Month: September 2020

We asked our children what they thought of the school and then made a little film about it. No scripts or rehearsals, just spontaneous, sincere wonderful children.

Introducing… our new online sister-project. The Learning Circle offer flexible, democratic, online learning communities for 7-14 year olds. It combines the most valuable parts of school—friendship, engaging live classes and mentors, with personalised attention and the freedom to choose what you learn, wherever you are in the world. To find out…

We’re delighted to announce that Hebden Bridge Learning Community has decided (democratically, of course) to go back to in-person learning at the Birchcliffe Centre in Hebden Bridge from the 7th of September.  We’re all looking forward to being back together (safely) and enjoying the buzz of learning. We’ll be holding…

Please note that due to Covid-19 restrictions, our Open Mornings are currently being held on days when our learning community is closed. This is because we cannot allow visitors into the space during our learning sessions. Visitors will still have the chance to meet some of the teachers and possibly…

Education is about the joy of learning and bringing out the best in ourselves, for our own well-being and for others. How we move, breathe, think, feel, eat, sit, and communicate influences greatly how we learn and interact with those around us. As adults, we have all done courses, workshops,…

What happened in our valley on Boxing day? What can be done to prevent it happening again? Our next open day is open to all children year 6s and year 5s. You do not have to join our school to come to the event. This will be a space for…

Our school will be located in the historic Birchcliffe Centre, ready for the school’s opening next year on 5th September 2016. It has large beautiful classrooms, a great hall, a kitchen and all the facilities we need including  magnificent woodland space for permaculture projects. It oozes history and sharing the space with Pennine…

£2,660 off for all students joining in 2016. We are offering a special bursary of £2,660 (33% of our normal fees) to every student that applies to join our school before February 28th 2016. This means that fees for the first year will be £1,773.00 per term. Students will get all…

Our taster on January 24th was called “Understanding the Floods”. We had a group of nine eager year 5s and year 6s who began the day with yoga and meditation with Anil with such focus that you could hear a pin drop in the room.  We then went up to the…

What would your ideal school be like? What kind of rules would you have? How would you agree on these rules?  Our Democratic Workshop is your opportunity to find your voice and make it count. Then after lunch we will make a leaky dam to help prevent flooding. This will follow on…

Hebden Bridge Secondary  School will open its doors as a part-time school this September 8th.  It will be open every Thursday, one day a week to inspire many hours of further learning. Children will experience our unique education based on small class-sizes, personalised teaching, self-directed learning, yoga and meditation, cross-curriculum topics and democratic running…

Hebden Bridge School is looking to build up connections and relationships with schools around Europe and has joined EUDEC, the European Democratic Edcuation Community. We hope to be able to learn from other schools’ experiences and become part of an exchange network which will benefit our children and children across the…

Do you want to know how to make a boat? Do you think you can transport a cake from one side of the river to another?  Do you want to race your boat against friends? If the answer is yes, you should come and experience our unique learning environment at…

On Sunday April 17th we had our Great Boat and Cake Race workshop. The sun smiled on us for the latest taster, lighting up the main hall in the Birchcliffe as we began the day with Anil and some very energetic yoga, followed by meditation. We call it preparation for learning…

Creative    •    Soulful    •   Democratic Mini Summer School for  ages 8-13. LEARNING FROM NATURE AND CREATING. SCIENCE, ART, ECOLOGY AND LOTS OF FUN. 1-2 AUGUST @ SWANBANK FARM AND THE BIRCHCLIFFE  9am-5pm Excursions and vegetarian lunch included. £40 per day. Breakfast club from 8.30. Late pick up until 5.30 Watch a…

(Photo reproduced with kind permission of Sands School.) The Democratic School Workshop. You decide. Will we have a uniform or not? This is your opportunity to find your voice and make it count in the running of our school. We will learn about researching proposals for discussion, how to communicate…

Tasters are an opportunity to see our innovative learning programme in action and meet our dedicated, talented staff. Admission is free and lunch is provided by the Real Junk Food Project. You just need to register below and bring a pencil case, outdoor clothes a yoga mat and a smile.…

As a school, we are looking for Patrons to come on board who can make a positive contribution to our educational environment. We are particularly keen to invite those with whom we share values and have inspired us in our lives. We are delighted to announce that George Monbiot will be…

Water power was used in an industrial revolution that changed life all over the world. Why did that start here in Calderdale? Can you make a small water mill and turn water power into electricity? How can water energy help us in the future? For students from ages 9-12 interested…

Hebden Bridge Secondary  School will open its doors as a part-time school this September 8th.  It will be open every Thursday, one day a week that can inspire many hours of further learning. Children will be able to experience the unique education that we offer through small class-sizes, personalised teaching, self-directed learning,…