A calm, relational, independent home-education community. For ages 11–16. Opening September 2026 to a Year 7 cohort.
For young people who don’t thrive in mainstream school — especially creative thinkers, deep feelers and neurodivergent learners — who still need meaningful academic progress. A small, fee-paying learning community combining recognised qualifications with life skills, mentoring and steady personal growth.
What is Emberfield Growth Hub - from the Founder
In this conversation, Founder Fenella Buchanan explains the inspiration behind Emberfield Growth Hub and how the learning community will work in practice.
We hope this brings some comfort to anyone unsure where to turn for secondary education.
Our promise
A community, not a school — phone-free, human-scale, grounded
Qualifications with wellbeing — academic learning alongside real-world capability
Mentored, small-group learning — high adult presence and consistent relationships
Emberfield is a private, community-oriented home-education hub for families who want something genuinely different from school — without giving up on qualifications. Parents retain legal responsibility for education, while Emberfield provides a structured, calm weekly rhythm shaped around academic learning, life skills, creative integration, and consistent mentoring.
Who Emberfield is for
Emberfield is for young people aged 11–16 who:
feel overwhelmed, anxious, or shut down in school
learn best through calm structure and strong relationships
need support with regulation, confidence, and motivation
still want credible academic outcomes
Who Emberfield is not for
Emberfield may not be the right fit if a family is looking for:
a school replacement with school rules and systems
large classes, constant testing, or performance culture
a setting that can be reshaped around individual demands
We’re warm and transparent about fit. Clear boundaries protect the community.
Emberfield will open in September 2026 with a small founding cohort, allowing us to build the community carefully and relationally. Register interest / request a call
Practical information at a glance
Ages: 11–16 (Years 7–11) Opening: September 2026 Model: Home-education community (private, fee-paying) Location: Buckinghamshire, UK Fees: from £15,000 per learner per year
