Alternative primary/run through schools in London?

[MarySmit]

Does anyone knows of schools that provide alternative provision, that is different to the English national curriculum?

Things that are particularly valued include no uniform, an emphasis outdoor education, and opportunities for creative learning. It seems this is hard to find, even in independent schools.

I think The King Alfred School is supposed to be a bit like that.

Dallington maybe. Which areas of London are you looking at?

Ideally North London: near to Islington. King Alfred's has potential but the journey wouldn't be particularly easy. Do you know how open they are to accepting children with SEN?

I haven't heard of Darlington, I'll have a look, thank you.

@MarySmit Dallington is in Clerkenwell, just off Goswell Road, so that could work. I think it is known to be quite nurturing and there is no entrance exam/assessment.

There is Wildwood school. However, following their OFSTED inspection, I believe they aren’t admitting new pupils at the moment and will only admit siblings in Sept 2025. So it might not be an option depending on when DC will start school.

rosemary works? St Chris out in Hertfordshire?

This won't work geographically but thought it was worth a mention - Liberty Woodland School in Morden.

Might be worth joining home ed groups and looking for alternative stuff that way.

They're not where you're looking but for example Fledglings in Clophill, Free we grow in Forest Hill, the family learning school in Orpington, born to woodland in Rayleigh.

I BET there's some in north London because I know there's a decent HE scene there.

I’ve just looked up the wildwood school. Sounds great in principle but I also looked at the Ofsted and looks like the outdoor aspect has trumped any actual learning…..

Thank you for all the suggestions. Apart from Darlington, most are probably too far away. Anyone heard of the London Scandinavian School?

Another vote for Liberty Woodland School in Morden.

Sorry, hit post too soon! We were looking for similar criteria (I come from a country where education provision is more varied and flexible, and uniforms aren't a thing) and strongly considered Liberty Woodland School after visiting a couple of times. For logistical reasons we ended up choosing a lovely prep closer to home, but I still say check it out and see how you feel.

One of the things I appreciated was that they don't do GCSEs (they do IB instead), so kids don't spend half their live just prepping for standardised tests. Some of the Brits on the tour were dumbfounded as they couldn't possibly consider this, but I found it quite attractive!

Interesting. Unfortunately too far, unless we move.

Not having constant testing is important too.

Do you mind sharing where you are from? Unfortunately I think the English curriculum is sadly somewhat lacking. The amount of standardised testing, starting from age 4, is alarming as well.

@MarySmit I'm from the US. I think the UK really suffers from this top-down, centrally decided curriculum which has become a plaything to be tinkered with by every successive education minister and government, with the result that it's so overfull, teachers don't have enough flexibility to follow the children's interests.

And then they have to specialise so early! In the US, you don't need to decide your major until your second year of university. I like the IB in that it keeps the education broader for longer. With the way the university sector is going in the UK, I'm envisioning my (albeit very young) children may well study abroad, so I don't feel beholden to the very British A-level system.

Interesting, I don't know much about the US system, but I am familiar with the UK one from my own childhood and I agree that it is broken for all the reasons you say. I believe it has only gotten worse since then as well.

Some children do ok in it, but for some the stifling curriculum and expectations can be disastrous. Unfortunately, due to SEN, I don't think my child would manage with it.

Yes, their OFSTED report was very poor. Many such new schools go through a turbulent time initially.

The person I know who looked at it has a DC with SEN and the alternative way of learning would suit them. I know of someone else who wanted to look at it for similar reasons but was told they aren’t taking new pupils at the minute.

Sometimes it can also be because the alternative way of learning does not tick the Ofsted boxes. For this reason a lot of private schools choose to be inspected by other bodies.

The alternative way of learning at provisions like the Wildwood School doesn’t fall into the boxes of ISI reports either. Although the concerns raised by OFSTED go beyond the alternative way of working.

I understand that other inspectorates do have more flexibility though, which is why they are often chosen over Ofsted.

A fair point that there were wider reaching issues though.

At the same time the inspection is not the be all: there are plenty of Ofsted 'outstanding' schools I wouldn't send my child too.

I completely agree the inspection isn’t everything, especially when there is SEN involved. That is why I still suggested the school.

Some independent schools choose ISI over OFSTED for a variety of reasons. It isn’t solely related to how learning is judged. ISI doesn’t always understand the nuances of some alternative schools like Wildwood, either.

It is a rather moot point anyway, even if Wildwood had wanted an ISI report over an OFSTED report, they wouldn’t have been able to until after their OFSTED inspection. Schools can only use the ISI once they have had one post registration OFSTED inspection.

I agree - this isn’t a “we don’t fit into Ofsteds boxes” situation. It seems the kids aren’t actually learning anything. Whichever approach is taken, if the children aren’t taught to read and core maths etc they are being failed. No real curriculum. Children get to choose if they participate?!

St Paul's Steiner School is where parents we know who want no uniform, outdoor learning, more creativity etc sent their kids.

If you are in catchment for William Tyndale or Canonbury (and might consider state) either of those might tick some of your boxes.

For some DC, including some presentations of SEN such as some DC with PDA, such an approach can work. For some, it is even of paramount importance. It is more often seen in APs rather than schools.

Have you looked at the Dania school in Highbury? I nannied in N1 and often saw the kids playing in Highbury fields from that school and they always seem quite happy, super chill with being out in all weathers and listen well to their adults!