The idea is there and in theory yes kids, schools and teaching would be focused more on letting children develop individually and nurture more their social, behavioural development and well-being before it starts putting on too much pressure for formal classroom based studies.
Trouble is if you had all that – the ideal place, people and perfect sort of environment you'd still have to operate within legislation, specific regulations and be subject to the same checks, inspections and inevitably be weighed down by them too.
Allowing a small school of kids freedom to be kids and learn through play would in theory be great but at some point you'd have a child whose needs and overall level of ability differs and might mean they're above the normal level of development and not only ready but now need to concentrate more on studies (very able, gifted / talented or otherwise academic kids) and then you'd have to find a way of ensuring they get that and aren't overlooked, under-stimulated and allowed to let lack of mental stimulation and needs suffer.
You'd have an unending pain in the arse from parents who are perhaps the biggest, most challenging thing for teachers and schools some of whom will disagree with how you do things, want their child to do this, that or the other regardless of whether it's practical, logical and in their best interests and you'd have to start opening up the school to other children in the area and fall in line with existing policy and regulations and it would be such an utter arse-ache.
My daughter attended a huge comprehensive run by an arrogant dick-wad I'm amazed was able to run it almost into the ground. When he'd all but ruined it, he pissed off and I believe was actually given another leadership role in a school or college.
She was bright and a sociable, popular girl that could hold her own and cope with the incredibly rigid, complex routines and regimes and left school with decent GCSE's but her teachers hadn't a clue about her strengths, interests, hobbies or know her at all. Didn't matter so much for her because she could cope, hold her own and managed all her studies without issue but my son was a totally different kettle of fish.
He has Asperger's, was bullied mercilessly throughout nursery, primary school and would have been absolutely crucified had we sent him to the same school so after much upset and with a heavy heart we home-schooled him for five years.
He took his GCSE's in college, got the highest grade from all students and is now the poster boy having attained A* across the board, been accepted onto study a course entirely on merit after tutors viewed work he'd done from home in his own time whilst home-schooled and he has received two full distinctions across the board and is thriving.
Both had entirely different needs, abilities and neither was given full credit nor consideration and could easily have become victims of the education system.
Would not have done anything differently and still maintain keeping him out of school was the right thing to do and he would have suffered so much had we placed him at the same school our daughter was already being completely overlooked and ignored.
It's so difficult to balance and meet the needs of such a wide range of children within one school.
I used to run care homes and did everything in the best interests of the people living there who were reliant on 24hr care. It was difficult at times having a skip load of regulations, different inspections from different teams all wanting something different from the next and each person's needs being entirely their own – plus relatives and others who would always find fault and have an argument over something.
Trying to maintain that baseline level and keep your approach and working practice as close to where you set out is very, very difficult.
With kids and schools it'd be an absolute minefield and one of the reasons friends that are teachers have passed up the offer of promotion to run departments or schools more than once.
So yeah the idea is a nice one but in theory an almost impossible one.