Welcome to Sands School

Our school is so different from the mainstream that it is hard know where to start!

It looks different – there is no uniform or even a dress-code for students.

It sounds different – there are no clanging bells or unnatural quietness.

But mainly it feels different – there is no “us and them” division between staff and students

This all stems from Sands being a democratic school: students and staff run the school and make decisions together in a spirit of equality and mutual respect. There is no head teacher, no one is called ‘sir’ or ‘miss’, a student chairs the School Meeting and the student council sorts out the day-to-day niggles of school life. Listening to what our students say has shaped how we learn and live together by:

Allowing students to go at their own pace in the classroom;

Keeping class sizes small;

Allowing students to sit exams when they, as individuals, are ready;

Re-introducing practical life skills in the school day such as cooking, debating, cleaning and building;

Valuing the students as physical and emotional beings not just as exam candidates;

Good food and eating together as a central part of the day.

As you browse through the website we hope you will see how listening to students and trying to create a happy learning environment has led to a successful alternative to conventional schooling. Or you can get a feel for what life at Sands is really like by having a look at this SHORT FILM made by one of our recent students, Rosa. And if you think that Sands might be the right school for you – COME AND VISIT US!