Andrew Lloyd Homeschooler: It's a very short commute. The hours are long but flexible. We try to have nobody tell anyone else what to do and when to do it. It requires commitment and self-reliance but the feedback is direct and the rewards are many.

Job: Parent and teacher to Esme and Nisa, who are homeschooled

What's it like to work at home?

How does this job compare to your last job?

It's not a job - it's a way of life, a vocation and a delight. No job I've ever had has been so interesting.

What's the best part of your job?

Watching the girls (Esme 10 and Nisa nine) work things out.

What's the hardest part of your job?

Stopping the worry in the middle of the night that we aren't doing enough or the right thing for our children. Letting go of anxieties about educational "progress" and "essentials".

Where do you retreat to when it all gets too much?

I turn aside to anything different - there is so much variety in life, and so much to be done. There is plenty of choice - to retreat into a book, into the kitchen, up the garden, up the mountain. . .

Who's your education idol? A.S. Neill for being a radical, a curmudgeon and an honest man. John Holt for really articulating how school can destroy children as creative individuals and suggesting some workable alternatives.

If you could change one thing about teaching at home, what would it be?

I would like to share some of the financial burden with the State.

What's unique about teaching at home?

There is very little teaching in our home but a great deal of learning. Home learning allows our children to focus on one thing for an indefinite period. Without timetables and curricula, they can work things through to a conclusion that satisfies themselves rather than fulfils someone else's criteria.

Andrew Lloyd (centre) teaches his daughters at home, but still finds time to get out and enjoy himself