A mother of nine has left the UK to homeschool five of her children while travelling across Europe in a motorhome. Amy Edwards, 40, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, says she and her husband Shane have been planning the move for nine years.
Ms Edwards took her eldest children out of mainstream education after the Covid-19 pandemic, and her younger children have never attended school. She describes the UK school system as 'too rigid' and says homeschooling has been 'the best thing' for her family.
The family, including children Reggie, 15, Belle, eight, Shane, six, Jesse, four, and one-year-old Nelly, are currently touring France. They bought their motorhome in July 2025 and previously explored Wales and the Peak District.
Ms Edwards, a former self-employed hairdresser, says the family's ultimate dream is to buy land abroad, grow their own crops, and keep animals, integrating this into their children's education. After France, they plan to travel to Spain and Portugal.
She added: 'We aren't tied down to 28 days a year leave and the children don't go to school so we don't have to stick to school holidays. The great outdoors is their playground. I don't want them stuck inside playing or on technology.'
