As parents who never went through the UK schooling system/curriculum, we naturally had anxieties about the kind of formation our children would receive once progressing to secondary school. This was in part due to experiences shared by our friends who are parents of children in mainstream secondary schools.
This was a cause of concern for us, as we value the human formation that our children receive from education equally or more than the academic achievements that they will get.
What convinced you that the Regina Caeli Academy would be different?
If attending the open day at RCA was an accident for us, the decision to send our eldest son to grade 5 was a calculated experiment. Plan B was for him to rejoin mainstream school in year 7, especially since he had passed a grammar school entrance examination.
From the various conversations we had during the open day, we were convinced that at least RCA leadership was clear in its objective of providing an authentic human formation for each and every child, with the complete participation of parents in this important undertaking. This led us to choose RCA even as a trial for one academic year.
The Regina Caeli Academy model of hybrid education (2 days at the academy and 3 at home) is a big change for a family. What impact have you seen it have on your children?
Within a few months of starting RCA, we could see visible changes in our children's overall state where we found them to be more peaceful and joyful in the simple things in and around home.
This in turn resulted in our children taking more interest in their academics and a consistent excitement to attend RCA on academy days.
To our surprise, our children once told us how much they like the idea of us being their primary tutors!
How have you found homeschooling for three days a week?
As first-time homeschooling parents unfamiliar with the classical method of education, inevitably, we found it initially difficult to manage teaching at home while also attending to the needs of our infant children.
However, the well-set curriculum coupled with diligent support from RCA tutors in the form of frequent feedback and student reviews has helped us immensely in getting on top of the teaching demands within a short span of time.
What difference has RCA made to your life as a parent?
RCA has helped us to get better organised, be more aware of manifesting virtues in our actions and understanding the temperaments of our children better.
Also, having connections with like-minded RCA parents gives us the feeling of being together in a greater mission than just the education of our own children.
What would you say to a parent considering sending their child to RCA?
For any parents who are in two minds about making a decision to go with RCA like we were at one stage, we would strongly recommend taking that step with a leap of faith.
You'll see the fruits of that decision borne through the overall formation of your children sooner than later.
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