ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the experiences of an evangelical Christian family and a Muslim family who adopted home education as a means of delivering an education that promotes their cultural values and also promotes what Putnam describes as bonding social capital. It considers two families for whom a deep engagement with their religious values and the communities in which those values are embedded, shaped their decisions to home educate. Despite having different experiences of the effectiveness of primary schooling, both the Khan and Smith family adopted remarkably similar strategies when deciding to home educate their children. They both became involved with networks of other local home educators who shared their religious beliefs and a common understanding of collective community. Whilst it is impossible to predict the future, social class, access to economic and social capital, all seemed likely to ensure families could plan better educational outcomes for their children.
