My name is Rebecca Alexander, I live with my husband Russell Bave and our children, (aged between 19 and 6). Russell is a musician and teaches guitar and songwriting, renewable energy and other topics to adults and home educated children. He is also an IT consultant. I am a health educator and herbalist, who has taught at colleges and universities, and has recently joined the Open University as an associate lecturer. I was one of the founding members of a 50+ family home educating group, and have facilitated science and many other topics to groups of children within that for the last 6 years. I have also taught psychology and counselling for many years.

In 2005 we realised that our children benefited from a flexible approach to education rather than trying to simulate school at home with GCSE’s - not an easy option for home educators. We have helped 5 children join the Open University from age 13, helping develop their learning and assignment skills. We realised that employers and colleges/universities value these qualifications highly, but for many children under 19 or those who have not experienced school these courses are a steep learning curve. So we decided to fill the gap with courses that would allow kids to develop these skills more gently, using topics HE kids are interested in. These build into a portfolio of work and externally marked certificates that develop study skills that would be useful in any distance learning context.

We also decided to stop perpetuating the pigeonholing and separation of intelligent enquiring children and adults by sharing resources for all the courses we are involved with. Students I teach at university or college can access handouts/useful information on their own page on the HELPs website. Choosing to learn (as opposed to being coerced) creates a special motivation common to adult education students, Open University students and home educated young people. We like to think of it as ‘Free Range’ as opposed to Battery Farm education.