Our Values
Our organisation has been a long time in the making. During teacher training in 2005, we became sure that improvements in education could be made. Feeling that the best way to develop education was to see as much as possible of what was already on offer, we embarked on a six year adventure. We worked in an academic international school, UK comprehensives, a grammar school, a Steiner school, a forest school and an alternative rural Indian school, teaching between us English, history, geography, biology, chemistry, physics, maths, psychology, music and art. It is on these experiences that The Lighthouse and its philosophy of interest-led learning is founded.
Our regular sessions have built in flexibility, which means that they can respond to individual questions and interest. This allows a focus on the process of learning, so that children can learn to guide their own discovery.
We use household equipment, and natural and recycled materials wherever possible.
Find out more by reading some books about alternatives to mainstream education, which we believe are important and have informed our attitudes to education.
GCSEs and blunt axes
If you were given a blunt axe and one hour to cut down a tree, what would you do? The state system would suggest that you get started right away (beginning preparation for GCSEs when still at primary school). We would encourage 55 minutes of axe-sharpening followed by a few well-aimed and efficient blows. We believe that if a child has felt success in any field and knows how to learn, then two years are more than ample in which to complete and excel at GCSEs. We offer supplementary lessons for children who wish to gain the GCSEs of their choosing.
Our regular sessions have built in flexibility, which means that they can respond to individual questions and interest. This allows a focus on the process of learning, so that children can learn to guide their own discovery.
We use household equipment, and natural and recycled materials wherever possible.
Find out more by reading some books about alternatives to mainstream education, which we believe are important and have informed our attitudes to education.
GCSEs and blunt axes
If you were given a blunt axe and one hour to cut down a tree, what would you do? The state system would suggest that you get started right away (beginning preparation for GCSEs when still at primary school). We would encourage 55 minutes of axe-sharpening followed by a few well-aimed and efficient blows. We believe that if a child has felt success in any field and knows how to learn, then two years are more than ample in which to complete and excel at GCSEs. We offer supplementary lessons for children who wish to gain the GCSEs of their choosing.