Summerhill School A GSG School
- Summerhill School
Westward Ho
Leiston
Suffolk
IP16 4HY - Head: Mrs Zoe Readhead
- T 01728 830540
- F 01728 830540
- E office@summerhillschool.co.uk
- W www.summerhillschool.co.uk
- An independent school for boys and girls aged from 5 to 17.
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Suffolk
- Pupils: 51
- Religion: Non-denominational
- Fees: Day £7,668 - £15,000; Boarding £16,713 - £25,302 pa
- Open days: 1 day each term, contact school office for details
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
What The Good Schools Guide says..
Famed for its controversial view that pupils are not obliged to attend lessons, though in fact most of the older pupils will be studying for a clutch of GCSEs. Parents and staff were keen to emphasise that pupils learn that freedom has consequences… The Meeting, held at least three times a week, is the guardian of behaviour and, essentially, the happiness of everyone at the school. Parents need to be convinced about the school’s philosophy and to understand that they will have to back off to allow…
What the school says...
Summerhill School was founded by A.S. Neill and continues to follow his radical philosophy of freedom. Children have the absolute right to attend or not attend classes and they regulate their lives through a democratic meeting where everyone - regardless of age, has an equal vote. Prospective parents are encouraged to visit the school, to read books by A.S. Neill and to visit the web. ...Read more
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Other features
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
What The Good Schools Guide says
Principal
Since 1985, Zoë Readhead, daughter of Summerhill’s founding inspiration, AS Neill; raised and educated at the school and its current proprietor. The day-to-day running of the school is mostly done by her sons, Henry and Will, but she is still very much an active force, in and around the school most days, attending the Meetings and as passionate an advocate for her father’s philosophy as ever. ‘We are not about unlicensed freedom, but freedom with responsibility. This is a place of healing, not of harm.’ Along with her two sons, there are nine teachers and five houseparents who live with the children (either on site or less than a mile away). ‘We are a community of people who resolve matters through communication, negotiation and compromise. No one waves a big stick, no one has...
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
Summerhill School offers small class sizes, typically no larger than 1:6 and commonly 1:1 for children with dyslexia or similar learning difficulties. The school environment with its democratic meeting and emphasis on choice and self-regulated behaviour is very attractive to many parents of children with mild autistic spectrum disorders. 09-09
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | Y |
| Aspergers | Y |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | |
| Dysgraphia | |
| Dyslexia | Y |
| Dyspraxia | Y |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | Y |
| Genetic | Y |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| PD - Physical Disability | Y |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
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