Love Island star Olivia Bowen says ‘it looks like I am homeschooling my kid’ after her son fails to get into any of her top choice Essex primary schools

by

Olivia Bowen has decided to homeschool her three-year-old son, Abel, because he wasn’t accepted into any of the primary schools she had hoped for.

The 32-year-old Love Island star and her husband Alex, whom she met on the show in 2016, have two children: Abel and their eight-month-old daughter, Siena.

Thursday was a big day for parents across the UK, as they learned which primary schools their children would be attending. Olivia was among them, finding out if Abel had been accepted into one of his preferred schools.

Okay, so I just saw this play out online and it’s a tough situation. Olivia, a mom with a huge following, shared that she’ll be homeschooling her son. She basically said she received some news that made her decide she doesn’t feel comfortable sending him to his current school, and she’s taking matters into her own hands. It’s a really personal decision, and she was very open about feeling strongly about keeping him home. It just shows how much thought parents put into their kids’ education and wellbeing.

In a series of videos, the reality star shared that she believes many parents will be able to relate to what she’s going through.

The entire college admissions process feels really off to me – I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something just doesn’t seem fair.

Olivia has lived in a large, self-built house in the countryside of Essex for the past two years. She and her husband also own and rent out five other properties: two in Wolverhampton, two in Lancashire, and one in Spain.

Olivia argued that her lifelong connection to the area should be considered when the school makes its admissions decisions.

She explained to her followers that after living in the area for nearly 30 years, she’s concerned about the rapid increase in housing without a corresponding improvement in the local schools.

We didn’t get any of our preferred school choices. We were especially hoping for one school in particular, but it’s quite a distance away and our location wasn’t taken into consideration, which is frustrating after living here for thirty years.

We’re fortunate to be in an area with excellent schools, but unfortunately, they’re all at capacity. Abel was offered a spot at my old primary school, but I’ve decided not to accept it.

There was one school I was really hoping my son wouldn’t attend, mostly because I had a negative experience there myself. But, surprisingly, that’s the school he ended up getting into!

We’re facing a tricky situation right now. I’m not going to send him there. Ultimately, it depends on how seriously you take it – and I think it’s a big deal.

As a mom, choosing the right education for my son was a big decision. We definitely thought about homeschooling, but honestly, there was only one school that felt like a good fit. I just couldn’t justify sending him somewhere every single day for seven years if I didn’t truly believe it was the right place for him. It had to be a place I wholeheartedly wanted him to be!

She finished by explaining that she’s appealed the decision and offered encouragement to other parents facing the same challenges, advising them, ‘It’s difficult, but we have to do what we believe is best.’

Olivia and Alex had talked about moving to their house in Spain, but last month Olivia confessed she was unsure about making the move permanent, given the current situation.

She shared on Instagram that she often thinks about moving her family to Spain, both for her children and for herself and her partner.

I’ve been considering homeschooling lately. With Abel starting school this year, I have some reservations and things just don’t feel quite right.

I’ve been quiet online lately because things have been really tough, and I’m deeply concerned about everyone.

We’ve been talking about moving abroad for a change of pace for a couple of years now, but it’s been on our minds much more frequently recently.

She explained that she was unsure if her desire to move was genuine, or if she simply hoped a change of scenery would alleviate her constant anxieties about the world.

As I mentioned to the girls, I’m not making a huge life change – just a move. I hope everyone is doing well! By the way, if you’ve recently moved to the Marbella area with young children, please send me a message.

The TV star posted an update expressing gratitude for fans’ suggestions and announced that she and her family plan to move later this year.

I’m already getting so many messages, which is amazing – thank you all! We’re starting to plan our move this year and have a lot of research ahead of us, like figuring out visas and schools.

I’m really dedicating as much time as I can to being in Spain this year, trying to see if it could truly be the lifestyle we’re dreaming of. The perfect scenario for us would be keeping a small place back home to return to whenever we feel like it, but making Spain our main base and where we really live our lives.

Olivia and Alex finished building and renovating their Essex home in 2024. They purchased the land in June 2023 for £250,000 and spent the next ten months completing the project.

She started learning the business in 2020, the same year she and her partner bought their dream home for a little over £1 million.

Olivia grew up driving by this house and always dreamed of living there. So, when it finally went up for sale, she bought it immediately – but then the pandemic began.

Olivia shared with the Daily Mail that her first renovation felt overwhelming because they weren’t sure how to begin.

The house felt too big for Alex and me. When the pandemic started, I decided to use the time to gain the skills I needed to truly manage and appreciate it.

Olivia signed up for an interior design course and quickly discovered a passion for decorating.

Olivia put her recent learning into practice by decorating her home with a cozy, country-inspired style.

Read More

2026-04-16 14:21