Meet the family who have swapped school for a life on the road

Back to school?

Not for Amy and Ella Meek. The sisters, aged 11 and nine, are off on an adventure. Their mum and dad, sick of the British schooling system, have taken them on a year-long learning trip, from the Isles of Scilly to Scotland.

Beats double maths…

Dubbed an “edventure”, the family will complete the 20,000-mile trip in a caravan, visiting sites from Stonehenge to Hadrian’s Wall. Parents Tim and Kerry are confident they can give the girls a rounded education.

“Informal learning is very underrated and we like the idea that they are learning all the time,” said Tim. “We are just helping to guide them”.

All fun and games, then?

Well, there’ll be regular English and maths lessons. Otherwise, they’ll rely on a range of online classes and real-world projects, plus TED seminars and Radio 4’s Thought for the Day. Oh, and instead of PE, Amy and Ella will keep healthy with “wild swims” and bracing country walks.

What was wrong with the classroom?

“As a family we’ve been having adventures for years and we just felt the girls weren’t flourishing at school as they were during the family time,” said Mr Meek.

“We have no idea if it will work, but there is only one thing we are all sure of, and that is that life is too short not to do this.”

How are they funding this jaunt?

They sold their house. With £20,000 in the bank for travel, food, attractions and educational resources, they expect to have enough money for a year on the road. Then they say they may send the children back to school.

Well, let’s get this show on the road then!

They already have. The “edventure” kicked off on Monday with a visit to Warwick Castle. First lesson? Learning to fire a giant catapult.

More: Meet the couple who have had 66 weddings