Why The Family School? - One of our parent's perspectives......

I am guessing that if you are here today you already have doubts about the national education system, that you have possibly heard some of the preliminary findings of the first major independent review of British primary schools in 40 years, conducted through the Education Dept at Cambridge University (called 'The Primary Review): That children in England start school younger than any other country in the EU with the exception of the Netherlands and northern Ireland. That class sizes are large, and the benefits of formal education to children this young are doubtful and possibly harmful to the overall well-being of the child; that pupils in some countries starting school as late as 7 may outperform those in English primary schools by age 11 and that there are particular concerns about provision for four year olds in school reception classes. That with the introduction of OFsted, in England, there is more external, standard testing, it happens more frequently, it starts at a younger age and it is'used as a tool to control what is taught and to police how well it is taught' (The Primary Review. Research Briefings overview of 3/1, 3/3, 9/1)

You may also be aware that 'The Primary Review' has found that alternatives to mainstream education yield better than average academic performances and that the characteristics of 'successful' schools include 'greater emphasis on the life of the imagination, continuing emphasis on literacy and numeracy, though interpreted more broadly than at present, closer relationships between student and teacher, more emphasis on generic teacher dispositions and skills than particular teaching methods, genuine partnerships between student and teachers, and a more intimate institutional - rather than class - environment' ('The Primary Review'

3/3).

So the benefits of an alternative to mainstream education are clear but why the Family School in particular? You may find alternatives that seembetter resourced right now in terms of space and material resources. But the greatest resource at the Family School is not in bricks and mortar, but in the genuinely collaborative approach to education it offers which is exceptional across the independent schooling sector. You can not put a price on a school that provides a profound respect for children and the way they learn and communicate, a school that supports them gently and expertly to become self-reliant, to trust in their own curiosity and to follow where it leads. A school that offers as well a profound respect for each of us as parents, grandparents and carers as we too learn to communicate effectively, to feel safe to explore our parenting styles and the way we talk daily to our kids, to feel welcome in the class room, to actively be with our child as they embark on their schooling experience, to leave them knowing they will be listened to, allowed to be, and that their big questions answered and expanded on without pushing. The wealth of the Family School may not be immediately obvious to the naked eye right now as we build the school, but I see it when my daughter, in the middle of a dispute, is able to work her own way through it for example. When I hear from one of the teacher's that she has spent an hour learning about mazes - an activity and a time scale that would be impossible in a school driven by time units and a forced curriculum. I feel it's benefit as a mother of two, in myown increasing skill and confidence in containing the flare-ups of childhood conflicts allowing each side to be heard, hearing what is really being said underneath the anger. The manifold resources of the Family School are there for anyone wanting to take responsibility for their child's and their own on-going education. I hope you will join us in this pioneering school - it is truly the journey of a lifetime.

Warmly,

Anna, parent, September 2008