How to choose a worldschooling hub for your family

The best worldschooling hub for your family is the one whose ages, hours, learning approach, housing and full cost match what you actually need. Advertising rarely tells you all of that, so the most useful step is asking each operator the same clear questions and comparing the answers.

Below are the questions we would ask any hub, followed by our own answers where they are confirmed. For background on worldschooling itself, start with our practical guide.

Actual ages, not only advertised ages

An age range on a website tells you who can come, not who is coming. A teen programme with two teenagers booked feels very different from one with a lively group.

• What ages are booked for the dates we are considering?
• How are children grouped, and how many are in each group?
• How many families attend each cohort?

Our answer: the Drop-Off Programme is for ages 3 to 11 and the Teen Hub for ages 12 to 18. Cohorts bring 14 families together. Ask us about the ages booked in your chosen cohort.

Supervision and hours

• Which hours are children supervised, and does this change on excursion days?
• Who is responsible for children outside programme hours?
• Are afternoon or evening activities supervised, or for families together?

Our answer: programmes run Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 1pm, with arrangements varying on excursion days. Outside supervised sessions, children are in their parents’ care.

Educational approach

• What does a typical morning look like?
• Is the programme a school, a curriculum, or enrichment alongside your own plans?
• How does it fit with online school or home education?

Our answer: mornings are Waldorf-inspired and experiential, learning through head, heart and hands. We are not an accredited school; families remain responsible for formal education.

Staffing and support

• Who leads the groups, and what experience do they have?
• What checks are carried out on staff?
• What support can be offered to neurodivergent children or those needing extra help?

Our answer: our staff undergo police checks and reference checks, and the programme is delivered by qualified teachers and facilitators. We welcome neurodivergent children and different ways of taking part, but cannot provide dedicated one-to-one support.

Housing and transport

• Where will we stay, and what does the accommodation include?
• Can we stay nearby and still join in?
• How do families get to the programme and around the area, and what does that cost?

Our answer: nine onsite air-conditioned en-suite family rooms include weekday breakfast and housekeeping. Offsite families can join with a Community and Activity Pass, and larger families can enquire about a two-bedroom house 400 metres from the Hub. We can help arrange airport transfers and vehicles; transport is an additional cost.

Inclusions and the full cost

• What exactly does the headline price include, per person and per family?
• Are there registration fees, activity passes or compulsory extras?
• Which meals, outings and facilities are included?
• What should we budget for separately?

Our answer: our calculator shows the whole cost for your family, including accommodation, programme places, Community and Activity Passes and the one-off registration fee. Flights, visas, insurance, transport, most meals and personal one-to-one sessions are extra.

Dates, payment and cancellation

• When is the deposit due, and when is the balance due?
• What happens if we need to cancel?
• Are there discounts for siblings or for booking more than one cohort?

Our answer: a 25% deposit secures a booking, with the balance due 60 days before arrival; bookings within 60 days are paid in full. Cancelling 60 days or more before the start date gives a full refund less the deposit; later cancellations are not refunded. Sibling and multi-cohort discounts are set out on our pricing page.

Parent community

• Is there anything for parents, or is the hub mainly childcare?
• Is there a place to work, and is it shared?
• How do families spend time together?

Our answer: parents are part of the community, with chai and chat, group wellbeing sessions, family outings and a shared coworking room open 24/7 to pass holders. There are no private call booths.

Before you book anywhere

Ask about anything that could affect your family’s month, such as allergies, animals on site, health needs or how communal the living is. A good operator will answer plainly, including when something may not suit you.