The End of an Era

This is a mostly happy but little bittersweet post to write. On Saturday our homeschool journey drew to a close with Jessica-Laine writing her final SAT Subject exams. 

Our closest exam centre for these exams was a beautiful fee-paying school in the Yorkshire countryside. From Chester, it is about a 2.5-hour drive and when you need to be at the school between 7:45 and 8am, that’s a mighty early start!

We decided to spend Friday night in Sheffield, cutting the drive by an hour. That meant a 5am start as opposed to a 4am start – crazy isn’t it? Fortunately with the sun being up at around 4.30, but the time we left the hotel it was bright and fresh.

We have actually really enjoyed these early morning road-trips to the exam centres, we get to see the countryside which is as you know very dear to my heart, enjoy each others company and great conversations. I treasure these memories for I know the day will come when these young women will have homes and families of their own. 

I have to say that I thought that I would really struggle to let go at the end of our homeschool journey, instead, God in is amazing grace has given me peace and contentment. I am overjoyed that my girls had such a wonderful childhood and education and the time is right for them to stretch their wings and fly. They are well equipped to deal with the next phase of their lives. It is wonderful to see that they are happy, well-adjusted, faith-following young ladies who have plans that they are looking forward to starting. Yes, we have reached the end of a journey and have achieved what we set out to do.

While Jessica-Laine wrote her exams, Trevor and I walked around the grounds of Ampleforth College. I felt like I had been transported into one of Enid Blyton’s boarding school books. Mallory Towers or St. Clare’s perhaps? This is the type of school I would have loved to attend as a child. I was one of those that totally bought into Enid Blyton’s probably rose-tinted view of boarding school life and was adamant that I wanted to go…it never happened 😂.

Ampleforth was a monastery, still is, which then opened a school for boys. the monks took all the lessons. 20 years ago it became a co-ed school and now there are only 4 monks who teach on the staff. It has a very peaceful air about it. The beautiful Gothic-inspired church is the centre point of the school.

We were chatting to the visitor centre guide who was at pains to stress that it’s a school where ordinary people of modest means who work very hard, send their children. The fees are ‘only’ around £30 000 a year. I’m not sure he quite understands what modest means really means 😂. Paying nearly £3000/month per child seems an impossibility for the ‘ordinary’ person. Some people are funny, aren’t they? Still, he was a delightful chap who was clearly passionate about the school.

So, back to the exams. We are not entirely sure how they went. Jessica-Laine, whose strong subject was World History, came out feeling very negative. She said 80% of the exam was on Islamic history. She thought she had the wrong paper and checked the heading. It’s a bit annoying, to be honest, to have studied such a wide range of history and then have it focus on one empire. 

We had a long discussion about not stressing about it. God has a plan and it may be different from our plans but it more than likely is the best. I shared with her how I had applied to nursing college in my final school year, got accepted but missed getting in by 2 points on my exams. At the time I was devastated, in an instant, my plans were in tatters and new ones had to be discovered. Looking back it was the best thing because I would have made a terrible nurse (I’m very squeamish) and I would never have met my darling husband. She seemed encouraged by that.

Being able to trust God for life’s plans and directions is what we have always sought to do in our own lives and teach our children. That was one of our reasons for homeschooling. 

Proverbs 16:9 – NKJV – A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

Isn’t that just such a lovely scripture? As we move through life we find great comfort in making plans and setting a path. But the truth is God directs our steps. If it is the wrong plan for us then He gently closes the door but opens another that He wants us to take.

So standing at the end of our amazing, wonderful, blessed homeschool adventure I am at peace. I have two wonderful daughters, we all have lovely close relationships. We love spending time together, we are friends. I love that our relationship has gently moved in that direction. 

If you are still in the thick of child-rearing and homeschooling, be blessed. These years are fleeting. Treasure every moment, every hard day, every great day. All too soon you will be standing at the end of your own journey.

Blessings to you all today.

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Exploring England: Find out more about Ampleforth College