Guerrilla Ed(ucation) FAQ’s
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Does it WORK? Will my children receive the best education imaginable?
Yes, it works because your children won’t have to waste time on ‘nothing-burger’ subjects such as; Geography (Fake Climate BS), Business Studies (it’s never taught by someone who’s actually ever run a successful business, else why would they be a Business Studies teacher?), Relationships Sex Education (gross!) etc. Your child’s curriculum will actually be tailored to them like it is supposed to be. Similarly, we know from educational studies that 1-2-1 attention is what makes the biggest difference in successful outcomes for children, specifically: intellectual performance, engagement, intellectual curiosity and happiness.
Article with links to original source: https://sarahplumley.substack.com/p/magic-children
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How long will it take me to complete the Guerrilla Ed Course?
Guerrilla Ed is a MEMBERSHIP rather than just another course. This isn’t pedantry but an important distinction. 95% of all online courses never get finished. Think about that. It’s a waste. A terrible, terrible waste. That’s why I created a MEMBERSHIP site, so that parents, grandparents, teachers, myself and those without children who wish to support other parents in their GE endeavours can come together and make it happen. The Guerrilla Ed Membership includes CORE modules that parents/grandparents will all study at their own pace. The average time it takes a parent to study and implement the CORE modules is 6-9 months. After that there are ELECTIVE & BONUS modules which many parents choose to study to sate their child’s particular needs or to further their own knowledge and understanding of real education. (There is also and enormous amount of content for children to study – see below).
In addition to online CORE and ELECTIVE modules, there is also Guerrilla Ed LIVE/SJP LIVE which takes place two Tuesday’s per month (during term time) as well as weekly CORE LIVE English & Maths Classes (Wednesdays) for all of the family. Two Saturdays per month there are Guerrilla Ed YOUTH lectures – which are short, to the point and with an opportunity for Q&A (as always) afterwards!
Then, there’s the not insignificant matter of the pre-recorded SUBJECT COURSES, which includes; Mathematics, English, French, Cursive, Spellings, Maths MUSTs, Speech & Drama, REAL Science and Creative Confidence. Whilst these GE courses are predominantly studied by children, plenty of our adult members also partake. Especially popular with adults are; Mathematics, Cursive and Maths MUSTs!
NEW for 2024/25 we have Additional Maths to develop those who already have strong mathematical foundations on which to build. This course is by entrance exam only but adults and children alike are welcome to apply.
This is a Membership Experience. It’s not unlike being a member of a sports club that caters for the whole family… except we learn much more than how to get good at sport!
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How will I have time to study the Guerrilla Ed Course, work and educate my children?
The very first module teaches how you can teach your son/daughter to a much better standard than a state school in as little as 2-hours per day. You can also delegate some or all of this learning to another trusted adult. If you, or your nominee, properly focus on what is truly important; impeccable standards in; Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic, aRticulation and moRality (The 5R’s), then your child will have excellent foundations in order to be able to study anything their heart desires.
School curricula are spreading children too thin. There are too many subjects, often very badly taught and many of the better subjects attempt to cover FAR too much material… not to mention FALSE and/or deliberately MISLEADING assertions. It leaves young people, unsteady, confused, over-stretched and unable to grasp even the basics. Check out the abysmal standards in SPAG, basic mathematics and manners!
It has to be seen to be believed how ignorant young, “schooled” people now are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYTEkPjJOW0&list=PPSV
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How long does it take to complete Guerrilla Ed Maths?
Mathematics learning is like going to the gym to attain fitness goals, or like practising a musical instrument to take formal examinations, it’s about consistent, rigorous practice of real skills. There’s a great saying in sport, which I have stolen for maths but it also works for martial arts, modern foreign languages, musical instruments and more.
“Don’t practice until you get it right, practice until you cannot get it wrong!”
Your maths is done when you are so accomplished that you simply cannot get it wrong. In other words, mastery. No one is going to force you to master anything, however there is a reason that, statistically speaking, people with higher standards in mathematics earn more as adults.
The Smith Review in 2017 evidenced that basic numeracy skills are vital to a person’s future career:
‘… adults with basic numeracy skills earn higher wages and are more likely to be in employment than those who fail to master these skills.’
The Smith Review also found that getting a good GCSE maths grade/level at 16-years of age has a huge impact on future earnings:
‘Individuals who achieve five or more good GCSEs (including English and Mathematics) as their highest qualification have a lifetime productivity gain worth around £100,000 compared to those with below level 2 or no qualifications.’
**A “good” GCSE grade used to be a “C” or more, which in real terms is a LEVEL 5 – not level 4 – today. Many institutions lie and try to pass off a “4” as a “pass”; in GCSE Mathematics it simply isn’t and it is easily provable using either statistics, samples of exam questions and/or candidate responses. (As a current GCSE Expert Examiner for Mathematics – I should know).
Those who take ‘A’ level maths earn an average of 11% more over their lifetime:
‘It is generally accepted that attaining ‘A’ level mathematics bestows a significant wage premium. The often-cited work by Dolton and Vignoles demonstrated that graduates from 1980 with a mathematics ‘A’ level were earning 7-10 per cent higher wages in their early thirties compared to those who took ‘A’ levels in other subjects, even after controlling for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. A repeat of this work using a later cohort found a return of around 11 per cent.’
Link to The Smith Review: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/630488/AS_review_report.pdf
As ever, Guerrilla Ed places the parent as the director of their child’s curriculum, so it is 100% up to you, when you think your child is “done” learning mathematics. Clearly, you can see why I major on this subject. It isn’t just about which maths topics you learn; it is the generic problem solving and higher-level thinking skills that really count. With over 8,000 questions, (growing weekly) answers and video solutions to EVERY question, it’s safe to assume that your mathematics is going to be well catered for.
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How long does it take to complete Guerrilla Ed Cursive (Handwriting)?
Handwriting is a practical skill which generally takes around 300 hours to accomplish and 500 hours to master. That is divided up into circa 90-minutes of pre-recorded tuition, followed by roughly 8.5 hours of practice (drill) or “homework” per lesson.
There are 30 x 90-minute lessons across the Cursive courses; Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced which have circa 8+ hours of practice to accompany each lesson. Students who are tight for time often take these lessons fortnightly instead of weekly to allow them to acquire the physical skill levels required.
There is a masters’ course in the pipeline of 10 x 90-minute lessons with additional exercises to enable those who want to, to become master penmen.
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What other subjects will Guerrilla Ed provide for my children?
Guerrilla Ed will teach you to place your children at the very centre of their own curricula. Each child will follow his or her own curriculum in accordance with their talents and interests. I wouldn’t be arrogant enough – unlike other providers of “online education” or “schools” – to set a curriculum for a child I have never met or hardly know! What we do differently is train and educate parents to seek out additional appropriate learning materials and resources for their children. A far more difficult task than you might think given the absolute garbage that is peddled as “aMaZiNg” by Home Ed groups on Fakebook, in “Lighthouses” and other “schools disguised as community centres”.
If your son is going to be a tennis champion, he’s going to need a champion 1-2-1 tennis coach, NOT a theoretical course in “mastering your serve” delivered by a failed club-level tennis player. Just saying. Oh, and by the way, tennis champions practice for 4-hours per day, every day from a VERY young age. Food for thought.
We are currently producing courses in Advanced English and Critical Thinking in addition to the courses already available as part of your membership (Guerrilla Ed, Cursive, Mathematics, English, REAL Science, Maths MUSTS!, Creative Confidence, Speech & Drama, French, Additional Maths and Spelling!) and we are also very open to producing content that is requested by our members… for example, Latin keeps being suggested!
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I’m concerned that I am not intelligent enough to teach my children, they are already very bright. What should I do?
If you are intelligent enough to read this website and understand its purpose, then you are most certainly good enough to facilitate the development of your children even in areas that are not your specialism. Why? Because parents are a child’s first teachers. You are the ones who taught your children how to feed, clean and dress themselves… and if you’ve taught tying shoe laces, then you very likely have the potential to be an excellent teacher!
Good teachers teach a little and teach it well. They provide their students with just enough tools to enable them to go off and really study something of interest.
Great teachers facilitate learning, ask more questions of their students and place the onus on individuals to go out into the world and study rigorously. Students of great teachers quickly (1-3 years) out-grow and surpass their teacher’s level. This is true of tutors, coaches, mentors and “gurus” too.
If your students don’t frequently finish up better than you are at your subject, then you are not a great teacher.
Finally, if you really cannot bear to learn physics but your daughter really loves it, there are still some excellent private tutors, though they do need a bit of unearthing and there are also some very good online resources that are free to use and adapt. All of which is taught as part of Guerrilla Ed CORE Online self-study course for parents. Be careful with resources – almost all of them contain SEQUENCING errors, so we recommend studying with us BEFORE you buy more stuff!
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My child is ‘x’-years-old, is this suitable for them?
Most resources, including books, that have age labels are entirely arbitrary. At 13-years-old, Dr Jordan B. Peterson, who makes no claims what-so-ever of being a genius, was reading and understanding books that I probably would struggle with today. Labels, targets, levels and grades ought to be used with extreme caution (if at all), they tend to “cap” or “limit” a child (or adult’s) perception of what is possible and as the saying goes;
“If you think you probably can, you are right. If you think you probably can’t, you are also right.”
In Germany, 16-year-olds are reading Shakespeare (in English), whilst at the same time English 16-year-olds can barely manage “phrasebook German” or children’s books in German. “Age appropriate learning materials” are a scam. Evidently.
All Guerrilla Ed resources are aimed at children who are 5-16yrs and parents of children in the 5-16 years range. Why? Because these are the “compulsory schooling” ages set by the UK government. This policy isn’t based on any science nor “the welfare of children”. On the contrary, as pointed out in the New Scientist (article: Too much, too young: Should schooling start at age 7?):
‘… the English system – which was introduced in 1870 in order to get women back into work, rather than on the basis of any educational benefit to children – is now causing profound damage.’
Link to original article: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029435-000-too-much-too-young-should-schooling-start-at-age-7/
Guerrilla Ed doesn’t just provide world-class teaching resources, it also teaches parents how to seek out the best resources and educational opportunities for their child. Some children will not be suited to “cursive”, others will need a computer guru to teach them advanced coding. Unlike other “online education” providers, we do not pretend to be “just right” for your son or daughter (we don’t know them!) Instead, we teach parents how to craft the perfect curriculum for their child.
All of our subject courses are based on real-life teaching and learning experience, have been written by professional teachers, professors and lecturers – to an enviable standard – and are to be used solely at the discretion of the parent.
(As we are targeting adults with our memberships, courses, websites, advice and ‘LIVES’, we cannot be regulated by the state, nor be inspected by Ofsted, nor have our ethos of truthful and real-world education meddled with! Even when the monstrous Schools’ Bill goes through, it won’t change a thing for us. That said, we do get RAVE reviews from our Guerrilla Ed YOUTH – young people are accessing our courses every single day and thriving! See what we did there? 😉)
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How long will I need to pay membership fees for?
As long or as short a time as you deem necessary. Whilst we do not want Guerrilla Ed CORE to be in the 95% of online courses that never get completed and we will do everything we can to support you in making it through, we will not tie anybody in. The memberships are all pay-monthly for that very reason. Just like at Netflix you will have 100% control over your membership at all times. You can simply login and cancel if you find that it is not for you. (If, however, you change your mind and come back to us later, do not be surprised by an increased membership fee. Guerrilla Ed is now growing at a rate of 600 new educational videos per month. So, that’s circa 7,200 additional insights or mini-lessons per year!)
Most of our members join because, in the beginning, they are fearful of not providing the best for their children.
Most of our members stay because their children thrive and now have found a place of life-long learning for the whole family!
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How do you keep Guerrilla Ed Sheeple-Free?
I keep my message clear, to the point and “highly offensive” to SHEEPLEtards so that they don’t ever come near us in the first place. It is very obvious who I am and what I will and won’t stand for. I’m like “Marmite” and that is good.
‘Ye shall know them by their fruits.’ ~ Matthew 7:16
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Will there be fee increases?
No. Never. The monthly membership rate that you join at is yours forever; you keep that until you leave. If, however, you leave and decide to come back in the future, do not be surprised to find that the price has increased as more content is added, knowledge, ideas and experience gained and new opportunities for tribe members present. Currently, GE is growing at a rate of 7,200 videos per year!
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Will I have to pay for new courses like ‘bolt-ons’?
No. I cannot bear the admin, I want to teach and you want to learn… I do not wish to have to waste my life bean-counting!
Any courses that are made for Guerrilla Ed by Sarah Plumley, or employees/associates of Guerrilla Ed/sarahplumley.com – be they freelancers or other – will be made freely available to all members. This goes for LIVE as well as ONLINE courses.
There may be VERY special guest courses by well-known experts in their fields in the future, hosted by Guerrilla Ed/sarahplumley.com, but every effort will always be made to keep things free for GE members or at least generously discounted.
13. Do you do ‘FAMILY MEMBERSHIP’ discounts?
Guerrilla Ed Memberships ARE family memberships. Each member of your immediate family (your household) may have their own login included in the price of ONE membership so that everyone’s progress through the courses is saved individually and so that parents have control over what their children have access to. On joining, go to the GE APP and click on Guerrilla Ed and complete the section titled: “Start HERE!” to learn how to go about having user areas created for your family members for free.
14. Is it possible to attend Guerrilla Ed events on a pay-as-you-go basis?
No, GE MEMBERSHIPS are strictly “in” or “out”. Either REAL education is more valuable to you than a weekly take-away for two (£33.46 per week), or it isn’t. There is no other UK organisation that is providing anything like this (and certainly not with any kind of academic credibility), for parents and grandparents who are genuine Home Educators.
Here at Guerrilla Ed, we are passionate about excellence; academically, personally, in sport, music, art, in business, finance and in every area of your life and those of your children.
The guest lecturers, teachers and other professionals that deliver LIVE and/or pre-recorded training are of a quality that other organisations can only envy.
Top quality education is something to be invested in. Serious people only, please.
15. I am not able to attend LIVE will there be video replays?
All LIVES are recorded and uploaded to the Guerrilla Ed APP, roughly 24-hours after the events. This enables busy parents/grandparents and children to catch up on any of the missed training, events, classes and lectures. The exception, of course, is Additional Maths which is only made available as a replay for those who’ve passed the Ad. Maths entrance exam.
16. Is Guerrilla Ed an ONLINE SCHOOL?
Absolutely not. Online schools are VERY unhealthy. They force children to spend too much time staring at a computer screen. Horrid. Guerrilla Ed will encourage, inspire and support you to ensure that your child’s education is well-rounded and that a good amount of time is spent out in the real world and especially in the fresh air. GE is far better than ONLINE SCHOOLS because we do not have SEQUENCING errors in our resources. Most teachers, tutors and especially online schools have no idea what that even means.
Shocking – as SEQUENCING ERRORS is the number 1 reason that children are struggling to learn.
Check out this video so that you can ensure that your child doesn’t fall pray to abominably SEQUENCED learning materials.
Of course, it isn’t only in mathematics where SEQUENCING errors can be found. All languages courses; French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin and even English Language are also guilty of this and each time we research a new subject area, the exact same problems can be found.
These awful “learning resources” are literally creating the gap in knowledge that schools of all kinds claim to be desperately trying to close.