Her older sister Matilda, then 13, had already stopped going to school at the tender age of six. In fact Caro has been the sole educator of Matilda, now 18, for 12 years – and Emmie, now 13, for four years. Last year Tess made a gradual return, initially half a day, while Caro sat in the classroom with her. Meanwhile, although happier learning from home, her daughters are missing out on the social life that school brings. ‘Parents like me, whose children cannot cope with school, can feel very alone,’ says Caro.