DOCUMENT RESUME ED 459 974 RC 023 307 AUTHOR Spencer, Rosalyn TITLE 15 Small Schools. INSTITUTION Human Scale Education, Bath (England). PUB DATE 1999-09-00 NOTE 50p. AVAILABLE FROM Human Scale Education, 96 Carlingcott, Nr Bath, BA2 8AW, UK (3.50 British pounds, plus 1 pound postage). E-mail:
[email protected]. PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Educational Environment; Educational Philosophy; *Educational Practices; Elementary Secondary Education; Environmental Education; Experiential Learning; Foreign Countries; *Nontraditional Education; *Parent Participation; *Participative Decision Making; *School Community RelationshiP; *Small Schools IDENTIFIERS Place Based Education; Sense of Community; United Kingdom ABSTRACT This report details findings from visits to 15 small schools associated with Human Scale Education. These schools are all different, reflecting the priorities of their founders. But there are features common to all of them--parental involvement, democratic processes, environmentally sustainable values, spiritual values, links with the local community, an emphasis in co-operation rather than competition, and mixed age learning. The characteristic that links them all is smallness, and it is their small size that makes possible the close relationships fundamental to good learning. By good learning, the schools mean learning in a holistic sense, encompassing the development of the creative, emotional, physical, moral, and intellectual potential of each person. Contact information, grade levels and number of students taught, and a brief history are given for each school. Educational philosophy, school-community relationships, educational practices, and grading systems are described, as well as the extent to which the national curriculum and SATs are used. Environmental education and activities, service learning, experiential activities, and exposure to the world of work are extensive.