a half we began home schooling her again which was completely liberating. There was no such thing as Wits End curriculum then so we had to make our own curriculum and timetable which was time consuming and took away from our learning time or just took up all my evenings - our daughter is now at University.

A year ago we took the decision to home educate our adopted 9 year old son, Andrew. He has multiple difficulties due to his traumatic start in life, and the local school had written him off after struggling with him for 2 years. Now he is using Wits End curriculum and thriving. He is no longer withdrawn, moody and angry. His whole life has changed and he is emotionally secure, which is an experience he’s never had before. It hasn’t all been easy, but with this curriculum we have been able to get exactly the right level for him in all his subjects - going back over things which have previously made no sense to him. It’s lovely to now have a happy, bubbly inquisitive child who is at long last fun to be with.

Past experience with an older child meant I knew all about Home Education organisations and internet resource sites. I found Wits End via an Internet search.

Mostly, we chose Wits End for its ability to provide the invaluable schedule, the flexibility which means different subjects can be done at different levels – say, Year 4 English alongside Year 3 Maths - so individuals are better catered for and they can catch up on subjects they find difficult. This curriculum stays in line with the National Curriculum as we never know whether our son will want to try mainstream education again some day.

Wits End Curriculum is invaluable in providing the materials, schedule, support and ongoing materials whenever a child progresses on to the next level of work at any time through the year.

It’s been a pleasure dealing with Wits End as everyone is so helpful and kind. You feel the help you need in organising your child’s home education is important to Wits End and that nothing is too much trouble.

I would recommend their materials to any home educator, and would say that home education gives children a better chance of growing up as an independent, free-thinking member of society with the ability to reach their own true potential without the restrictions of mainstream school.

- Mrs A J, Dumfriesshire


(Names have been changed in the interests of privacy)