Blogs

Taking the long view

Once upon a time there was a boy in Bolton with no interest in his schoolwork. He tended to spend time with his mates or watched comedy VHS tapes that he had recorded. He gained one GCSE then after school did a series of seemingly dead-end jobs such as in the bingo hall and at the local cinema. Because he...

What is a parents’ role in education?

Much has been written about how important parents are to a child’s education, but often the advice is not all that helpful. Here are a few thoughts on the what, how, when, where and why of education that parents might consider.   WHAT. The press and the education establishment go on about GCSEs, grades, exams and so on as the most important...

Charley's art workshop

  Last Thursday Charley came into SMLC to give an Art workshop on dreams and nightmares. She started by giving us lots of magazines and scissors. Then she told us what ever picture that looked interesting to us to cut them out and put them on a black background. We could make...

Libertarian education: marginal experiment or instrument of social change?

Listen to the talks by Luca Lapolla. "Is libertarian education really possible within a neoliberal society? Why have libertarian education experiences always been marginal? What role can libertarian education have in overcoming the present situation? To think about possible answers to these questions, we held our fourth Applied History Network event at MayDay Rooms in London on 19 April 2016. The...

Governors opportunity at SML College

Due to growing popularity of the College both nationally and internationally, we are will be expanding our governing body which is made up of a diverse group of academics, professionals and members of the College community. This is an opportunity to be part of a unique and expanding educational venture. If you'd like to proactively support our work and...

Visit to eco-architects ARCH angels

One of our students, Jack, is interested in considering architecture as a career so along with tutor Gillian, a visit to local eco-architects ARCH angels, was arranged to find out more about their work. They chose ARCH Angels because they have an emphasis on Green Architecture and are working on some interesting projects.  They are also extremely local...

Visit to Brighton Waste House

Last week students from SML College visited the Waste House in Brighton. The Brighton Waste House investigates strategies for constructing a contemporary, low energy,  permanent building using over 85% ‘waste’ material drawn from household and construction sites. Now fully completed, the building is Europe's first permanent public building made almost entirely from material thrown away or not wanted. It is...

How young people manage their own learning at SML College

Take yourself back to your schooldays. Did you learn everything that you were taught? Or did you sometimes daydream in class? Perhaps there were subjects that you didn’t like so you paid less attention to them - or you were even disruptive in such lessons. For whatever reason, it’s likely that the teacher ‘covering the syllabus’ did not always...