Fairhaven School and Unschooling

“My daughter has said similar things, “Mummy,” she said, “it is much freer at school, because you’re not around all the time.”

It’s what I wanted for them and why we personally made the change. It wasn’t because unschooling wasn’t working. They needed more space to be themselves, away from their role in the family. Space to grow and learn.”

–Naomi Fisher

More and more families who contact Fairhaven tell us that they are “unschooling” their children, and the growth of curriculum-free homeschoolers seems to be increasing. Although we try to clarify the difference between the two approaches in interviews and conversations with prospective families, it’s a complex topic, especially since each family who adopts this style of homeschooling necessarily creates a distinct experience for their children. Naomi Fisher, a British clinical psychologist who unschooled her two children from 2012-2018, has now enrolled them in a Sudbury school in Paris. She has written about her experience and observations. While not definitive—it is her experience—we think the article contains many helpful insights.

Mark McCaig
July, 2019