Progressive Education

Unauthorised Absence 🎥🚸 Parents & Schools in a SEND Crisis From lived experience to national action, Jo’s script inspires empathy & change for SEND children & families harmed by education policy

Check out Unauthorised Absence 🎥🚸 Parents & Schools in a SEND Crisis by Natalie Lauren on @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/nat...

The BBC just remade Lord of the Flies — the story that taught generations humans are fundamentally savage.

But when it ACTUALLY happened in real life? Six boys shipwrecked for over a year built a functioning society.

Schools White Paper: all you need to know Tes has gathered all of the key information from the Labour government’s schools White Paper

Everything you need to know about the Schools White Paper at-a-glance:

www.tes.com/magazine/new...

BREAKING: Keir Starmer says his overhaul of special needs support is shaped by his late brother

'My brother Nick had difficulties learning at school, he was put to one side, he had to fight even to be seen'

The government is publishing its long-awaited Schools White Paper today

This week’s Big Issue is out today! 🗞️

✨ Our bumper Changemakers special
🌖 Do kids feel safe at night?
✊ Posy Sterling on fighting for imprisoned mums

Read a sneak peek here. 👀 www.bigissue.com/behind-the...

You can register at https://educationstartups.org/webinar-11-march-2026 or access the webinar as part of our membership package here: https://educationstartups.org/community

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WEBINAR on Inspection and Registration. 11th March, 7,30-9.30pm GMT

An invaluable session for those exploring the pros & cons of school registration. Or for those running part-time learning communities who want to know what to expect should you be inspected unexpectedly.

#StartUps #Innovation

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Remembering Juliet Robertson is the first in a two-part series of episodes celebrating the life and work of Juliet Robertson, teacher, a trainer, a mentor, campaigner and friend.

Increase and protect school funding for special needs, MPs urge A cross-party group calls on the government to "align funding to need", as ministers consider SEND reforms.

School funding for SEND should be increased and protected to meet the rise in demand for support, a group of MPs has said, as ministers consider major reforms. www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/...

Fears over head and Sendco workload in new Ofsted inspections Some senior leaders who have experienced the new report-card inspections have described them as 'brutal', ASCL tells schools' conference

Some senior leaders who have experienced Ofsted's new report-card inspections have described them as ‘brutal’, says union

You can find out more and register for our webinar with Henry Readhead from Summerhill School at https://educationstartups.org/webinar-11-feb-2026

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One week to go!

‘Ask the Expert’ webinar for start-up #schools & #learning communities on 11th Feb with Henry Readhead, deputy principal at world famous democratic school, #Summerhill (Suffolk, England) and one of the grandsons of author, education pioneer and Summerhill founder, #ASNeil.

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Let professors play: the case for sandbox classes in HE Some of the most powerful innovations in teaching don’t come from policy mandates – they come from freedom to play, writes Danny Oppenheimer

Some of the most powerful innovations in teaching don’t come from policy mandates – they come from freedom to play, writes Danny Oppenheimer: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/let-professors-play-case-sandbox-classes-he #HigherEd #AcademicSky #EduSky

What a wonderful facility: Four years of growth in Derwen College’s Nurture Provision - Natspec - natspec.org.uk/well-get-ther...

Thinking of starting your own #School or #LearningCommunity? Download our free guide at https://educationstartups.org/top-tips

- Expert advice from founders who have been there and done it.
- Need-to-know essentials.
- Pitfalls to avoid.
- Action tasks to get you started.

Hope you find it useful!

You can complete our survey to show the impact of part-time learning communities at http://bit.ly/4h2Y9Xp

Thank you

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URGENT SURVEY!

Does your child attend or do you work at a part-time learning community?

Please could you spare a few minutes to complete our survey, to influence the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which is progressing through parliament right now, without proper scrutiny.

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If you'd like to be notified when new Progressive Education projects are live, please sign up at https://info.progressiveeducation.org/sign-up

#21stCenturyEducation #Innovation #ReimagineEducation #ProgressiveEducation

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Three new exciting projects coming up this year:

1. New look directory - progressive schools & learning communities - and changemaker initiatives from around the world - will be able to be listed for free.

2. Intro course on alternatives to conventional schooling.

3. Free monthly newsletter.

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Revealed: The experts shaping England's new curriculum Dozens of 'curriculum drafters' have been chosen to help the government revise the national curriculum, following on from last year's Francis review

Revealed: The experts shaping England's new curriculum | TES

UK university degree no longer ‘passport to social mobility’, says King’s vice-chancellor Prof Shitij Kapur says there are too many graduates and degree is now just a ‘visa’ to enter professional world The UK now has a “surfeit” of graduates and students must accept that a university degree is no longer a “passport to social mobility”, a leading vice-chancellor has argued. Prof Shitij Kapur, the head of King’s College London, said the days when universities could promise that their graduates were certain to get good jobs are over, in an era where nearly half the population enters higher education. Continue reading...

UK university degree no longer ‘passport to social mobility’, says King’s vice-chancellor

If you'd like to set up a democratic learning environment, please join us on 11th February at 7.30pm GMT, to learn from Henry Readhead from #SummerhillSchool
You can find out more and register at educationstartups.org/webinar-11-f...

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#SummerhilSchool is #democratic – each person having an equal vote in the #school meetings and an equal right to be heard. The community of adults and children make their own rules and decisions. From this experience children learn to be self-confident, tolerant and considerate.

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Summerhill’s aim is to allow #children to grow naturally, to experience personal #freedom, to #play and develop at their own pace and to go in their own direction whilst taking responsibility for their own actions and the #community around them.

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Our next webinar on Wednesday 11th February is with Summerhill's Henry Readhead.

Henry is the deputy principal at world famous democratic school, #Summerhill (Suffolk, England) and one of the grandsons of author, education pioneer and Summerhill founder, #ASNeill.

#DemocraticEducation

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WEBINAR TOMORROW:

‘Ask the Expert’ Q&A for start-up #schools and #learning communities with Jonny Field, who set up The Awen Project with Charlotte Church - a part-time #democratic learning community in South Wales.

7.30pm GMT, Weds 7th Jan

https://educationstartups.org/webinar-7-jan-2026

#TheAwenProject works with families to co-construct small, free-to-attend learning communities, that are run by the students and have ethics of excellence, #entrepreneurialism and deep #creativity.

Find out more and register for our webinar at https://educationstartups.org/webinar-7-jan-2026

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One week to go!

‘Ask the Expert’ Q&A webinar for start-up #schools and #learning communities at 7.30pm GMT on 7th January with Jonny Field, co-founder and head of learning at The Awen Project, a part-time #democratic learning community in Wales.

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Education Start-Ups Membership A community for innovators building new kinds of schools and learning settings that includes expert webinars, group coaching, and an online member platform.

If you feel inspired by Nick's story and would like support in setting up and running a #school or #learning community, have a look at our Education Start-Ups #membership which includes expert webinars, ongoing group coaching and peer support.

educationstartups.org/community

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Self Managed Learning Sheffield will be a community for young people to #learn in their own way, at their own pace. There won’t be any #classrooms, #teachers or imposed #curriculum. Young people can choose what, when & how they learn based on what feels right to them.

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