A transformative learning community for home educated young people.

The Garden has been offering a transformative learning community in Bristol since 2016, so we are well-established with a strong culture of mutual respect and openness. We’re part of a rapidly growing movement for small, independent groups who take inspiration from a variety of educational and other philosophies or movements, as well as current evidence in education, child development and motivation theory, to build unique spaces where young people can truly thrive. Our vision prioritises emotional wellbeing, our social culture, a learner-led approach and the physical environment.

Emotional wellbeing

Central to our ethos is the emotional wellbeing of each young person. We believe that an emotionally safe and nurturing environment is the fundamental on which children can discover who they are a lead a fulfilling life. The keystone of this is our unconditional, or non-judgmental, approach; without punishment or reward. We also draw on mindfulness and model the enrichment of emotional vocabulary.

The social community

The next layer of our philosophy is the social element. We believe that if young people are furnished with an ability to make decisions and solve problems collaboratively and co-operatively then their skills will always be in demand. An important tool employed by The Garden in this area is the community meeting. These are held at least daily, sometimes more and during which we make agreements (flexible and non-hierarchical rules), make plans and decisions (for example, how we spend our budget) and resolve conflict. We draw on the principles of transformative justice in our approach to conflict.

A learner-led approach

The third level is our learner-led approach, in which we support young people to plan, reflect on and document their learning, allowing them to become auto-didactic, adaptable and resilient lifelong learners. Young people are generally free to decide how they spend their time at The Garden, with adults there to provide resources and guidance when required or requested. We champion daydreaming, reflection and tinkering, to preserve intrinsic motivation, curiosity and foment a lifelong love of learning. We draw on various techniques to structure our days, including Agile Learning and Self Managed Learning.

A rich and stimulating environment

The final component of our vision is the importance of the physical environment. As Forest School leaders, we know that young people (and people in general) benefit, both physically and psychologically, from spending more time outside. The Garden is set in a beautiful, natural environment, with a secure acre of woodland, meadow and ponds, rich in inspiration and possibility. Natural environments provide opportunities for young people to take risks in a relatively safe way, developing their physical abilities, as well as their judgement.

Our values:

• Love

• Curiosity

• Justice

• Community

• Autonomy

We are part of the Freedom to Learn network, which is working together for greater freedom, autonomy and social justice in education. If you’re interested in starting your own learning community, you can find support and resources on the Freedom to Learn website.