Summerhill School

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

No specific requirements other than the child’s (and the parents’) suitability for the school. Parents need to be convinced about the school’s philosophy and to understand that they will have to back off to allow the experience of Summerhill to work.

Most leave at 17, usually for some form of higher education. The decision when to leave is a personal one but most are ready to go by then or when they have taken their GCSEs. ‘My son seemed to know when the right moment was,’ said a parent. With

Famed for its controversial view that pupils are not obliged to attend lessons, ‘stuffing them with facts and making them oven ready for exams’ is not the priority here, though in fact most of the older pupils will be studying for a clutch of GCSEs.

Child-centred learning and a refusal to ’label’ pupils is fundamental. ‘We treat each child as an individual whatever their gifts and struggles. Whoever decided that everyone should be “ready” to read at the same age, for instance?’ asks Zoë

The art and woodwork rooms operate an ‘open’ studio policy which means pupils can turn up (space allowing) when they want. ‘Though classes 1 and 3 have dedicated slots on the timetable,’ says Will, who is in charge of woodwork and also runs the

Sport is not really a ‘thing’ at Summerhill, at least not in the organised team sense. Sports, games and outside activities are all organised by the children so, if someone’s keen on football and can round up the necessary players, then it gets

Occasional boarding for those under 8 and most pupils are boarding full time by 11. There is a mix of accommodation with the younger pupils housed in the main building and older ones in a sequence of ‘huts’ outside – single sex from 13 onwards.

The Meeting, held at least three times a week, is the guardian of behaviour and, essentially, the happiness of everyone at the school. ‘Even 5-year-olds understand they can speak about things that worry them,’ said Ms Readhead. The habit of

The reach of the school is international. Over 60 per cent come from other countries – often Japan, Korea, China and Germany – and whole families quite often move lock, stock and barrel to Suffolk – drawn by the magnet that is Summerhill. ‘The

Extremely modest fees – the school doesn’t splash money on fancy facilities and the do-it-yourself mentality keeps costs down. Ten per cent reduction for children of former pupils. The AS Neill Trust has limited funds to support families with

The philosophy of Summerhill offers food for thought for anyone interested in education and how we raise children. For over 100 years the school has confounded its critics and remains a beacon for those who prize freedom in childhood and believe