Questions

Skylarks Learning will use a Zoom account with the same class-specific log in code and password each week. The plan is to keep class sizes to a maximum of 10 children to help facilitate a friendly atmosphere with good opportunities for discussion as the courses progress.

During class, students will keep their camera on and communicate both using their microphone and typing in the discussion box. Parents/guardians are expected to be on hand for any technical issues and to ensure that their child is engaged - it is the parent/guardian's responsibility to check a child is not distracted with other applications on the computer during class time. Please see the Policies page for more information on standards and safeguarding.

Claire Stimson, aka Mrs S, teaches both the English and History courses. Claire studied English Literature at St Andrews University then, after becoming a Christian, switched her degree specialisms to Theology and Church History. She graduated from St Andrews with a Masters of Theology (with Distinction).

Claire is married to Andy and they have home educated their four children following a classical, Charlotte Mason style curriculum; the eldest has now embarked on her undergraduate studies and Claire continues to home educate the younger three who are all involved in the various Skylarks courses. Given the children are now of secondary age and enjoying more independent study time, Claire has recently been able to return to her own studies and is currently halfway through an MA in English Literature.

Claire has taught classes in English and History since 2020 and has a keen interest in educational pedagogy, with professionally accredited teacher training from the British Dyslexia Association, TES (ADHD Awareness) and National Autistic Society. Claire holds a NSPCC certificate in online safety for children and an up-to-date DBS.

Kathryn S is the teaching assistant for the Introduction to Analysis and English Language & the Epic classes. Kathryn is currently studying English Literature at the University of Oxford and, when she isn’t reading, can usually be found writing fantasy novels for her siblings. 

Children are expected to participate in verbal narrations and discussions during class. Students' microphones will generally be muted during the teaching slots and using a headset can be helpful to limit background noise. Children are requested to have their video on during class, with the background setting blurred. Skylarks Learning has previously run classes both with and without videos and feedback has indicated that children feel more involved when they can see the faces of those they are learning alongside. If you have concerns about your child's use of their camera or microphone please do get in touch.

Participation in discussion will be an important part of the learning process and helps to encourage a positive group atmosphere. There will be a chat box discussion that runs during the class - students cannot privately message each other but can share a comment or question with the whole class or directly to the teacher. Classes are not recorded.

Apart from following the guidelines on the course pages regarding age and ability, the courses can be taken in an order to suit your family. That said, they have been designed to provide a full syllabus of English and History learning for students working from Y8 to Y11 standard and, as such, the material and skills develop in the sequence below:

Y8:  Introduction to Analysis and Medieval History*.

Y9:  English Language & the Epic and Renaissance to Restoration.

Y10: Essay Skills and Age of Revolution.

Y11: The Art of Fiction and The World Reshaped.

It is not assumed that a child's learning year will correspond to their age and it is no problem for older students to take the earlier classes - there will generally be a mix of ages and year groups are not mentioned within the course material.

*Medieval History is suitable for children in Year 7 if you would like to stagger your child's start to online classes.

The prices are listed on the course information pages. The course fee covers all admin costs, online classes and, where applicable, homework feedback. 

All payments are made by BACS transfer and account details will be emailed with the invoice. The booking deposit (£40 per course) will be deducted from the total balance. 

Book lists will be sent by email in May. We do not recommend buying texts before seeing the book list as sometimes a specific edition of a book is required. You might find it helpful to purchase a basic head-set with microphone for the class but this is not a requirement.

All payments for 2025-2026 courses need to be received by 31st August 2025. Once your final balance has been paid, you will be emailed the reading and homework schedules for your courses.

Yes, there is a family multi-course discount on class fees: a 5% reduction for two courses, and a 10% reduction for 3 or more courses. If you have more than one child wanting to study the same course then it is fine for siblings to watch the lessons without needing to register for their own place on the course. It is, however, only possible for the one registered child to appear on camera and to contribute in the discussions.

Multi-course and early bird discounts are applied automatically to the invoice.

Skylarks Learning offers bursary places for families on a low-income or who are facing financial difficulty. There are bursary places available for each of the English and History courses, either covering the full class fee or offering a reduced rate. Bursary applications should be received by Tuesday 8th April for courses beginning in September 2025. Families will hear back as to whether their application has been successful by 30th April. If you have missed the deadline, you are welcome to email to find out if there are any places still available.

Please click here to request a bursary application.

Please complete the registration form on the website. You will then be emailed an invoice for the booking deposit of £40 per class. If you haven't received your invoice within three days of submitting the form please get in touch.

After your booking deposit has been paid you will be sent an invoice for the remaining balance to pay before 31st August 2025. The book list will be sent to you in May and the reading and homework schedules are emailed to families upon receipt of the final balance payment.

All Skylarks courses are taught from a Christian perspective and this influences the choice of texts, as well as providing a basis upon which to encourage a class atmosphere that is respectful, supportive, and edifying. 

C.S. Lewis described a Christian approach to writing literature as aiming at ‘edification in so far as edification was proper to the kind of work at hand. But whatever it chose to do would have to be done by the means common to all literature; it could succeed or fail only by the same excellences and the faults as all literature’. We think the same approach applies to studying literature; it is an academic rather than devotional activity but, as with every other area of life, this can be done with the end goal of reflecting something of the glory, wonder, and grace of God. 

With the history reading groups, Christian theology will sometimes be part of the subject content itself, and this will be addressed with sensitivity to differing views. The aim is to equip the students to recognise various worldviews, understand the ways in which the Christian faith has shaped our heritage, and feel more able to examine truth claims independently.

Charlotte Mason (1842-1923) wrote six fantastic volumes on educational philosophy, and is perhaps best known for the emphasis she placed on children reading excellent (‘living’) books and narrating back the content in their own words. She also encouraged families to spend as much time outdoors as possible.

Skylarks Learning follows her educational principles and, although the classes are online, the homework is flexible enough that learning won’t be primarily screen-based - children are very welcome to do their reading up a tree if they’d like!  The courses aim to provide each child with the opportunity to enjoy an abundant feast of learning, which has been carefully arranged so that they can explore connections themselves whilst cultivating a habit of focused attention.

Reading the quotations on the website will reveal more of Charlotte Mason’s wisdom on education and you can access her volumes online.

Before the course begins you will be emailed a link to set up a password for both yourself and your child. This will give you access to view a private menu of course webpages via the ‘Student’ tab (from the drop-down menu at the top of the Skylarks website). The student page for each course contains week-by-week information about the content covered in class and any additional instructions for homework assignments. At the bottom of the page there is also an updated PDF of selected course slides and copies of the course paperwork, along with extra resources.

All resources (including reading schedules and class slides) remain the property of Skylarks Learning and must not be copied or shared with others.

All courses have a reading schedule that students need to follow in order to participate in verbal narrations and class discussions. Parents will be emailed the course schedule in August so that they have all the necessary information to make a predictable weekly plan for their child, and they can then have as much (or as little) oversight as they would like.

Homework for English classes is due for submission on Thursday to allow time for marking and feedback. Children won't need to have completed all their weekly reading schedule by this deadline, just that which is necessary for their written assignment. A parent/guardian is to be copied into all communication between the student and tutor.

There is no submitted written work for history reading groups.

Please see individual course pages for a guide on expected homework timings.

All classes are Zoom based although you do not need an account to join the meetings. You will need to have a stable internet connection and access to a computer with a microphone and camera at class times. A headset can be helpful to limit background noise for the microphone and to allow your child to be on class in the same room without everyone having to listen in with them!

Students will need access to email for homework submission, although it is fine for a parent/guardian to send it via their own account if preferred. It is best for written assignments to be composed in a text document and then copied and pasted into an email so that you have a saved record of their coursework.

The booking deposit of £40 is non-refundable as it covers the administrative costs. The remainder of your course fee can be refunded pro-rata if you find within the first two weeks that the class is not what you expected. There are no refunds given after 30th September.

If a class date is cancelled then we will try to find an alternative day/time that would suit everyone to rearrange that lesson.

In the unlikely scenario that a course is cancelled, you will be reimbursed pro-rata for any remaining sessions. The weekly cost can be worked out by deducting the booking deposit from the course fee and then dividing the remainder by 25.

Skylarks Learning runs courses that will equip students preparing for GCSE/IGCSE exams in English Language, English Literature and History. Parents are also able to include courses as part of a child's high school transcript. Please see the Qualifications page for further details.

All students who successfully complete a course will receive a Skylarks certificate. 

Skylarks Learning is a small enterprise and course information is shared mainly by word of mouth. You are welcome to pass on details about the courses, and the website link, to interested friends or family members but please do not share on social media. By keeping the Skylarks user group small, it is hoped that the children are better able to get to know one other and will feel part of a stable and close learning community. 

If your child struggles with some of the more dense material please get in touch and we can discuss the options. Course reading schedules can be adapted to ensure that they enjoy the class rather than feel overwhelmed!

All Skylarks courses finish by May to allow families more flexibility in the summer term and for older students to be able to focus on their exams. Reading schedules will include suggestions of additional material so that students who want to keep working until the end of the summer term can continue to develop their interest in the subject.

We will also plan a number of free educational visits in the spring for those who would like to meet up and explore some of the places connected to their studies.

As home educators, we enjoy the wonderful freedom of being able to follow our own choice of study without any requirement to jump through National Curriculum hoops. Local educational authorities are, however, increasingly using the National Curriculum as a benchmark by which to assess whether a child is receiving a suitable education at home. 

Skylarks courses meet certain National Curriculum (England) criteria, not only in the focus subject of English or History, but also in Art, Citizenship, Geography and Religious Education. The courses are based on a Charlotte Mason educational philosophy and encourage a rich overlap between subjects; the focus on academic excellence ensures that children are developing a depth of understanding and making connections between subject areas that would usually be taught separately at school.

Skylarks Learning can provide documentation for parents/guardians to show how children on Skylarks courses are fulfilling a range of National Curriculum criteria; this can be submitted, if requested by the local authority, as part of the supporting evidence for your child’s education. If you would like further details about the National Curriculum content of any of the courses, please email info@skylarkslearning.co.uk.

There are a limited number of places in each class. If a course is fully booked then you are welcome to email info@skylarkslearning.co.uk and request to be told if there is a cancellation before the course begins.

Please see the Policies page.