About

At the heart of SML Alliance is a simple belief: that learning is most powerful when it is chosen, not imposed.

This vision has been shaped and championed for over 50 years by Dr Ian Cunningham, the founder of Self Managed Learning (SML) and the driving force behind the Alliance.

SML Alliance builds on the legacy of the Centre for Self Managed Learning and SML College in Brighton, which ran for 24 years, helping hundreds of young people to take charge of their education within a supportive community.

Today, the Alliance supports new SML communities in Liverpool and Oxford, alongside schools, organisations and individuals who want to bring the principles of Self Managed Learning into their own contexts.

Our mission is to:

  • Support new SML communities across the UK and beyond.
  • Share decades of experience and resources with families, educators, and community leaders.
  • Provide mentoring, development and practical tools for those setting up communities.
  • Keep alive the vision of education as something chosen, not imposed.

Dr Ian Cunningham – Founder

From the start, Ian never fitted the mould. As a school student, he lived by Oscar Wilde’s words: “I love to learn — but I can’t bear to be taught.” That restless curiosity has shaped a career dedicated to challenging conventional education and creating radical alternatives.

  • University & Activism (1960s): Campaigned for curriculum reform and became National Secretary for Education in the National Union of Students.
  • Early Career (1970s): Introduced learner-centred training in local government and helped launch the School for Independent Study at North East London Polytechnic, where students could design their own degree.
  • The Birth of SML (1979): Developed Self Managed Learning while leading personal development programmes in business schools.
  • Leadership in Learning (1980s–90s): As Chief Executive at Roffey Park Management College, Ian introduced innovative SML-based leadership programmes and co-created Masters degrees with the University of Sussex.
  • Global Impact (1990s–2020s): Through Strategic Developments International, Ian brought SML into major organisations including Nike, the NHS, Sainsbury’s, the Bank of England and The FA. He also authored nine books and over 150 papers, and held visiting professorships in the UK, USA, Hungary and India.
  • SML for Young People (2001–2025): As founder and chair of the Centre for Self Managed Learning charity, Ian turned his focus to schools and young people. The SML College in Brighton ran for 24 years, giving hundreds of young people the chance to shape their own learning, supported by a community of peers and mentors.

Now, as founder of SML Alliance, Ian’s mission continues — to help others create thriving communities and organisations where learning is self managed, meaningful and life-changing.

Lucy Edwards - General Manager

Lucy brings a strong background in business and management, having held leadership roles across organisations in the UK and Australia. She previously led the marketing for SML College and the Centre for Self Managed Learning, helping to share the vision and values of SML with families and educators.

As General Manager of SML Alliance, Lucy oversees operations, partnerships and development - supporting the growth of new communities and projects while maintaining the human, values-driven ethos that sits at the heart of the movement. Alongside her role at the Alliance, she runs her own successful business.

Carmel Kent - Consultant

Carmel is an educator, academic and parent with lived experience of the challenges many young people face in education. With over 25 years of experience across higher education and the high-tech sector, she has specialised in Artificial Intelligence in Education, Social Learning, and Learning Communities.

Formerly Director of the Centre for Self Managed Learning and manager of SML College in Brighton, Carmel combines academic insight with deep empathy. She knows what it’s like to be the parent of a young person struggling in school, and she understands the challenges faced by teachers, employers and students alike.

Carmel now runs The Harbour, a consent-based, Self Managed Learning centre (https://www.oxford-harbour.org) for 11-17 year olds. The Harbour runs an in-person provision in Oxford, an online provision, and supports schools to build environments where all learners can thrive.

Why It Matters

Self Managed Learning has shown time and again that when learners set their own goals, design their own learning, and reflect with the support of a community, they achieve more than traditional structures ever allowed. It builds confidence, purpose and lifelong skills.

Through the Alliance, Ian’s pioneering work is now being shared more widely than ever, creating opportunities for the next generation of learners and communities.