A British mum ditched the UK and now homeschools five of her children in a motorhome while they travel around Europe.
Amy Edwards, 40, took the leap to leave England in May with her husband Shane Edwards who she met in 2016.
After the pandemic, the mum-of-nine from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, pulled her eldest children out of mainstream education and never sent her youngest, homeschooling them all instead.
She says it was ‘the best thing’ she ever did and describes the UK schooling system as ‘too rigid’.
Now Amy, along with her husband and five younger children, Reggie, 15, Belle, eight, Shane, six, Jesse, four, and one-year-old Nelly, are travelling around France.
She says, ‘I worked the nine ’til five for 20 years. Although I was self-employed and had flexibility, I still found myself having to put my children in after-school clubs
‘I look back and feel that I didn’t get to raise my own children.’
The couple’s ‘dream’ is to buy land, grow their own crops and have animals, incorporating this into their children’s education.
Amy Edwards (centre) is homeschooling five of her nine children with husband Shane (right) as they travel around France
She says it was ‘the best thing’ she ever did and describes the UK schooling system as ‘too rigid’
‘My older five children never went back to school after the pandemic and my younger children have never known the school system,’ Amy explains.
‘Their education is self-led, so they’re allowed to lead me to what they’re interested in and we’ll study that.
‘Then that normally leads to something else and something else and it’s a big flow of life.’
The couple bought their motorhome in July 2025 and visited Wales and the Peak District in it with their kids last summer.
They initially spent some time touring the UK and realised ‘we loved it and could manage it’.
Amy says, ‘I love outdoor living, there just isn’t enough sunshine in the UK for that.
‘I want to incorporate homesteading into our curriculum too, growing and eating our own food and raising our own animals.’
The couple, who met in 2016, bought their motorhome in July 2025 but didn’t make the big leap until May this year
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The Brit, who used to be a self-employed hairdresser, reveals it is ‘much cheaper to buy overseas’ and there is often ‘better weather to build the lifestyle we want’.
‘Our end dream is to have land where we can grow our own crops and also have animals and bring all of this into the children’s education,’ she adds.
‘This hasn’t happened for us overnight, it’s been in the pipeline for nine years. You’ve got to focus and get your priorities right.’
After France, Amy says the family is moving onto Spain, and then Portugal.
Despite the van being crowded, Amy claims there are more positives to leaving the UK and travelling around Europe.
Amy explains, ‘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, which is crazy busy and expensive.
‘We can make our life much cheaper home educating the children as well. I absolutely love the freedom.’
The Brit, who used to be a self-employed hairdresser, reveals it is ‘much cheaper to buy overseas’ and there is often ‘better weather to build the lifestyle we want’
She sees the ‘great outdoors’ as her children’s playground and says, ‘I don’t want them stuck inside playing, I don’t want them on any technology, I want them exploring the world.’
Amy feels taking her children out of mainstream school ‘was the best thing I ever did for my family’.
She adds, ‘I want them to grow and thrive.
‘We lived quite a free-spirited life anyway back in the UK so I don’t think anyone was overly shocked by our choice to get on the road.
‘Since we’ve been on the road we’re like, “Do we want to settle so soon? Shall we travel for longer?” because we are literally having the best time.’
