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| School trip: teacher parents take kids for year of learning on the road | School trip: teacher parents take kids for year of learning on the road |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| While most school-age children will this week be back at their desks, staring out of the window and perhaps pining for the summer holidays, Amy and Ella Meek are starting an adventure. The sisters, aged 11 and nine respectively, are embarking on a year-long "road school" – a 20,000 mile road trip around the British Isles with their teacher parents, Tim and Kerry. | While most school-age children will this week be back at their desks, staring out of the window and perhaps pining for the summer holidays, Amy and Ella Meek are starting an adventure. The sisters, aged 11 and nine respectively, are embarking on a year-long "road school" – a 20,000 mile road trip around the British Isles with their teacher parents, Tim and Kerry. |
| Fed up with what they say is an education system that teaches for tests rather than for the joy of learning, the couple from Nottinghamshire have sold their house to fund a year-long learning trip for their two daughters that will take in Stonehenge, the Isles of Scilly and the salmon rivers of Scotland. | Fed up with what they say is an education system that teaches for tests rather than for the joy of learning, the couple from Nottinghamshire have sold their house to fund a year-long learning trip for their two daughters that will take in Stonehenge, the Isles of Scilly and the salmon rivers of Scotland. |
| "As a family we've been having adventures for years and we just felt the girls weren't flourishing in the same way at school as they were during the family time," said Tim Meek, who left his role at the local authority's Derrymount special school, in Arnold, Nottingham. "We have no idea if it will work, there are no guarantees, but there is only one thing we are all sure of, and that is life is too short not to do this really: it's as simple as that." | "As a family we've been having adventures for years and we just felt the girls weren't flourishing in the same way at school as they were during the family time," said Tim Meek, who left his role at the local authority's Derrymount special school, in Arnold, Nottingham. "We have no idea if it will work, there are no guarantees, but there is only one thing we are all sure of, and that is life is too short not to do this really: it's as simple as that." |
| As well sitting through regular English and maths lessons in their caravan, the children will have computer science classes and be podcasting, besides practising bush skills and public speaking and debating TED seminars. | As well sitting through regular English and maths lessons in their caravan, the children will have computer science classes and be podcasting, besides practising bush skills and public speaking and debating TED seminars. |
| Days might start with a discussion of Radio 4's Thought for the Day, and move on to each member of the family talking about something they are grateful for. | Days might start with a discussion of Radio 4's Thought for the Day, and move on to each member of the family talking about something they are grateful for. |
| Instead of PE sessions, Amy and Ella can look forward to "wild swims" and windy walks across the British countryside. | Instead of PE sessions, Amy and Ella can look forward to "wild swims" and windy walks across the British countryside. |
| At the moment they are delighted at the prospect. "They are totally up for this year and wake up excited – we'll see if that is still the case in the middle of winter, but I think it will be," said Meek. | At the moment they are delighted at the prospect. "They are totally up for this year and wake up excited – we'll see if that is still the case in the middle of winter, but I think it will be," said Meek. |
| The big adventure kicked off Monday with a visit to Warwick castle, where the girls learned about the mechanics of a trebuchet, a type of catapult used in the middle ages. | The big adventure kicked off Monday with a visit to Warwick castle, where the girls learned about the mechanics of a trebuchet, a type of catapult used in the middle ages. |
| Through project work, such as visiting Stonehenge, or reading the works of Michael Morpurgo on the Isles of Scilly, the couple hope to give the girls a rounded education. "Informal learning is very underrated and we like the idea that they are learning all the time. We are just helping to guide them," Meek said. | Through project work, such as visiting Stonehenge, or reading the works of Michael Morpurgo on the Isles of Scilly, the couple hope to give the girls a rounded education. "Informal learning is very underrated and we like the idea that they are learning all the time. We are just helping to guide them," Meek said. |
| The adventurous family, who have dubbed the trip their "edventure", have form. Previously the daughters were set 100 challenges to achieve in a year, which led to a book, entitled 100 Family Adventures; and they got the caravan for this trip from the Caravan Club after completing a challenge at all of the company's sites. | The adventurous family, who have dubbed the trip their "edventure", have form. Previously the daughters were set 100 challenges to achieve in a year, which led to a book, entitled 100 Family Adventures; and they got the caravan for this trip from the Caravan Club after completing a challenge at all of the company's sites. |
| The Meeks say they believe that government ministers are devising a system that trains young children to regurgitate information in exams, rather than offering a full education. | The Meeks say they believe that government ministers are devising a system that trains young children to regurgitate information in exams, rather than offering a full education. |
| "There is so much pressure on schools now and we felt we had to reinvigorate ourselves as teachers," he said. "Also, after teaching other people's children for 10 years, we didn't want to miss the opportunity to teach our own." | "There is so much pressure on schools now and we felt we had to reinvigorate ourselves as teachers," he said. "Also, after teaching other people's children for 10 years, we didn't want to miss the opportunity to teach our own." |
| The Meeks expect their funds, of £20,000 for travel, food, attractions and educational resources, to last for at least a year. They then might put their children back in school when it runs out. | The Meeks expect their funds, of £20,000 for travel, food, attractions and educational resources, to last for at least a year. They then might put their children back in school when it runs out. |
| Were they nervous about having no home to return to? Meek explained that they had lived in the same house for 13 years, declining to upgrade to a bigger property so that they could keep their overheads low and carry on their adventures. | Were they nervous about having no home to return to? Meek explained that they had lived in the same house for 13 years, declining to upgrade to a bigger property so that they could keep their overheads low and carry on their adventures. |
| The sale of the house brought them enough for the adventure with some cash set aside if they were to buy another property. "We are not money-minded, but we are not foolhardy," Meek said, adding that he hoped the family's adventure, which they will be documenting on their website, will inspire others. "If anything, we want people to think that they can do this too." | The sale of the house brought them enough for the adventure with some cash set aside if they were to buy another property. "We are not money-minded, but we are not foolhardy," Meek said, adding that he hoped the family's adventure, which they will be documenting on their website, will inspire others. "If anything, we want people to think that they can do this too." |
| The Meek family curriculum | |
| Daily | |
| Natural Fit – exercise/activity outdoors. | |
| Thinking skills task or morning discussion sparked by Thought for the Day. | |
| Maths, reading, vocabulary. | |
| 365 Project work – project to generate and publish 365 five-minute outdoor activities for children to try at home. | |
| Weekly | |
| Moral Maze – discussion/debating skills. | |
| Computer Science – programming and app making. | |
| Extended writing – for audience/purpose. | |
| Watch and discuss a TED Talk. | |
| News Round(up) – picking-up on topical news (UK and world) | |
| Monthly | |
| Book Club – analysis/discussion/written response tasks to a book the children have studied. | |
| Creative thinking project – problem finding and problem solving. | |
| Media literacy skills working towards creation and publication of podcasts, vodcasts and short videos. | |
| 'Big' adventure – weekend kayaking, canoeing, cycling, sailing, bushcraft |