13 Mar

Posted at 08:38h in Uncategorized

Letter to The Guardian Your report (’Children are being failed’: why more English parents are home educating, 13 March) is clearly correct that schooling is failing an increasing number of children and their parents. However pure home schooling is not the only alternative. The law says that children must be educated and that there are two equally valid options – school or ‘otherwise’. Part of ‘otherwise’ are small part time learning communities that are growing rapidly to provide the social and other support that your report identifies as could be missing in a mainly home-based approach. Our learning community, for 9-17 year...

01 Nov

Posted at 08:31h in News

Dr Ian Cunningham, Chair of Governors at Self Managed Learning (SML) College in Fishersgate, has returned from an important international education conference in Nepal where he served as the keynote speaker. During this event, he had the opportunity to present his ideas to the Nepali Minister of Education. Dr Cunningham's presentation focused on the practical approach of putting learners at the forefront of 21st-century education. The inspiration for this approach came from his decades long research on Self Managed Learning which led to him establishing SML College, known for its unique learner-centred model, which challenges traditional educational norms. SML College stands out...

28 Oct

Posted at 09:08h in Uncategorized

There are a number of reasons why it is difficult to get adults to treat the views of young people seriously. And because of this syndrome we have problems in convincing many adults to accept a truly personalised education that responds to what the young person wants and needs. The Fallacy One error is what I have labelled the Caterpillar to Butterfly Fallacy. To explain that I have to say a little about caterpillars and butterflies first. When I was younger I would sometimes find myself in fusty museums. Some of these would have glass fronted cases containing displays of butterflies all neatly...

24 Apr

Posted at 21:20h in Press Release

Government and Local Authorities are ignoring children’s rights, education legislation and hard evidence Key Points Children are all different, and there is no such thing as an effective one-size-fits-all education. The report asserts that maintaining educational diversity within society is essential if all children are to receive a suitable education. The report advocates for a suitable education for every child, with legitimate ‘otherwise’ provision whether in the form of elective home education or non-mainstream educational settings being afforded proper respect, without suspicion or stigma. Parents’ roles and responsibilities, especially in regard to education, must be acknowledged and respected. A proper balance must be maintained...

28 Aug

Posted at 08:40h in Uncategorized

I would guess that no one ever said on their deathbed: “I wish I had got better grades at GCSE”. In fact, research on deathbed regrets suggests that people in different parts of the world show similar responses. A top regret, for instance, is around relationships - and people feeling that they may have neglected friends and loved ones or may have allowed work to dominate their lives. Others regret the kind of career they have had and feel that they have not fulfilled themselves through their work life. There is a link here to Freud’s comment that “love and work...

21 Jul

Posted at 08:55h in Uncategorized

Tens of thousands of young people will get worse results in their exams this summer due to factors beyond their control. The reasons for the award of GCSEs or A Levels (or other qualifications) are not simply down to those factors that are commonly cited - for example intelligence and hard work. Here is some uncomfortable research evidence for those who hold such simplistic views. The Department for Education’s own research shows that at least 10,000 summer born (May to August) children will have gained worse results at GCSE this year than autumn born (September to December) children just because of their...