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Mum-of-nine quits UK to homeschool children in motorhome travelling across Europe

Mum-of-nine Amy Edwards has swapped life in the UK for a motorhome adventure across Europe, homeschooling five of her children as she travels

[ "I look back and feel that I didn't get to raise my own children."]

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The family is travelling in a motorhome across Europe(Image: Kennedy News/Amysarmythehomeedway)

A mum has quit the UK to homeschool five of her kids in a motorhome while holidaying in Europe. Amy Edwards took the leap to leave England in May 2026 but claims it'd been 'in the pipeline' for nine years after meeting her husband, Shane, in 2016.

The mum-of-nine took her eldest children out of mainstream education after covid, but never sent her younger children to school, instead opting to homeschool them. The 40-year-old says taking her children out of mainstream education was 'the best thing' she ever did as the UK school system is 'too rigid'.

Now she, 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. The couple's 'dream' is to buy land, grow their own crops and have animals, incorporating this into their children's education.

[A mum has quit the UK to homeschool FIVE of her kids in a MOTORHOME while holidaying in Europe. ]

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A mum has quit the UK to homeschool FIVE of her kids in a MOTORHOME while holidaying in Europe. (Image: Kennedy News/Amysarmythehomeedway)

Amy, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, said: "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.

"My older five children never went back to school after the pandemic and my younger children have never known the school system. 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. Amy said: "We had our motorhome last year, and we toured the UK and we spent quite a bit of time on the road. We knew we loved it [and] could manage it.

"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. It's much cheaper to buy overseas and 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. 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, who used to be a self-employed hairdresser, says the family is moving onto Spain, then Portugal. Despite the van being crowded, Amy claims there are more positives to ditching the UK and travelling around Europe.

Amy said: "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 great outdoors to me is their playground. I don't want them stuck inside playing, I don't want them on any technology, I want them exploring the world. I just think it was the best thing I ever did for my family was take my children out of mainstream school.

"The school system is 'all should fit', everyone needs to fit in a square, however some are circles, some are triangular but they are still expected to go down the same path. I want them to grow and thrive.

"We live 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."

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