This page is for parents who are educating their children at home and are interested in finding out how they can use VERVE to support learning.
If your child needs additional support with speech, language and communication development and this is why you would like to work with me please head to my home page to learn how I use VERVE with families for Speech & Language Therapy.
Maybe Home Education is a new venture for your family, or you have been home educating for a while.
Hopefully it was a positive choice to explore learning outside of school. Maybe it was a desperate last resort. Whatever brought you here, you are welcome.
Offering ‘education otherwise than at school’, means deciding what ‘otherwise’ is going to look like and what your role is. Learning outside of school is different to education in school. It can seem like a vast new landscape. With no map.
Excited? Scared? Liberated? Overwhelmed? Joyful? Uncertain? All of those?
I wonder if any of these thoughts resonate with you right now…
“I enjoy learning with my child but am not always sure how best to support them”
“My child will not engage with learning and will not sit down to do activities together - I don’t know what to do.”
“We are so exhausted by everything that led us to this point that we hardly have the energy to think about what’s next.’
“We have dived into Home Ed and love it, but I want to know more about child-led learning and how to facilitate it.”
VERVE supports families in understanding and strengthening the everyday interactions that shape a child’s development. Whether you’re looking for guidance, reassurance, or therapy support, this is a place to start - Keena Cummins
My first 10 years as a Speech & Language Therapist lit a fire of enthusiasm for interactive child-led approaches. Becoming a mum, and then a home educator, kindled and sustained that fire. Our eldest home educated until she was 17 and then went to Sixth Form and University. Our youngest until he was 18, when a job offer followed a volunteering opportunity. Both have now flown the nest and are in full time employment in interesting careers they enjoy. As a family we have no regrets about choosing Home Ed. Many times, during our Home Ed years, I felt excited, scared, liberated, overwhelmed, joyful, and uncertain. Sometimes all seasons in one day.
In 2019 I trained in VERVE and realised it aligned beautifully with Home Education. I wished I’d known about VERVE when my partner and I were still questioning our assumptions about how children learn and our role in the process.
Alongside my work as a Speech & Language Therapist I now offer VERVE sessions to Home Ed parents. Focusing on the natural skills of parents and carers, VERVE enables adults to reattune and respond to key signals from the child in any and every activity or interaction - helping the child become a self-directed, self-motivated, confident learner with a strong learning self-identity. VERVE, like Home Ed, is an inclusive approach enabling all children to thrive and meet their full potential.
6 sessions of video reflection enable you to identify how you are facilitating your child’s learning in each moment. You will become more consciously aware of what you do that works well for your child. You will be invited to reflect on and experiment with new ways of responding, and changes in pace, and see how small changes vitalise the connection between you and your child and support the learning process.
Instead of looking ‘outside’ for answers, video reflection allows you to look at what is happening right in front of you; in the unique interactions between you and your child, to reflect on your own experience, and your expert knowledge of your child. Working together in a supportive and confidential space you will begin to trust your intuition, see what works, and discover the joy that can come from learning together.
VERVE gives you confidence to support your child’s development by reconnecting you with your unique role in providing co-regulation. Children who experience co-regulation learn over time to self-regulate.
"Self-regulation may be misconstrued as a capacity that develops independently, while in fact, it is through experience with co regulation that children’s more autonomous and independent abilities for self-regulation are developed (Calkins & Hill, 2007; Harris & Waugh, 2002)" -
"Self-regulation is widely recognized as a critical component of children’s development and a strong predictor of both academic and social success (Blair & Diamond, 2008; Blair & Razza, 2007; Vohs & Ciarocco, 2004). "
Through understanding co-regulation, we challenge outdated behaviourist philosophies and approaches and strengthen the parent-child relationship.
“It has been wonderful getting to know Gillian. The way she guided us through the VERVE methods was truly eye-opening. Her approach made a significant difference for my son, and I could clearly see the positive changes after applying VERVE in our day-to-day lives… What stood out the most is her focus on empowering parents and families first, helping us understand how our interactions build the foundation for the child’s progress, rather than relying solely on therapist led sessions. We are truly grateful for her support, insight, and compassion”
“I highly recommend to parents to give this a try, Gillian is great at delivering the sessions and makes you feel at ease when watching yourself back on video! The sessions are absolutely good value for money and we have taken a lot out of them”.
“VERVE is a great way to interact with your child because you can do it all the time, it becomes second nature. Its really great to know that G is leading the session and wants to communicate with me rather than me pushing it onto him. It’s so rewarding when he is clearly enjoying interacting.”
My SLT colleagues use VERVE with their own children too:
“VERVE is invaluable in facilitating learning and in supporting the adult not to take over. It also supports parents in observing what development is happening moment-to-moment rather than coming in with their own agenda and then panicking when the child has other ideas. VERVE has been so helpful in rebuilding connection and trust and in not feeding negative thinking. It’s made me so much more aware of the power of words, the weight they hold and, equally, the power of silence and stillness.” Parent of 13-year-old who home-educated due to school-related burn-out
“The silence and waiting is profound…when looking at a book for example they will often have so much to say about it, notice things you don’t. I think as adults we stop looking at the finer details - children don’t - until maybe we stop this skill in them by rushing things forward. They ask questions which they won’t do if we don’t give them the time … everything becomes a richer experience.” Parent who uses her VERVE knowledge to support her children’s learning
You may like to look at my Google Business Reviews to find out what other parents have found helpful.
Sessions are for parents only. Your child does not attend the sessions. If there are two parents in the family then, ideally, both parents attend so that your approach to supporting your children can be as consistent and effective as possible.
In each VERVE session you will share a short video of an interaction between you and your child. Working through the skills of parents, through video reflection, has long been proven to be the most effective way to create positive change. Video is an exciting and essential tool enabling us to focus on your skills and your unique child.
You can do all sessions online (video call). If you are in my locality you can choose to do some or all sessions in person if you prefer.
Introductory session: An opportunity to meet me and tell me about your child and any specific areas of their development and learning that you would like to focus on. I will introduce you to the VERVE approach, explain how we will work together and answer any questions you may have.
VERVE Sessions 1 – 4: VERVE video reflection sessions
Session 5: A review session 4 weeks after session 4 allows us to review, witness and celebrate progress and answer any questions that have arisen since session 4.
Depending on the needs of their child, some parents like to continue meeting every 6-8 weeks to help them ‘stay on track’ and address any questions or tricky moments they have had. Together we can decide what is right for your family.
Home Education can be liberating especially if alternatives have been a struggle, or if you simply want to explore a different way of learning, but it is a huge responsibility. It is one of the most important things you will ever do. I will be delighted if I can provide a little support and guidance along the way and leave you with skills you can use for a lifetime.
Introductory session: £60
You are welcome to use the Introductory session as a standalone appointment, with no obligation to continue unless it feels right for you.
VERVE Sessions:
Session 1 (90mins) = £135
Sessions 2 - 4 and first review (60mins each) - £90/h
Total cost for VERVE sessions: £ 495
Between sessions, you’ll have time and space to practice at home and can contact me if you need support along the way. Parents who work with me, using this approach, see positive change within the first 4 weeks.
We can continue to meet every 4-8 weeks, if this would be helpful, to monitor, celebrate and build on your child’s progress. You decide how much support you need.
"The sessions are absolutely good value for money and we have taken a lot out of them."
"Consulting with Gillian proved to be an excellent investment of time and money."
In line with professional guidance, fees reflect not only time spent on face-to-face sessions, but time spent on planning and preparation, essential business admin, and my commitment to continuing professional development through ongoing reading and training. I aim to ensure my fees are fair and good value for money.
Send me an email at gillian@apectraining.co.uk saying that you are interested in booking an Introductory Session - VERVE for Home Ed. Please include in your email:
• your child/ren's age/s
• where you are based • your main reason for home educating • your reason for choosing to work with me • if you prefer video calls or in person or would like a mix of both • you are very welcome to ask a few questions too of courseI will send you the dates and times of the next available appointments and you can choose an appointment convenient for you if you decide to go ahead.
Appointments are available daytime Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Please feel welcome to browse the rest of the website to find out more about me and the services I offer.
On the Streams website you can learn about my Home Ed experience (coming soon).
If you are interested in working with me primarily to support your child’s speech and language development, please go to the website and FAQs page to find out what I offer as a Speech & Language Therapist as this may be more suited to your child and your requirements.
For children on my caseload, I am happy to discuss the EHCP process and contribute a report if this will be helpful. However, my interest is in enabling parents to support their children's wellbeing, communication and learning - regardless of whether the child is Home Educated or attends school. I do not offer an 'assessment and report service'as a one off piece of work for children who are not already on my caseload.
Full details of services available, terms & conditions and fees can be provided with no obligation.
This website has been designed to provide everything you need to know about me and what I offer. You can read parent feedback here or see my Google Reviews.
Copyright © 2019-2026 Gillian Bolton
