The Harbour Oxford

The Harbour is a Self Managed, Consent-based, Democratic Learning centre designed to provide young people with the time, space and support they need to explore their interests, passions, and possible pathways in life.

We currently foster three learning communities:

  1. An in-person, out-of-school learning community in Oxford for young people aged 11-17.
  2. An online (and hybrid) learning community for young people across the globe for young people aged 13-17, and –
  3. An in-school learning community in Matthew Arnold’s school in Oxford for young people aged 13-16. 

What are our guiding principles?

All three communities are facilitated by our team of trained facilitators, and guided by the same evidence-based pedagogical framework to help young people thrive:

  1. Self Managed Learning (SML)
    Young people set their own objectives, curriculum, timetable, and assessment, supported by their Learning Agreement, Learning Group and a Learning Group Adviser. Developed by Dr Ian Cunningham and backed by decades of research, SML builds skills in goal setting, self-reflection and personal responsibility. This approach positions learning as a natural response to curiosity, empowering young people to pursue what matters most to them.
  2. Consent-based Learning
    The learning is led by each young person, grounded in free choice and active consent. Opportunities are co-created with facilitators and peers, enabling young people to engage with purpose and follow their intrinsic motivation.
  3. A Democratic Learning Community
    Young people learn how to build and take ownership of their own community, while interacting with their local community and beyond. Through democratic practices, they develop skills in collaborative decision-making, accountability and respect for the needs of others.

When & where?

Our in-person community meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:30AM – 2:00PM. 

Our online community meets on Wednesdays 10:30AM – 12:30PM and interacts through our secure Discord server throughout the week.

What would a typical day look like?

Our structured daily and termly routines create opportunities for community building, self-reflection and the development of self-regulated learning skills. This approach enables learners to take ownership of their learning journey in a safe, supportive environment.

Community morning meeting (15 minutes):

  • Check-ins.
  • Remind ourselves and explore needed changes to our community agreements.
  • Young people are making plans for the day and choosing their tidy-up tasks.
  • Consensus decision making regarding our budget, planned trips and guests, risk assessments, conflict resolutions and more.

Plans for the day (around 2.5 hours):

Include anything young people choose to do within our community’s agreements. None of the activities is mandatory, except for our Learning Group meetings, held weekly for self-planning & reviewing. 

Activities you could spot, for example, are playing (lots of playing), outdoor walks, progressing on term projects or other chosen learning activities (collaboratively or individually), learning a wide variety of subjects, baking, arts & crafts, trips, group discussions, and many more.

Tidy-up (10 minutes)

Closing meeting (15 minutes)

  • Check-outs and reflection on the day and on any needed changes to our agreements.
  • Plans for the next day.

Our navigational toolkit

The Harbour is a consensual space for young people to explore their interests and goals, gain control over their learning and life, and discover their ways to learn.

Our ultimate aim is to prepare them for life beyond the safe harbour, giving them the skills and tools they need to make decisions about their future journeys.  

We understand that life can be unpredictable, with calm seas one day and stormy waters the next. That's why we focus on helping young people to develop strong internal compasses that can guide them through any situation. We encourage them to update their direction from time to time, and to keep learning as they sail ahead.

To prepare young people for sailing their own boats, we are working to equip them with a few navigational tools. Those will be developed through socialising opportunities and making connections, community activities and navigating conflicts, working on projects, and any opportunities the young people will open for us. Some examples of these tools are:

  • Introduction to self-managed learning, making learning agreements, revisiting them, self-reflecting and tracking progress.
  • Democratically building our community, setting agreements, assessing risks, and navigating conflicts resolution.
  • Understanding consent-based learning and creating a culture of consent
  • Learning about unschooling and alternative approaches to education.
  • Connecting with the local and global community.
  • Understanding autonomy and taking ownership of one's goals.
  • Embracing diversity and learning from people different from oneself.
  • Experimenting, taking risks, and learning from failure. 

Get in Contact

Website: https://www.oxford-harbour.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theoxfordharbour

Email: hello@oxford-harbour.org