Small school's big impact (From Stroud News and Journal)

Small school's big impact

THE first nip of autumn was in the air as two Stroud mums stood nervously as the door of Roxburgh House.

However, it wasn't the drop in temperature causing them to shiver but the excitement of a year long dream which had finally come true and a slightly nervous thought that perhaps after all their hard work no-one was going to turn up.

But Jo Mills and Elle Holliday had no need to worry.

The twelve children they were expecting to attend the launch of Stroud's Small School recently were bright and punctual....and so were another 24 eager participants who had heard about the venture and went along to have a look at what was on offer.

"We were completelely overwhelmed at the numbers," said Jo on Friday who by then was beginning to wade through the piles of books and equipment which has been donated to this special project.

Jo and Elle who are both mums of toddlers got together last year and decided to launch the Small School because they were not satisfied with the education system on offer for their children.

They soon discovered they were not alone in their views and after talking to other mums they realised there was a need for a different sort of school in the area.

Jo had already part-educated her four grown-up children at home and Elle who herself was educated to post-graduate level wanted something more flexible for her first child, Dylan.

They both liked the idea of the Small School - currently there are 15 Small Schools around the country aimed at parents and children who do not particularly want to follow the National Curriculum.

They appeal to parents who do not want their children to be educated in a rigid manner with continuous exams monitoring their progress.

The Small School policy allows teachers to be flexible and innovative and encourages children to be involved in making decisions about what they want to do at school. Parents are also encouraged to get involved.

"I dreamt about doing this for ages. I had done masses of research into an alternative way of education and I reached a point where there was nothing for it but to just get on and do it.

"We put up posters in town and around 20 people turned up to our first meeting," said Jo.

They now have around 70 families on the contact list who have expressed an interest in the Small School. Their next task was to find a building and try and organise some funding.

And although they are delighted to be in Roxburgh House, they would eventually like to find premises which have more friendly disabled/pushchair access and some land where they can grow vegetables with the children.

Funding has proved to be more difficult. To date they have relied on donations but they need to raise money to pay teachers.

"We really want the door here to be open to everyone so we are not charging set fees. We ask people to pay what they can afford.

"It might be hopelessly optimistic and If we are not making enough money by half-term we will probably have to review that but for now we want people to be able to come along and see what we are doing," said Jo.

They have several fund-raising activities in the pipeline and they are hoping to become registered as a charity.

Both Jo and Elle are keen to have mixed aged learning at the school as they believe children learn better from each other.

"There are a lot of strengths in children being together at different ages. It is like having a big family where the little ones and the older kids help each other out," said Jo.

They are both adamant that the school will stay small enough - no more than 40 children maximum - so that everyone will know each other and form relationships and learn how to get along in a group.

"It's all about finding your place in the group and finding your self-esteem," said Elle.

And she added: "We have spoken to so many adults who came out of school damaged and who look back on their school life as a time of clock watching and sheer boredom."

Jo is keen to sing the praises of the local primary schools but she says many children fall by the wayside when it is time to move on to a big secondary school.

"A lot of kids just can't cope with it," she said.

"We want an environment where we can respond to what kids want to do. Information can be learnt from books - it is something that can be done as a solitary activity.

"Education however is all about learning about life and morals and relationships," said Elle.

All the parents of the children attending are helping out at the moment but the main enthusiasm has come from parents of toddlers who see this as the beginning of their child's education.

"Until now, we didn't have a building or anything to show people, so quite understandably parents were reluctant to pull their children out of their current school without being able to see what was on offer," said Jo.

Some parents who are educating their children at home have been enthused by the idea of turning up just one or two days a week.

"It gives the parents a break and it offers the children social interaction. It's that sort of flexibility which is missing in mainstream education," said Jo.

Neither of them believe the children who attend the Small School will be disadvantaged by the lack of exams on offer.

"Ironically, at the other small schools when children have been left to their own devices, much to the dismay of the teachers, they have opted themselved to take GCSE's and there is no reason why children can't pursue that route as long as it is their decision," said Jo.

Elle agreed: "I don't feel that by pursuing this route with Dylan I am excluding him from doing other things in later life.

"Personally my education was all head-based and consequently I feel there is a huge gap where I am lacking any practical education.

'I don't want Dylan to sit at a desk and read about how to build a bridge, I want him to get down on the floor and build a bridge.

"Education is about life. It is about learning from people and connecting the brain with the hands."

After the first week, Jo and Elle were tremendously excited by the response to the school.

"I have loved every minute of this week. It's been fantastic and very, very exciting," said Jo.

And she added: "One thing is for sure, whatever happens, this school is not going to fail through lack of commitment."