Alternative schools in the UK
What are alternative schools?
Alternative schools – sometimes known as progressive schools – offer their own individual, less test-obsessed approaches to education. There are many differing approaches, some close to mainstream education, others a complete departure.
Progressive schools, democratic schools and Steiner schools explained
They range from King Alfred’s School in north London – where there are no school exams below year 10, no uniform, and students are on first-name terms with staff, but follow the normal curriculum – to Summerhill School, in Suffolk, where lessons are entirely optional. ‘Stuffing them with facts and making them oven ready for exams’ is not the priority here,’ says our reviewer of the latter.
Some alternative schools, such as Steiner Waldorf schools, have a spiritual and philosophical approach (although note Steiner schools are non-sectarian), whilst others, such as Sands School in Devon, are based on a democratic premise. ‘Everyone is listened to, everyone is included; relationships between adults and children are built on deep levels of mutual respect and trust,’ says our latest review.
Should I choose an alternative school?
With an ever-increasing emphasis on exam results, it takes a brave parent to step off the mainstream carousel of regular homework, testing, and fact-cramming. If you are the sort of parent who has already, in your mind’s eye, seen your child off to Oxbridge, alternative schooling probably isn’t for you.
But for more liberal parents after a tailored education that fosters creativity and individualism or for children who don’t suit traditional classrooms, alternative schools can, as one parent put it, be ‘a refuge’.
Which children suit alternative schools?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that alternative schools are for troublemakers who have been, or would be, thrown out of mainstream education. ‘Yes, there are children at the school who have fallen foul of mainstream behavioural policies,’ says our latest Sands School review. ‘But there are far more from families who have personally chosen a school “where our children are valued, have a voice that is listened to and a platform to shine on, but also where adults are viewed as confidantes and trusted friends”’.
In our visits to alternative schools, we have seen gifted students, children with special educational needs and children who are suited to (or with parents who prefer the idea of) less formal systems of learning.
How are alternative schools different from mainstream schools?
There is no one-size-fits-all, but alternative schools do tend to have some characteristics in common:
Smaller classes and closer relationships
Alternative schools tend to be relatively small, with generous pupil-to-teacher ratios. In some, such as Steiner Waldorf schools, teachers stay with the same class for several years to build up strong relationships.
Greater pupil voice and democratic decision-making
A non-authoritarian streak runs through many alternative schools. Some have head teachers, some don’t, but pupils (and sometimes parents) are generally involved in decision-making, with opportunities for everyone to feel their views are valued.
Less formal teaching and curriculum structures
Less structured curriculum – the learning journey tends to be less about passing exams and more about the process of learning through experience, problem-solving and teamwork.
Individualised learning approaches
At St Christopher School, in Letchworth, the students help develop their own curriculum, the direction they want to take and how they work best.
Many state and independent schools have embraced alternative education without going the full hog. From forest schools to student councils and from playful learning to break-out curriculum days, there are plenty of examples of mainstream schools dipping into other ways of educating. However, their main focus remains on teaching an exam-focussed, timetabled curriculum.
Do alternative schools offer GCSEs and A levels?
Most will offer GCSE and A level teaching (although not necessarily to the same year groups as in conventional schools and there may be fewer subjects), but the school journey towards this point is likely to be very different.
What are the possible downsides alternative education?
Academic pace and exam preparation
We hear some complaints that the whole class can, at times, be taught at the pace of the slowest pupil, resulting in bored brighter children.
Sometimes, when it comes to academics, parents want to have their cake and eat it. They eagerly swap the rigidity and narrowness of the mainstream Victorian education model for more inquiry-based learning but they still want the exam results – not always the easiest tightrope for these schools to master. In one alternative school we recently reviewed, parents said they’d like ‘more exam preparation’.
Structure and behaviour
Structured days and routine are the bread and butter of many family set-ups and parenting styles. The apparent lack of structure in alternative schools can be a problem for some students and parents.
The approach to behaviour management in some alternative schools is also not everyone’s cup of tea. In St Christopher School, in Letchworth, parents conclude the school is best suited to youngsters who more naturally make good choices. ‘For some, it feels too free and they do wind up leaving,’ said one.
Teaching quality and consistency
Skills of the teacher used to be a bit of a lottery, although less so nowadays with tighter appraisals and continuous training.
