Schools which have a different approach to education.

[twinklytroll]

Has anyone got any examples of schools which are unorthodox in some way ? For example the optional lessons at Summerhill.

My students are planning their "dream school" and I wanted them to look at examples of "alternative schools" to get them thinking outside of the box.

• Summerhill
• Steiner waldorf schools
• Boarding schools (ok so the education itself may not be different but the children do live away from home which is different!)
• Online learning (you can study almost exclusively using the internet - obviously unimaginable when we were kids)

-Australian Outback Schools of the air

• Home Education - wide variety in the ways this can be done - with structured activities, without structure (known as autonomous in UK, unschooling in the US) or a mixture of both. Loads of other variations as well eg Trivium, Charlotte Mason
• Huge schools with thousands of pupils
• Tiny schools with just a few pupils - village primary schools for example or secondary schools with under 500 kids. (less pupil numbers makes a huge difference to the relationship between pupils and kids)
• Private schools
• Public schools

:)

I hadn't thought of the Australian outback schools . I always think of a very young Charles and Diana when I think of them.

I was after specific schools which they could research or contact .

I may have a look at a local steiner school as well, thanks

ds1 goes to a small montessori school which i guess you could call "alternative"

the children are all in mixed age classes and there is a strong community feel to the school with the older ones in the class helping the younger ones.
They all eat their meal together around a table, teachers and all, and the teachers serve up from dishes in the centre of the table...so no queuing up, and no silliness at the table because they're eating with their teachers.
the children are in charge of taking the towels from the bathrooms and putting them in the washing machine etc etc to help foster the community feel and make them feel as if they're a real part of the school.

the lessons, while planned and activities set out, are child-led with children who are particularly interested in something being allowed to spend as much time as they need on it.
they're allowed their playtime outside when they choose although apparently they tend to naturally all go out at a similar time each day.

obviously the teaching methods themselves are different as everything is montessori, but they do follow the national curriculum.

Another good example, thanks

Forest Schools

Online schools - eg InterHigh - still a specific school though they don't have a bricks & mortar building

The Kurt Hahn school Gordonstoun is a fee paying boarding school with the difference that it uses a lot of experiential learning.

Thankyou, I am planning so popping in and out.

Forest schools look interesting. I am off to look at Gordonstoun now.

Weblearning will prompt some debate

www.sands-school.co.uk/

www.parkschoolonline.com/

www.atlanticcollege.org/?force=1

If you want progressive state schools; there are the Kunskapsskolan (Learning) Schools:

Hampton, Twickenham and Ipswich Academies

www.twickenhamacademy.org.uk/aboutus.4.1924413612b132579998000717.html

In Australia, Geelong grammer school, whilst very mainstream boarding in some ways has an interesting (and googlable) year 9.

www.thesmallschool.org.uk/

Twickenham looks interesting although I am struggling to get my head around it. I need caffeine I think , it has been a long day.

Gosh donki year 9 at Geelong school certainly is different !

twinklytroll - they do seem very different.

Oh x-posted.

Interesting, Kunskapsskolan sounds very like the new "curriculum for excellence" they are running out throughout the Scottish state system ATM.

In fact why not check out the Scottish system, we don't have A-levels ! .

DS1 would love Gordonstoun and its ilk, shame we can't afford it.

i teach at a country school in NZ with 35 students. I have 15 in my class and have had 7 in the past. There are schools i know of with single digit students. Siblings learn together and you do lots of outdoors/ farming type learning

www.michaelhall.co.uk/

Thanks again, lots of excellent examples . You have made my planning do much easier .