Ahoy there, matey!

Pirate School is weekly podcast about the chaotic, messy, wild world of home education.

There's no such thing as Numeracy.

We discuss Reading, Riting, and Rithmatic, and the possibility that maybe we don’t need to be focusing on “Maths” as an entirely separate topic. If you have any questions or comments, write in and we’ll discuss them on the show. Email [email protected].

Season 1 · Episode 22 · August 22, 2025

The Sapling Model

We talk about the nature of literacy, and apply our hobby literacies to unit planning. If you have any questions or comments, write in and we’ll discuss them on the show. Email [email protected].

Season 1 · Episode 21 · August 5, 2025

Teaching and Learning Behaviour

We chat about the fact that home educators do a great job of behavioural education, and express our frustrations with senior schooling’s focus on testing. Bonus: Going through a trench coat and fedora phase! If you have any questions or comments, write in and we’ll discuss them on the show. Email [email protected].

Season 1 · Episode 20 · July 30, 2025

The one about religion

Religion plays a huge role in the lives of many homeschooling families, including ours. We don’t normally put too much of an emphasis on the topic, so we’ve dedicated this episode to discussing our Judaism and how it influences the way we educate our kids. If you have any questions or comments, write in and we’ll discuss them on the show. Email [email protected].

Season 1 · Episode 19 · July 11, 2025

Overstimulated and Underworked

Are we really as busy as we think we are? Trying to slow down during the school holidays.

Season 1 · Episode 18 · July 4, 2025

Retrospectives and Screentime

It’s the last week of term! Time to think about what’s gone well, and areas for improvement.

Season 1 · Episode 17 · June 30, 2025

Why is Math so hard?

Saadia and Talia relate their struggles with getting kids to do maths! They discuss some new framing and fresh ideas that might just help.

Season 1 · Episode 16 · June 19, 2025

Rites of passage

Saadia is back from Japan! We talk about homeschooling through travel, and the Gradual Release of Responsibility framework.

Season 1 · Episode 15 · June 4, 2025

What's going well?

In this episode we discuss a range of topics from scheduling, to socialising, to learning styles. What’s been going well for us? What hasn’t?

Season 1 · Episode 14 · May 22, 2025

Deschooling

We go on all sorts of tangents while trying to discuss the transition between traditional school and homeschool.

Season 1 · Episode 13 · May 7, 2025