When the government told the country to stop non-essential travel, my son was happy to stay home. In fact, he has taken the whole thing very seriously and hasn't actually left his room in five weeks. He is a very good citizen my son! I know he is still here because every morning half a packet of cereal and all the milk has been finished, with the empty milk bottle obviously still in the fridge. Apparently when you eat cereal at 2 am while playing 'Hearts of Iron 4' you forget where the bin is. I have a niggling feeling that my teenage children are being hard done by over this Lockdown period; if Ofsted were to inspect our homeschooling arrangements, I'd be awarded 'Requires Improvement'. So it seems to be for many families across the UK.

Truthfully, there have been some great moments. It’s not uncommon for us all to sit around talking and laughing together, because, well, there is plenty of time to hang out. Still, a houseful of four teenagers is quite a challenge. So I am grateful that Ada has decided to keep on teaching.

Official exams are cancelled and there was certainly the option for Ada to leave the students (and parents) to their own devices - literally. I am sure the staff could have found plenty of things to be busy with. So, I really appreciate that they run classes, set activities and continue to be the great influence in my son's life that they have been for the past two years. The fact he still connects with other students and talks about something beyond computer games, coronavirus, and how annoying his siblings are, is invaluable. I can't motivate, engage or entertain a teenager for six weeks, let alone four months! I need Ada to keep his mind active and his spirits high.

So, to the entire Ada team: thank you!

P.S Small favour though, would you consider putting on a class about kitchen etiquette one day?

For some Ada-recommended online learning resources visit our top picks here.

If you're struggling with your mental health, all students at Ada have access to Kooth: a free, anonymous, online support system. Use your Ada email to register here.