Accidentals 9, 10, 12

Alternative schools 6, 117

Analogous education 1, 3, 4, 22, 23, 27, 28, 30, 120

Anxiety (school refusal/distress) 13, 53, 55, 68, 69, 79, 80

Bullying 13, 25, 26, 52, 65, 69, 78– 79, 81, 83, 102– 103

Canaries (metaphor for teachers) 49, 98, 119, 122

Catherine (participant) 38– 42, 62, 87, 91, 103, 105– 107

Charlotte Mason approach 17– 18, 125

Child’s environment 89– 99

Classical homeschooling 16, 17

Claire (participant) 40, 66– 68, 75, 77– 80, 83, 85– 87

COVID-19 pandemic 23, 62, 70, 77, 88, 102– 104, 106– 107, 112, 113, 114, 126, 128

Creativity in curriculum 5, 59, 92, 93, 129

Curriculum 5, 7, 8, 19– 24, 27, 28, 31, 32, 41, 42, 44, 49, 50, 59, 60, 82, 83, 85– 87, 91– 94, 96– 99, 105, 106, 113, 115– 118, 122, 124, 127, 129, 134

Deliberates 9, 10, 13

Distance education 3, 33, 40, 86, 91, 117

Eclectic homeschooling 14

Eloise (participant) 39

Examinations

ATAR pathways 9, 42

Music examinations 8

Faith-based homeschooling 21

Gemma’s story 5, 56– 62, 63

Government regulation 59

Home education 4, 11, 13, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 30, 31, 34, 75– 79, 81, 84, 105, 114, 115, 119, 125, 126, 127, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135

Homeschooling 1– 34, 37– 45, 47– 57, 59, 62, 66– 68, 71, 73– 80, 82– 87, 89, 90, 94, 99, 101– 106, 108– 110, 112– 115, 119– 121, 123, 124, 126, 127, 128, 129, 131, 132, 133, 134, 136

Homeschooling styles (traditional, classical, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, project-based, unschooling, Steiner, faith-based, eclectic) 2, 6, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 35, 41, 49, 61, 62, 75, 80, 117, 125, 126, 127, 132, 135, 136

Homeschooling teachers (participants) 2, 38– 42, 62, 63, 66– 68, 75, 76– 80, 83, 85– 87, 89, 91, 92, 94, 97, 98, 103, 104, 105– 108

Inclusion and exclusion in schools 68

Joy in homeschooling 101, 108

Legislation 49, 134

Madeline (participant) 5, 38, 39, 76, 87, 92, 103, 104, 105

Microschools 38, 40, 42, 76

Neurodivergence (Autism, ADHD, PDA, dyslexia) 52, 64, 65, 69, 79

Parenting 77, 84, 87, 89, 124, 130

Project/unit-based homeschooling 19– 20

Pull factors 45

Push factors 48

Rebecca’s story 6– 10, 14, 48

Registration (homeschooling) 7, 8, 30, 32, 37, 38, 39, 114, 117, 133

Sassy (participant) 39, 85, 87, 89, 91, 92, 94, 97, 98, 103, 105

School choice 10, 12, 49, 73, 74, 89, 119, 128, 131, 134

School refusal / school distress 12, 52, 53, 55, 62, 64– 68, 103, 106, 107, 114, 117, 132, 133

Shadow education 4, 10, 22– 27, 29, 124, 125, 136

Sian (participant) 38, 39, 79, 87, 103– 105, 108

Steiner/Waldorf homeschooling 20– 21

Stories (participants’ narratives) 5, 6, 34, 38, 51, 52, 54, 55, 66, 67, 68, 69, 78, 92, 97, 107, 112, 115, 119, 121, 126

Suicidal thoughts 65, 70

Tara (participant) 40, 62, 63, 68, 77– 80, 85– 87, 103

Teachers 1– 3, 6– 8, 14, 15, 25, 31, 33, 34, 37– 39, 43– 45, 48– 50, 52– 56, 61, 62, 67, 69– 71, 73, 74, 79, 82– 84, 87, 89– 91, 93, 94, 96– 99, 101– 105, 107, 113– 117, 119– 122, 124, 128, 129, 131, 132

Tipping points 101– 112

Traditional homeschooling 15

Trauma in schools 11, 52, 55, 65, 112

Unschooling 2, 20, 35, 49, 61, 62, 79, 80, 125, 126, 127, 135

University pathways 7

Violet (participant) 6, 38, 40, 76, 77, 81, 87, 90, 94– 97, 110, 121