The History of SML College

For 24 years, from 2001 until its closure in 2025, SML College provided a unique educational alternative for young people in the UK. During that time it became recognised as the UK's first learning community for children and young people, pioneering an approach to education that sat somewhere between traditional schooling and home education.

At a time when educational choices were often limited to mainstream schools, democratic schools or home education, SML College created a different possibility. It offered young people the freedom to manage their own learning within a supportive community environment, combining autonomy with structure, independence with guidance, and personal responsibility with belonging.

The College was founded by Dr Ian Cunningham, whose work with Self Managed Learning stretched back to the 1970s. Before establishing SML College, Ian had spent decades researching, developing and applying Self Managed Learning within organisations across the UK and internationally. His work included programmes with major organisations such as the Bank of England, the BBC, British Airways, Sainsbury's and the NHS. This extensive experience demonstrated that people learn most effectively when they take responsibility for their own learning and are supported in pursuing goals that matter to them.

SML College was created by applying this research and experience to the education of young people.

A Different Kind of Education

The starting point for SML College was a simple question:

What happens when young people are trusted to take ownership of their learning?

Rather than following an imposed curriculum, timetable or programme of lessons, students were supported to decide for themselves what they wanted to learn, how they wanted to learn it and why it mattered to them.

This did not mean learning without support. On the contrary, the College provided a carefully designed learning community where young people could explore interests, develop goals, access resources and build relationships with supportive adults and peers.

The approach challenged a common assumption in education: that all children should learn the same things, in the same way, at the same time. Instead, SML College recognised that every young person is different, with their own interests, strengths, aspirations and preferred ways of learning.

For some students this meant pursuing creative projects. For others it involved preparing for further education, building practical skills, starting businesses, learning trades, volunteering or exploring specialist interests that would have been difficult to pursue in a conventional school setting.

The UK's First Self Managed Learning Community

SML College occupies an important place in the history of alternative education in the UK.

Before the College was established, families seeking alternatives to mainstream schooling generally looked towards democratic schools or home education. While both offered valuable alternatives, there was little available for families who wanted a learning community that combined personal freedom with regular support, mentoring and shared responsibility.

SML College’s purpose was not simply to provide an alternative to school, but to create an environment where young people could learn how to learn. Students were encouraged to take increasing responsibility for their decisions, their goals and their futures.

Over time, the College became a source of inspiration for educators, parents and learning communities across the UK and internationally who were interested in learner-led education and personalised approaches to learning.

Learning for Life, Not Just for Exams

One of the core beliefs underpinning SML College was that education should prepare young people for life rather than simply for tests.

While examinations could be part of a student's journey where relevant to their goals, they were never the primary purpose of learning. Instead, the focus was on helping young people develop the skills, confidence and self-awareness needed to navigate an increasingly complex world.

Students learned how to:

• Set meaningful goals
• Manage projects
• Work collaboratively
• Solve problems independently
• Reflect on their progress
• Take responsibility for decisions
• Adapt to change
• Build confidence in their own abilities

These skills proved valuable long after students left the College.

A Remarkable Record of Outcomes

Perhaps the most significant achievement of SML College was not found in examination results or league tables, but in what happened after students left.

Across its entire 24-year history, there were no NEETs (young people Not in Education, Employment or Training) among those leaving the College.

Every student progressed into a positive next step. Some moved into further or higher education. Others entered employment, apprenticeships or vocational training. Some established their own businesses or pursued entrepreneurial pathways.

This record reflects one of the central principles of Self Managed Learning: when young people have the opportunity to discover their interests, develop confidence and take ownership of their future, they are more likely to find meaningful pathways beyond compulsory education.

For families exploring alternatives to school, this achievement remains one of the strongest indicators of the effectiveness of the approach.

The Legacy of SML College

Although SML College closed in 2025, its influence continues.

Over more than two decades, hundreds of young people experienced a different way of learning. Families discovered an educational approach based on trust, responsibility and personal growth. Educators and learning communities drew inspiration from a model that demonstrated what can happen when young people are given genuine ownership of their learning.

Today, the work continues through the Self Managed Learning Alliance, which exists to share the principles, research and practice developed through decades of experience.

The closure of SML College marked the end of an important chapter, but not the end of Self Managed Learning. The lessons learned over 24 years continue to inform new learning communities, home educating families, schools and organisations interested in creating environments where people can take responsibility for their own learning and development.

The history of SML College shows that there is another way to think about education - one that starts not with a curriculum, but with the learner.