What is East Kent Sudbury?
East Kent Sudbury opened in January 2019 as a part-time democratic community for Home Educated children inspired by a model created by Sudbury Valley School. To find out more about our philosophy and how Self-Directed Education works see Our Model section.
Who our setting is for
Our part-time democratic learning community is for Electively Home Educated children. Our Out-of-School setting supports parents by supplementing the learning taking place at home and elsewhere. Whilst much learning takes place at EK Sudbury, the responsibility for providing a full-time education remains with the parents.
We open Tuesday-Thursday, 9.30-3.00, with a maximum attendance of 5.5 hours per day or 16.5 hours per week.
Location
We have moved… AGAIN! After another expansion, we have finally moved to the site of our dreams. We are now permanently located at Rippledown House in Ringwould. This beautiful building and it’s wonderful grounds boast a variety of rooms with specialist areas for art, IT, music and more, as well as general social and community spaces and the most wonderful outdoor learning environment. Dipping ponds, a walled garden, a small woodland area, a kitchen garden and a wonderful Moot Hall are all waiting to be explored!
Age range
Our provision caters for children aged 5-18 years and is a completely age-mixed environment. Read more about why that is so important to us here.
Staff and student numbers
We are delighted that our new site has increased our ability to cater for many more students. We have three intakes per year at the beginning of each term and will likely be a community of around 50 students by Jan 2023.
We currently have 9 staff members, with a minimum of 4 each day. Find out more about our staff team here.
Fees
As an Independent organisation we’re funded solely through fees and donations. The current fees for our part-time home education provision is £7,200 per annum, with discounts for siblings. We also offer equitable financial assistance to ensure that economic circumstances are not a barrier to enrolment, for more details please see our fees page.
Global movement
East Kent Sudbury is part of a global movement of Self-Directed and Democratic education. You can find a list of similar settings worldwide here: Democratic Schools Directory.
Worldschooler Placements
Applications for Worldschooler placements for the academic year 23/24 are now open. Click here to learn more.