Radicalschooling’s Weblog

“To trust children we must first learn to trust ourselves…and most of us were taught as children that we could not be trusted.” (John Holt)

After having reflected upon what I perceive to be the strengths and challenges of the Summerhill/Free School model of education, I must admit that I still find it appealing… I really do hope such a school can one day be founded in Montreal. I know people are already working towards this, as evidenced by an alternative education workshop I attended a couple of years ago. I think it’s paramount that parents and children have diverse educational choices! I’m still not sure if I would send my own children to a Free School, but I don’t think I would. At least not until I see one ‘in action’.

As for the issue of whether school and education is seen as synonymous, I decided to ask a third-grader what he would think of not attending school anymore, but staying home and having the freedom to do whatever he wanted all day, every day. He looked at me perplexed and said: “Well, it’s a weird question and a hard question, too. I think it would be half good and half bad. Good because I would do a lot of fun things, like play outside, play sports, watch cartoons… but bad because I wouldn’t learn anything…”

His response confirmed “common knowledge” I had been thinking about throughout the research of this project. Schools teach us useful things that aren’t fun. This constitutes “learning”. Freedom to engage in fun activities of our choice, don’t teach us anything. Our schools seem to have convinced us of this sad fact…

“Next to the right to life itself, the most fundamental of all human rights is the right to control our own minds and thoughts. That means, the right to decide for ourselves how we will explore the world around us, think about our own and other persons’ experiences, and find and make the meaning of our own lives. Whoever takes that right away from us, as the educators do, attacks the very center of our being and does us a most profound and lasting injury. He tells us, in effect, that we cannot be trusted even to think, that for all our lives we must depend on others to tell us the meaning of our world and our lives, and that any meaning we may make for ourselves, out of our own experience, has no value.” (John Holt)

Here are the questions I devised, intended for students of the Albany Free School. Unfortunately, I received no responses back…

Questions for the Free School Students

1) How old are you? How long have you been attending the Free School?

2) Have you ever attended a “regular” public school? If so, what was it like for you?

3) What is a typical school-day like for you at the Free School (e.g. what do you do, what time does school begin/end, etc.). How is your school-day different than that of other New York students?

4) What do you like spending your time doing most? What do you like doing least? Have you and the rest of the students embarked on any exciting projects? Please describe them!

5) What kinds of “rules” are there at the Free School? What do you think of these?

6) I live in Montreal, where there are no schools like the Free School. If you could convince us to start one, what would you tell us about it? What should we know?

7) If you could be critical about your school, what would you critique?

8 ) What five adjectives would you choose to describe your school?

9) What do you discuss during democratic meetings? What discussion topics are most popular?

Thank you so much for helping me with my project!

(Here is the the only response I received from a Grade 7-8 Albany Free School Teacher)

Questions for Albany Free School Teachers

1) How long have you been teaching at The Albany Free School? What is your background (in terms of education and employment)?

I have been teaching at The Free School for 8 years. I have a bachelors degree in English with a minor in education. In addition to teaching at the school I have also worked as a journalist, a cook and sous chef and at The New York State Museum as an assisitant director of their summer camp program.

2) How would you describe your experience working at The Albany Free School? I has been an amazing experience of discovering the many ways that children learn and also discovering a lot about myself. I have grown a lot as a person, learned new skills and been challenged in many ways.

3) In his farewell letter, Chris Mercogliano notes that The Albany Free School’s “approach to education and to life is so far out on the edge”. Do you agree? Why? What is the school’s philosophy/curriculum? In comparison to the mainstream culture, yes I would agree that we are “…out on the edge”, but when we look at what we do in the context of how children naturally learn and interact with each other and the world around us I would say no.

4) Does the school get any sort of public funding? Do parents pay tuition fees? If so, how much? The only public funding we receive is city funds for textbooks and computer software and we participate in the federal food program to ensure that children of lower income families receive free lunches. Parents pay tuition on a sliding scale based on their family income and no one is turned away for financial reasons.

5) In the eyes of the New York Ministry of Education, how is The Albany Free School regarded? We are pretty much ignored as an anomaly and not much attention is paid to us, I believe that would change if free schools were more prevalent and posed a threat to public school enrolments.

6) Do the students take any state tests? Please describe the school’s evaluation procedures. No state tests are administered. Evaluation is done on a very individualized basis and we have a narrative report that we prepare for each student which is given to parents at mid year and is followed up with a mandatory parent-teacher conference.

7) When students graduate, what can they do? What have past graduates done? Most go on to the public high school, and now some choose to go on to our sister school the Harriet Tubman Democratic High School.

What kinds of benefits are there to children attending The Albany Free School, rather than being homeschooled? The largest benefit I can see is that they are in an highly social environment and they learn how to work well together within diverse multi-aged groups.

9) Have any parents enrolled their children at The Albany Free School and then withdrawn them? What were their reasons in doing so? Yes that happens at least once or twice each year, the main reason is that they want more structure for their child, and they want more academic focus.

10) What are the biggest challenges that you encounter on a day-to-day basis? What are the most memorable moments like for you?

The biggest challenge is to not become too attached to one way of viewing a situation. I feel that we have to be very self-directed as teachers and especially tuned into each child’s particular needs, as we do not work with kids from a preset curriculum.

Thank you so much for your support and assistance!

It is very challenging to critique a school without having visited and witnessed first-hand how it is being run. Having stated this, there are some aspects of the Free School model that I feel have not “convinced” me…

To begin with, there is the obvious concern: what if students do nothing? Although this is a very probable outcome of freedom, proponents of the school claim that boredom, anger, and loitering are all states of being (or consequences) that must be lived out by the child to the fullest. According to them, even such feelings are valuable learning experiences! However, I am not ready to accept that my child may spend the entirety of his/her days doing ‘nothing’.

After giving this school model a lot of thought, I have concluded that my biggest problem with it is that it seems difficult for the children to continue on to higher education. It is not impossible, and surely many have gone on, but taking exams is optional, and most children may prefer not to (I think I would have declined such an offer, had I been ever given the choice!). Although I do recognize that university is not for everyone, it would be a shame to have some students miss out on an educational experience that would open many doors, only due to the fact that they were not accustomed to taking exams, or studying for them!

Finally, I think a major disadvantage in the freedom found in such schools is that it (unfortunately) does not reflect the reality in which we live. Regardless of family or employment, there are certain things in life that leave us no choice; we must adjust to the demands of a working environment, for example. Although I’ve previously mentioned positive traits that could be fostered in such a school, I think certain negative characteristics can also be picked up, namely a lack of responsibility. The best example of this was witnessed first-hand by myself.

Over a month ago, I sent the Free School a questionnaire I had devised for students and staff. I did not specify when I would need it back, only asked them to let me know if they could commit to having some people fill it out for my project. I received the following response:

Hi Helen,
Sorry I’ve been slow checking my email, but i checked out the questions, and i will start circulating them to other staff and see which students want to answer. Is there a time frame that you would like us to have in mind for when you need the responses? If so let us know, and we’ll be in touch.

I answered that ASAP would be best, but within a couple of weeks would be fine. When I heard nothing in two weeks, I sent this e-mail:

I hope all is well… I’m just wondering if you know when the responses will be ready. It would be really great if I could receive them by Monday, but I understand if it may take another couple of days. Would it be alright if you let me know? Thanks so much! I am really looking forward to reading them!
Helen

I received this e-mail back:

I think we will need till the end of the week, it that okay?

I assured him that this would be fine, but that I would really need the responses by end of week!

When I heard nothing five days later (yesterday), I sent this e-mail:

How are you? Just wanting to check that everything is alright with the questionnaires… I don’t want to put any pressure on you guys, but I will need them back within the next couple of days…

I received this response:

Hi Helen,
I have to be honest, we have been extremely busy the past week or two, we have a benefit show for the school we are organizing, as well as spring outings and activities happening practically everyday. I will do my best to send them via email tomorrow, and i apologize for the delay.

When I heard nothing (again!), I sent this e-mail:

I completely understand how busy you must all be! Unfortunately, my project is due on Friday evening, so I really do need to receive the responses before then! I do hope this can be done, as I’ve included a special section for it, and I am really counting on it!
Thanks again,
Helen

At 6:50pm on Friday, I received this e-mail with one attached set of responses:

Hi Helen,
Here are my responses, i apologize for the delay and the lack of response from others, hope this will help you with the project.

My purpose in transcribing this e-mail correspondence is to emphasize the complete frustration on my part! In working with individuals who prefer to freely do things their way, I have no trust or faith in them delivering what they promised me, even though I gave them ample time to do it in! Unfortunately, I work with deadlines… I fear that the Free School model may be making students unreliable and unaccountable, for anything and to anyone!

Researching the Summerhill School Model and subsequently, the Free School Model has been quite a learning experience for me. I have been awed at several brilliant strands of thought behind the radical schooling philosophy. My desire to pursue the study of this model has ultimately been inspired by my appreciation for elements found within it.

I find the more I read about the model, the more I agree with “things” that seem wrong with our “regular” schools. Often, children really are treated as numbers and given very little choice in matters related to what they want to learn. We seem to have convinced ourselves that children thrive on structure (and deep down, I still believe this), but I often wonder whether we think that way because it is more convenient for us to think so, as parents, teachers, and policy-makers! Perhaps children really do thrive going with their own rhythm and abiding by their own freedom to decide, be, and do…

Although we’re getting better about limiting the amount of children’s homework, we still do give it, thus disabling them from spending their “free” time outside of school in matters they want to pursue. I do find that children seem reluctant to engage in a variety of activities; they so often seem drained after school that all they want to do is lounge around… If students loved going to school because it meant they were free to initiate their own activities, perhaps they would continue their pursuit of discovery and learning opportunities outside of school-time.

When I first read about how there are no school-bells in Free Schools, I really liked that. It reminded me of a private school I taught at, where they also chose not to have bells. After all, students are children, not cows!

The democratic aspect of the school meetings is brilliant! We have often emphasized the importance of giving students choice in order to empower them, but how much more just is their world when they are given the liberty to discuss everything openly and have their voice weigh in as much as their teachers? I think the students in such a school would feel more empowered to be agents of change in their schools and communities, than students do in regular schools. I also think students learn more from each other in a collaborative setting that does not separate students by age, like the Free School model.

Finally, I believe the most positive aspect of the Free School Model is that children do get hooked on their particular interests and talents because the learning that takes place really is meaningful to them. If we are to believe that one of the major purposes in education is to elicit passion for learning (which I believe is fundamental!), then this model serves such an idea well! Furthermore, it seems to me that as educators, we harp on and on about the value in play… However, after kindergarten, very few teachers allow for the necessary time, materials, and space for their students to play. If play is defined as an open-ended, self-initiated activity with no particular goal, then it is the Free School model that encapsulates it best.

There is a recent statistic that gets tossed around among educators: the best teachers quit following their first five years of teaching. I have often wondered why this is. I’m now convinced it’s related to an aspect of liberty found in the Free School model. Good teachers dream of facilitating student’s experiences in learning. Instead, the reality is that they are unable to make school the enjoyable and interesting place it ought to be, resulting in thousands of children detesting school. Many teachers have lost the ability to think laterally and instead, think in the top-down fashion their schools are being run like, mimicking corporations…

Teacher of 25 years in New York City, John Taylor Gatto was nominated for New York City Teacher of the Year Award in 1990. Upon accepting it, he said the following speech, entitled “Why Schools Don’t Educate”:

http://www.naturalchild.org/guest/john_gatto.html

I think he raises some very important points about the nature of our school system. Unfortunately, school and education have come to be known as synonymous, when in reality, true education does not necessarily take place in schools at all… Interestingly, Gatto resigned from teaching in regular schools and became a teacher at The Albany Free School.

Gatto is author of several books and articles. More of his articles can be found here:

http://www.cantrip.org/againstschool.html (How Public Education Cripples our Kids, and Why)

http://www.cantrip.org/gatto.html (The Six Lesson Schoolteacher)

http://www.dvschool.org/psngatto.htm (The Public School Nightmare: Why fix a system designed to destroy individual thought?)

Enjoy the reads and do comment if something strikes you! Look forward to reading your thoughts!

VIEWS OF EX-SUMMERHILLIANS

“For me non-compulsory lessons were a clear advantage. I had spent an unhappy year at (X) School prior to Summerhill, and was developing a distaste for learning that Summerhill helped me overcome.” (British female with a degree in Art and Design; now working for the BBC.)

“Non-compulsory lessons were an advantage, though hard to adjust to at first. I learned more at Summerhill in my one year of being able to attend what subjects I wanted and as many classes as interested me than I did in four years of US high school.” (American male with a BA in English Literature; now completing a degree in Mass Communication and working for AT and T.)

“Until I was almost ten years old I went to a C of E private school which, of course, had compulsory lessons. The years I spent there were the most miserable years of my life; I hated school and was constantly anxious – it did nothing at all to aid my education. Non-compulsory lessons give a child the confidence to make his/her own decisions and to be trusted to do so.” (British female working for Channel 4 TV and completing an Open University degree.)

“I believe that my love of learning was preserved by Summerhill’s non-compulsory lesson policy.” (American female currently completing a BA in Arts and Sciences.)

“Non-compulsory lessons were an advantage because they were (and are) fundamental to the philosophy that says children and young people learn best when they are personally motivated. Children are born learners. Neill understood this and it is probably impossible for Ofsted to comprehend the subtlety of letting children go towards sources of information in order to learn, rather than forcing them, under compulsion to absorb a given number of facts.” (British male, former journalist and ex deputy news editor of the ‘Times Educational Supplement’; now working with disabled children.)

“Making a student attend classes does not ensure an education. But to instil excitement about learning creates a vehicle that will last a student a lifetime. Summerhill creates the latter! Not making lessons mandatory instils in the student a sense of responsibility and dedication. I was able to carry this same dedication throughout my schooling. Summerhill instilled in me that I could achieve anything I wanted to. And I have!” (American female with a BA in Music and a Masters degree in Nursing; now a Family Nurse Practitioner.)

“The most valuable thing about Summerhill was non-compulsory lessons. I think with compulsory lessons my interest in subjects I studied would have been significantly reduced. This would have made learning more difficult. This would be particularly important with physics, the subject I’m currently studying at university.” (British male in the final year of a physics degree.)

Summerhill General Policy Statement

1) To provide choices and opportunities that allow children to develop at their own pace and to follow their own interests.

Summerhill does not aim to produce specific types of young people, with specific, assessed skills or knowledge, but aims to provide an environment in which children can define who they are and what they want to be.

2) To allow children to be free from compulsory or imposed assessment, allowing them to develop their own goals and sense of achievement

Children should be free from the pressure to conform to artificial standards of success based on predominant theories of child learning and academic achievement.

3) To allow children to be completely free to play as much as they like

Creative and imaginative play is an essential part of childhood and development. Spontaneous, natural play should not be undermined or redirected by adults into a “learning experience” for children. Play belongs to the child.

4) To allow children to experience the full range of feelings free from the judgement and intervention of an adult

Freedom to make decisions always involves risk and requires the possibility of negative outcomes. Apparently negative consequences such as boredom, stress, anger, disappointment and failure are a necessary part of individual development.

5) To allow children to live in a community that supports them and that they are responsible for; in which they have the freedom to be themselves, and have the power to change community life, through the democratic process

All individuals create their own set of values based on the community within which they live. Summerhill is a community which takes responsibility for itself. Problems are discussed and resolved through openness, democracy and social action. All members of the community, adults and children, irrespective of age, are equal in terms of this process.”

Summerhill School General Policy Statement (updated 15/03/98)

1) How do pupils fit into the outside world after what is, surely, a sheltered environment at Summerhill?

We feel that Summerhill pupils are better prepared for the outside world than most other young people. Pupils at Summerhill are used to being in control of their own lives and making decisions for themselves – just as all adults do in their daily lives. They decide what to do, when, and how to do it.
Critics say there are many things in the outside world that have to be done, such as earning a living. They believe that our pupils will find it difficult to adapt, as there is no compulsion at Summerhill. Summerhill pupils face similar situations in their everyday lives at the school all the time. There are many, many things that need to be done in order to keep the community running. If we, the members of the community do not do them, then they do not get done at all. Instead of being compelled to do things by somebody else, you have to take responsibility for yourself and the community around you.You have to be self-motivated. This is true of all of us in adult life. We have no big “teacher” standing by to tell us what to do. We have to get on and deal with things by ourselves.
At Summerhill we feel that children in other schools are being disadvantaged by the fact that they have no decision making processes to learn from, making it very difficult when they subsequently leave school and have to start living in the adult world.
The popular belief that Summerhill is a wild, unstructured society is untrue. Because of the many laws at Summerhill that govern our lives (they usually vary in number between about 150 to 230) the pupils are used to a strong framework.Living in a democratic society where grievances are aired in the school meetings gives the pupils a strong sense of justice as well as an ability to listen to, and understand, the other person’s point of view. Thus they are well prepared for interacting in the outside world. Although when they move to colleges and university, like many others, they may find some rules petty and unnecessary, they are tolerant and understanding enough to deal with it.

2) Do Summerhill pupils take exams?

Yes, we take the standard English school leaving exams, GCSEs at ordinary level, though they are not compulsory. We do not provide for “A” levels at Summerhill. Pupils wishing to take them will have to go to college afterwards, though very occasionally they may take some “A” levels – by mutual agreement with their teacher. Almost all Summerhill pupils take some exams before they leave, but some prefer not to take any at all.

3) What particular qualities do you expect Summerhill pupils to acquire?

Obviously this depends to some degree upon the personal circumstances of the child before and during their stay at the school. Some children who have come to the school with problems are still going to have to deal with many of them into their adult lives. Summerhill has a very good record of helping such children, but it is no magic “fix” or utopian cure-all.
Qualities we typically see in Summerhill pupils are: Self-esteem, tolerance, integrity, fairness, understanding, sensitivity, compassion, assertiveness, creativity, individuality, humour, self-motivation, and common sense.

4) Why do parents send their children to Summerhill?

Most parents believe in the philosophy of the school, but we also inevitably get some pupils who have had problems at other schools and come here to get away from them. Unfortunately many parents do not contact us until their child is having serious problems at school. Often these children will be teenagers. Our experience tells us that latecomers, though sometimes successful, can find the change too challenging and this can cause problems for themselves or for the community.

5) What kinds of people send their children to Summerhill?

There is no typical Summerhill parent. People from all walks of life send their children to us. Because it is a fee paying school they are predominantly professional people, but this is not always the case. We try to keep our fees as low as possible so that more families can afford it – some manage on very low incomes.
The New A.S Neill Summerhill Trust is aiming to provide bursaries for the school so that a greater number of families with financial limitations may apply.

6) Summerhill pupils are mostly from pretty wealthy backgrounds – could it work in an inner-city school?

It can work anywhere – all children respond to freedom and self-government. There is a lot of work being done in various quarters (see the link page) to educate the public about freer environments for children. Summerhill assists in this by inviting visitors to see the school in action as well as giving lectures and holding workshops both in UK and abroad.
The A.S Neill Summerhill Trust will be funding this work as well as providing assisted places for pupils.

7) Is Summerhill suitable for all children – or do some need more structure?

All children respond to personal freedom and self-government. The only time it does not work is where there is friction between the school and the home. Children sense when their parents are not happy with them being at Summerhill.
Occasionally a child who is struggling with their own personal difficulties in life may find the freedom at Summerhill so captivating that they are unable to differentiate between freedom and licence and take responsibility for their actions. This can lead to problems with violence or bullying, creating fear in other children. It can also lead to the development of other children being impaired due to the negative influence upon them. In such cases, sadly, the child will have to go elswhere.

Is bullying a problem at the school and how do you deal with it?

Obviously we have bullying at Summerhill, but anybody, staff or pupil, can bring a case against anybody else in the school meetings. Thus, we are all answerable to the whole community. Our ombudsmen and self-government meetings ensure that everybody in the school has a voice and can have conflicts resolved or perpetrators dealt with by the community. The openness of the school environment brings things to notice so bullying tends to be dealt with in the early stages.

9) Do you have problems with alcohol / drugs?

Drugs and alcohol are not allowed in the school. Obviously there are occasions when an older child tries experimenting with alcohol or smoking cannabis. If pupils are caught drinking or smoking dope they will be sent home for a period and this will generally be sufficient. Because they have such a strong feeling for the school it is rare for a pupil to persist.
Neither drugs nor alcohol ever reach “problem” proportions. However, in these seemingly enlightened times occasionally a pupil will be persistant. In such a case it would be appropriate for them to decide whether Summerhill is really where they want to be, and perhaps move on to a more adult environment.

10) How do you recruit staff?

We usually advertise in the newspapers, either the ‘Guardian’ or the TES. Our recruitment process is pretty conventional although the interview is casual and friendly. We do all the standard UK checks (police and list 99) against sexual offenders.

11) What qualities do you look for in staff?

First and foremost an ability to do the job. Although independent schools do not have to employ qualified teachers, the job is so specialised these days that we rarely take teachers who are not qualified. We look for somebody who will be adaptable, genuinely interested in the school philosophy, and is a nice person. Unfortunately, we cannot employ people from outside the European Union without a work permit – and obtaining one of these is like extracting hen’s teeth!

12) How much are parents involved in the school?

There is no involvement with parents at Summerhill. They are able to visit during term time on a limited basis and there is a newsletter sent to parents each holidays.In spite of this many parents become good friends and participate from a distance with their approval and anything helpful they can offer. We also have a really nice summer half-term weekend when parents are invited to come and stay for a few days and relax – but the philosophy of the school is to encourage children to live their own lives, and make their own decisions. The children value their independence and the vast majority prefer parents not to be a part of it at school.

13) Do the children have homework?
As classes are optional it is a completely different situation to conventional schools. Pupils have homework when studying for exams, but this is mutually agreed between teacher and pupil.

14) Why aren’t the pupils responsible for the cleaning and cooking at Summerhill?
Summerhill cannot afford to let hygiene slip so we prefer to keep the school up to standard by employing cleaning staff.This cuts out any adult-child conflict over an issue that would be on going and unproductive. The older children with individual bedrooms are responsible for their own washing and cleaning, and the whole community has to take care of keeping the school grounds tidy. This usually involves a “litter pick-up” every once in a while. There is a ‘Health & safety’ committee to ensure that standards of reasonable hygiene and safety are maintained, they visit all rooms (including staff who live in areas adjoining the children) a few times each term. Most children enjoy doing some cooking – but having to feed over 100 people every day for the whole year is a different kettle of fish! We also have to comply with Health & Hygiene rules, which make it impossible for the children to cook for the whole school.
We employ a team of professional chefs to look after the catering. However, there are many opportunities for the children to get involved in cooking: cookery classes, kitchen helping, bar committee, school café etc.

15) What is your relationship like with the local community?

Many local people are very proud to have Summerhill as a neighbour. During the court case against the government in 2000 we received a great deal of encouragement from Leiston people, including the local Town Council who wrote a letter of support to the Department of Education. Of course some people are suspicious and some are hostile, but usually this is because they have not taken the time to find out about Summerhill’s methods.

16) Do you have day pupils?

Yes, we have several. Most are local but a few have moved here specifically to be near the school. It is common for parents of younger children to move here for the first few terms so that the child can start off as a ‘day child’.

17) Nowadays many people consider it bad parenting to send children to boarding school – how does Summerhill justify this?

Ask the children! Summerhill pupils are not forced to be here – they choose to be. Ex-Summerhillians all agree that being away from home was a really positive and important thing for them. Summerhill is nothing like a “boarding school” in the traditional sense. It is somewhere between tribe and family, a sociable, child-centred environment where the adults are friends and where you can play all day if you want to. It is an enrichment of family life, something extra that you can’t get at home – lots of brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles and friends. Some people say they will miss their children’s childhood if they send them to Summerhill. My answer is that childhood is for the child, not for the parents. It can take courage to give your children the independence they need, especially if this means they will leave home. But Summerhill parents will agree that you don’t “lose” your child, you gain a special friendship with them that lasts a lifetime.

18) At what age do you first accept pupils?
Day pupils can come at five years. Some children are very happy to board at about six or seven years, others need more time and come later.

19) Do you ever expel pupils?

Occasionally, but not in the usual sense of being expelled for doing something “naughty”. In Summerhill someone will only be asked to leave if their general attitude shows that they are not really interested in staying. Occasionally a child who is struggling with their own personal difficulties in life may find the freedom at Summerhill so captivating that they are unable to differentiate between freedom and licence and take responsibility for their actions. This can lead to problems with violence or bullying, creating fear in other children. It can also lead to the development of other children being impaired due to the negative influence upon them. In such cases, sadly, the child will have to go elswhere.

20) What do Summerhill pupils do after leaving?

When children leave Summerhill most go on to study for appropriate qualifications (A-level, BTEC, GNVQ) at Colleges of Higher Education. Some will go to university, some will not – it is a case of personal choice. Because of the unconventional schooling they have had they tend to look at it with a balanced view, not just thinking that “you have to go to university to get anywhere”. They know that it is not the only answer to happiness and success in life! Their careers are very varied. We have artists, doctors, lawyers, teachers, university professors, carpenters, scientists, musicians, chefs, actors, gardeners, farmers, newspaper reporters, filmmakers, technicians, photographers, dancers, computer programmers, writers, illustrators, carers for the handicapped, and entrepreneurs. . . .

21) What is the school’s attitude to sex?

Under British law it is illegal for children to have sex under the age of 16. In line with many other establishments that deal with teenagers in a real-life setting, we are supportive – providing them with information and advice wherever possible.We are proud of the fact that our children are unafraid to approach us to discuss anything. In 85 years we have not had a pregnancy.

22) I would like to do some work experience at the school – is this possible?

We do take adult students on a short term basis. It works best if they stay for up to a few weeks and gain experience of the school. One important factor is that they need to have something to offer us in return as it makes their time here so much more productive and enables them to get involved with the children better. Needless to say, we are very booked up as this is popular! Jason, our curriculum manager, is the first point of contact. jasonpreater@btconnect.com. We make the decision about who can come in March so we need applications by then for any given year.

23) Can I work at Summerhill?

If you are legally able to work in UK, have the skills for the job offered, are prepared to live on a very small wage, and are enthusiastic, humorous, hardworking and adaptable – you could be just what we are looking for!

24) May I visit the school?

Yes, we have visitor’s days during all three terms of the year. We have a visitor’s committee to look after them. Obviously we get a great many so we prefer them not to stay longer than a day. Contact the school office for details. (Address at the end).

25) How many pupils are there at Summerhill?

In 1995 we were 68, in 1998 we were only 61, in June 2001- 75, in November 2002 – 94, in January 2006 – 80.

26) What nationalities?

English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Swiss, Israeli, American, Korean, Taiwanese, and Japanese.

27) How many staff?

There are four full-time house parents at the moment and 8 full-time teachers for Class 1(6-10), Class 2(10-12), Maths, Science, English, Languages, English as an Additional Language, Woodwork and Art. There are part-time teachers for Japanese, Chinese, Humanities, Music (drums, piano, guitar, singing, violin), Music Technology, recording, Djing. All full-time staff live on the 12-acre school site, either in single rooms alongside the children or in caravans. When the Houseparents take time off they are covered by the teachers. The full-time staff meet several times a week to discuss any issues which arise. We also have a team of “day” staff, including teachers, cleaning staff, chefs, etc.

28) What subjects do you offer?
Subjects offered at the moment are: Science – Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Maths, English, German, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Woodwork, Art, Photography, Drama, History, Geography, Music technology, DJ work, Studio Sessions, horse-riding
Information Technology, swimming in our own outdoor pool and at the Leiston leisure centre. A range of activities including crafts, life drawing, sports- tennis, football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis-, writing for the school newspaper and games in the cafe. Music – piano, singing, drums, guitar, violin, saxophone, Various sports (by arrangement). There is an outdoor swimming pool, a well equipped computer study room, games field, skateboard ramps, tennis court, theatre, music rooms.

29) I cannot afford the school fees – are there any funds available to help?

Unfortunately the school has no bursary fund to assist with fees. We receive no help financially from outside the school and must rely entirely upon our fees, which are among the lowest in the country. Very occasionally you can get help from your local education authority, but usually only if your child has problems at school which they feel will benefit from a Summerhill education – as you can imagine, not many local authorities are broad minded enough for that! The New A.S Neill Summerhill Trust is aiming to provide bursaries for the school so that a greater number of families with financial constraints may apply. Details available on the website or by contacting the school office.

30) How has the school changed since Neill was alive?

The philosophy of the school has not changed at all. Although many exterior things have changed, it is comforting to see how the atmosphere and general feel of the place have remained the same over the years. Obviously as a living community there are constant small changes going on. Summerhill is like the sea – there is constant movement. The tides may change, but the sea remains the same.

31) Neill used to give therapy sessions to some pupils, known as PLs – do you still provide “private lessons”?

Long ago Neill discovered that those children who did not come to him for therapy were being cured as well. He concluded that it was the experience of Summerhill that cured people, not his PLs – so he gave them up! We do not have formal PLs at Summerhill though if there are concerns about a particular pupil an adult will undertake to talk to them if they are agreeable.

32) Self-government and democracy.

We are a self-governing community, which means that the whole group makes all the decisions regarding our daily lives in the school. The business side, the hiring and firing of staff, intake of pupils etc are not the responsibility of the community although input is always available and welcome. Our school decision-making process is democratic. Each adult and child has an equal vote. Thus the youngest child has the same voting power as the head. Not only do the children have equal power in the school meetings; they also vastly outnumber the adults. If children from most standard families suddenly had self-government it could be hard for them to settle and manage their lives successfully. One has to learn to be an effective decision maker, and, like everything else, it doesn’t come naturally without some experience. New children at Summerhill join a mature working unit of self-government with many years of experience behind it. They learn as part of the unit about democracy, their own rights, and those of other people. But most of all they learn about responsibility to themselves and to others. Children in mainstream schools seldom have a chance to make important decisions or take real responsibility. Adults decide everything they do. This can breed frustration and rebellion, or it can intensify fear and insecurity. In Summerhill, because of the freedom they have, most of the older pupils are already socially responsible and are used to thinking about the needs of the group rather than their own. This does not mean that we never have disputes or disagreements – one of the important things we have learned here is that the needs of children and adults can be very different indeed! What is important is that we all recognise these differences and try to negotiate a mutually agreeable solution to any problem, instead of the adults just making up the rules to suit themselves.
A typical Meeting case may be this one as we had a while ago. The older children in the school wanted to have no bedtimes and proposed that they could stay up as late as they liked provided that they stick to the silence hour, which is 10.30pm.There was a long discussion about it as many people had things to say on the subject. Some were worried about the possible noise, others about lack of sleep. Eventually the vote was taken and it was carried that they try it for one week, to see if it would work. After a few days, there was a Special Meeting because somebody had been woken up several times in the night. The community decided that they had lost their chance and should have a bedtime back again. Occasionally it is carried that most of the school laws are dropped. Obviously it can be a bit disruptive when this happens but it is a good learning experience and always sorts itself out quickly. What better way to learn to be a law-abiding citizen than to try living without laws?
We believe in freedom but not licence. This means that you are free to do as you like – but you must not interfere with somebody else’s freedom. You are free to go to lessons, or stay away, because that is your own personal business, but you cannot play your drum kit at four in the morning because it would keep other people awake. Within this structure we probably have more laws than any other school in the country – they vary from between 150 – 250! Many laws are seasonal and are changed or abolished when not needed. Others carry on year after year.

Here is a random selection of them:
5 You must have a working front and back brake on your bike.

5 You can’t ride little kids bikes -even with permission.

5 There are no bedtimes on the first night of term for shack and Carriage kids but silence hour is as usual. House, Cottage and San go to bed at the Beddie’s Officers discretion.

5 You can’t climb the Big Beech when it’s dark or wet.

5 No wheels allowed inside buildings.

5 New children and staff cannot be on committees in their first term.

We hold school meetings four days of the week. Chairing the meeting is a difficult task. Although nobody is exactly unruly, it is demanding to keep up to 70 or so people of different ages sitting quietly for up to an hour at a time. The Chairperson has ULTIMATE power! If you make noise you can be fined, moved or thrown out altogether. It a strangely formal occasion and visitors have often remarked that it is more orderly than the English House of Commons.

We hope that these answers have been helpful.

Zoë Readhead,

Summerhill school, Leiston, Suffolk, IP16 4HY. UK.

Office Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 1728 830540. office@summerhillschool.co.uk
Home phone: +44 (0) 1728 830030 E-mail: zoe@summerhillschool.co.uk Website: www.summerhillschool.co.uk

How do you know that it is time to look for another educational approach for your child? Here are some of the signs:

1. Does your child say he or she hates school?

2. Does your child find it difficult to look an adult in the eye, or to interact with children younger or older than they are?

3. Does your child seem fixated on designer labels and trendy clothes for school?

4. Does your child come from school tired and cranky?

5. Do your children come home complaining about conflicts that they’ve had in school and unfair situations that they have been exposed to?

6. Has your child lost interest in creative expression through art, music, and dance?

7. Has your child stopped reading for fun, or reading or writing for pleasure? Are your children doing just the minimum for homework and going off for some escapist activity?

8. Does your child procrastinate until the last minute to do homework?

9. Does your child come home talking about anything exciting that happened in school that day?

10. Did the school nurse of guidance counselor suggest that your child has some strange three lettered disease, like ADD, and that they should now be given Ritalin or some other drug?