The New School

The New School is an innovative non-fee-paying private school which opened in September 2020. We focus on building young people’s sense of agency, their skills of self-direction, and their voice within a sociocratic structure. Our democratic decision-making process uses the principles of sociocracy. It is a central part of The New School and designed so that young people can experience democratic participation in a meaningful way. When young people feel recognised, are included in decision-making activities and have their voice heard in a way that is not just tokenistic, it has a substantial positive impact on self-worth and wellbeing. We have small class sizes, and value multi-age grouping meaning teachers stay with a group of young people for a number of years. This allows relationships to develop over time, creating a trust that allows young people to learn more effectively.