(School website) FeesĪnnual fees are significantly less than most independent schools:īooks about Summerhill Books by A.S. The school did have trouble with OFSTED in the past: 'In March 2000, after a damning report from an OfSTED (Office for Standards in Education) inspection in March 1999, which demanded changes to the Summerhill philosophy, the school won an historic legal battle against the DfEE (Department for Education and Employment) when it defended the rights and voices of its children at an Independent Schools Tribunal'. The national minimum standards for boarding schools are met and overall effectiveness for the boarding experience is outstanding'. The curriculum and teaching and assessment are good. Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding and they make good progress.

Strengths of the school include outstanding pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and outstanding promotion of pupils’ welfare health and safety, including effective safeguarding procedures. The school meets its aims very successfully. All the points for development outlined in the previous report have been addressed. It meets all the regulatory requirements for independent schools, which is an improvement from the last inspection. The most recent OFSTED inspection of the school reported: 'Evaluation of the school: Summerhill School provides a good quality of education. The school is now owned by Zoë Readhead, the daughter of A.S.

It varies 60–80 boys and girls with ages ranging from 5 to 17. This extends to the freedom for pupils to choose which lessons, if any, they attend. Members of the community are free to do as they please, so long as their actions do not cause any harm to others, according to Neill's principle 'Freedom, not Licence'. It is probably the most famous alternative or 'free' school. Summerhill is the oldest 'children's democracy' in the world. These meetings serve as both a legislative and judicial body. Decisions are made in school meetings, which anyone, staff or pupil, may attend, and at which everyone has an equal vote. Summerhill is run as a democratic community. He believed the school should fit the child, not than the other way around. Summerhill School is an independent British boarding school which was founded in 1921 by A.S.

Alexander sutherland neill summerhill