Deschooling
We ask all families to commit to the practice of deschooling, which we define as the process of examining and deconstructing the beliefs we hold because we live in a schooled society. Some of these beliefs relate directly to education but not all. It doesn’t matter where you are on your deschooling journey, as long as you’re prepared to be curious with us about the ideas. We provide support for this, including holding space for a collective reflective practice and offering a lending library of books.
Who can join?
Young people are ready to join The Garden when they are able to participate in community meetings, engage with our approach to conflict and when they can take independent responsibility for their basic welfare needs. This is usually around 6 years but varies depending on the individual and we can consider anyone from the first of September after their fifth birthday. If you’re not sure about this we welcome up to three trial days for everyone to get a sense of whether it’s a good fit. We have no upper age limit and everyone may stay until they decide it’s no longer the right place for them. We have very limited capacity for older ones coming straight from school because we find they need a lot of support to transition to self-directed learning.
Commitment
We expect a commitment to the three days per week (10am-3pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) for 36 weeks a year over six Seasons (six week blocks). It’s not a drop in arrangement and it is not possible to join us for fewer sessions per week. However, attendance is always optional and there are no penalties or justification required for days off or holidays.
In order to keep fees as low as possible the families of young people who take part in The Garden are asked to volunteer a small amount of time each Season to help maintain the site. We ask one adult from each family to take part in our Community Days, which take place six times a year on a weekend day.
Information pack
You can email us to request an information pack and to book a visit. It’s helpful if you can let us know a little about your family and what appeals to you about The Garden.