Alternative schools

Why go somewhere different?

'Alternative' schools tend to favour freedom of choice rather than lessons or a timetable that everyone must follow. There can be more emphasis on outdoor activities or creativity than most mainstream schools allow. They tend to:

• have small classes
• be a smaller size overall
• give individual attention
• foster a sense of a community.

Some children attend these schools because they have become unhappy or they haven't achieved in a mainstream school. Some pupils never attend a state school because their parents want them to have something different from the beginning. 

Who's checking up?

Whatever your choice, you do have to educate your child. In the UK, it is compulsory for all children aged 5 to 16. If a child is not to be educated in a school, then parents or carers have to arrange for an education 'otherwise' – in the words of the Education Act 1996 – outside of school.

The local education authority is obliged to check up on this, and this means that they visit the home to make sure that the education is 'appropriate'.

In England all schools – state and independent – are inspected by Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education). Inspectors visit the school, observe lessons, look at exam results and so on in order to measure the school's achievements, organisation, teaching and learning. In Scotland a similar process is carried out by HMIE, in Wales by Estyn and in Northern Ireland by ETI.

What's the alternative?

If you want to find out more about some of the small, alternative schools in the UK, take a look at Human Scale Education. You could also sample our selection below of what's on offer if you want to educate differently.

Summerhill School

• Suffolk

• describes itself as a progressive, co-educational, residential school
• founded by A.S. Neill in 1921
• fee-paying, with some bursaries available through the A.S. Neill charitable trust
• students come from many countries; UK students number about half
• ages from five upwards.

Stands out from the mainstream because:

• lessons are optional
• the school meeting is the democratic, governing body of the school, where students and staff have equal standing and equal voting rights.

You also need to know:

• the curriculum allows choice, although each day is structured.

Find out more about Summerhill School.

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St Christopher School

• Letchworth, Hertfordshire
• describes itself as a progressive, vegetarian, boarding and day school for boys and girls from the ages of 2 to 18
• founded in 1915 as the Garden City Theosophical School by Mrs Josephine Ransom and friends, based on the 'best modern methods'
• fee-paying, but 10% of students receive help from their local education authority
• almost half of all students also have a brother or sister at the school.

Stands out from the mainstream because:

• all staff and students have a wholefood, vegetarian diet
• no school uniform, first-name terms for all.

You also need to know:

• the school is open to all faiths and none, but has a history of Quaker links.

Find out more about St Christopher School.

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Bedales School

• rural Hampshire
• describes itself as encouraging students 'to find their own strengths, enthusiasms and methods; thirst for knowledge, inquisitiveness and academic excellence are celebrated and nurtured'
• founded in 1893 by educationalist John Badley, who believed in co-education and a shared focus on all aspects of a child's life – 'head and hand, heart'
• fee-paying, with scholarships and bursaries available
• takes boys and girls from the age of 13.

Stands out from the mainstream because:

• there's an emphasis on arts and creativity
• no school uniform, first-name terms for all.

You also need to know:

• Bedales is the senior school to Dunhurst junior and Dunannie pre-prep schools.

Find out more about Bedales School.

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Steiner schools

• Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship represents 31 Steiner schools and 56 Early Years settings in the UK and Ireland – and there are many hundreds of Steiner schools all over the world

• describe themselves as placing emphasis on the whole development of the child, including spiritual, physical and moral well-being as well as academic progress
• the schools are based on the educational ideas of Rudolf Steiner (born 1861 in what is now Croatia) who wanted to help children fulfil their potential without pushing them towards adult-defined goals
• in the UK the schools are fee-paying, but they are lobbying for state support under the government's diversity agenda
• most take children from nursery through primary age, and some to the end of school life.

Stands out from the mainstream because:

• each school is self-funded and, despite belonging to the wider organisation and sharing principles, is autonomous and individual.

You also need to know:

• children have the same main class teacher throughout school life.

Find out more about Steiner schools.

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Atlantic College

• Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan

• describes itself as offering 'world-class education, global impact'

• one of 10 United World Colleges worldwide with an 'international vision', established 40 years ago by German educationalist Kurt Hahn
• entry is by competitive selection for 170 places annually – parents make a contribution to fees, but most students are supported in some way by scholarships
• students are older, typically sixth-form age, and follow the International Baccalaureate course.

Stands out from the mainstream because:

• the student body is truly international, representing more than 70 countries.

You also need to know:

• academic standards are sky-high, and most students go on to top universities.

Find out more about Atlantic College.

Home schooling

If you're a parent who's decided to take your children out of school altogether, parent-led charitable organisations can help with resources and advice. Try Education Otherwise for a wide range of support, including legal advice and tips on explaining to the local education authority how you are meeting your child's educational needs.

The Home Education Advisory Service has useful publications, especially for parents taking their first steps in home schooling. The government also offers advice in its web-based Parents Centre. And there are vast collections of resources on the internet for parents teaching at home. Try Schoolhouse.

• Find out more

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