St Michael’s School in Mickleham, near Dorking, Surrey, is offering a part-time ‘flexi schooling’ option from this September. This program targets emerging 21st century educational demands of our youth. It gives families the ability to have more customized, individualized learning experiences for their children.
“It’s not that we are encouraging flexi schooling,” said headteacher Nicola Cleather. This decision process is in direct response to the increasingly dynamic world children learn in and what they require from their learning environment. She stated, “We have seen a marked change in children’s needs and learning styles,” highlighting the necessity for schools to adapt to these shifts.
By providing this alternative, St. Michael’s aims to reproduce some of the structure of classroom teaching while capturing the greater independence and customization of home education. Cleather observed that most children flourish—if only given the chance—when offered opportunities outside of traditional environments. “Some children thrive best when given opportunities beyond the traditional classroom setting, and our new flexi-schooling option officially recognises this,” she remarked.
The flexi-schooling program provides students with an opportunity to largely co-design their education. It combines the best aspects of formal school environment with the fun, flexibility, and freedom created through home-based education. Cleather expressed her commitment to prioritizing children’s needs, stating, “For years, we have provided a creative and flexible approach to education, adapting to the individual needs of our pupils.”
This initiative is part of St Michael’s continued drive to be responsive to the many different ways all of its students prefer to learn. Educational landscapes are always changing. Progressive innovations such as flexi schooling have the potential to vastly improve academic achievement, socialisation, and holistic development.
