Communities
Your life. Your learning. Your future.
Across the UK, Self Managed Learning (SML) communities are growing - each one shaped by the young people, mentors and families who make it their own.
Self Managed Learning is a progressive and innovative approach to education. It supports young people to manage their own learning and to decide for themselves who they want to be in life, and how they might get there.
At the heart of every SML community is a belief that learning is not something done to young people, but something they actively shape - with support, trust and meaningful relationships.
We are not all the same
Traditional schooling often assumes that young people will learn the same things, in the same way, at the same time.
SML communities are created on a different understanding.
We recognise that young people are individuals - with different interests, rhythms, ways of thinking and ways of learning. Our environments are designed to support exploration, curiosity and personal responsibility, rather than conformity.
What learning looks like in SML communities
There is no set curriculum.
We know from decades of practice and research that people learn best when they can decide:
- What they want to learn
- Where and when learning happens
- How they approach it
- Why it matters to them
Learning is supported and structured, but not imposed. There is no predefined syllabus or timetable. Instead, learning grows through interests, projects, conversations, challenges, reflection and participation in community life.
A learning community, not just a place
SML communities are exactly that — communities.
They are environments based on:
- Mutual respect
- Support and collaboration
- Shared responsibility
- Honest relationships
Young people learn not only through individual exploration, but through being part of something bigger than themselves - contributing, negotiating, caring and belonging.
Learning for life, not just for tests
In schools, learning is often organised around subjects and exams.
In Self Managed Learning, learning is supported in service of a good life.
SML helps young people:
- Open their minds to what’s possible
- Develop confidence and self-knowledge
- Learn how to learn
- Build skills that matter in a fast-changing world
Taking responsibility for one’s own learning is a powerful foundation for adulthood - whatever path a young person chooses.
Evidence-based and well-established
Self Managed Learning is not new.
It is a research-based approach developed in the late 1970s and applied continuously since 1980 in a wide range of contexts - including work with organisations such as the Bank of England, the BBC, British Airways, Sainsbury’s and the NHS.
Today, this approach is carried forward through a growing network of community-based settings supported by SML Alliance.
Exploring SML communities
If you’re curious about whether a Self Managed Learning community could be right for your young person - or if you’re interested in creating one in your area - we invite you to explore further.