The Young People's Community is based at an ancient woodland in the beautiful countryside of East Sussex. A community of young people between the ages of 12 and 18 study, work and live together during the school term. Through actual experience they learn what it means to collaborate with each other and to live in a sustainable relationship with the earth.

There are three pillars to the teenagers' experience:

• Study
• Work
• Community living

Study

Montessori students are independent thinkers who learn to take ownership of their work. Open-ended work cycles dovetail with small group presentations in mathematics and the sciences, in the arts and humanities, and in foreign languages. The young people create work that they are proud of, feel energised by, and choose to invest in. Discussion in small groups sits alongside independent study as routine parts of their learning experience. The young people work towards external qualifications at age 16 (GCSEs in English and Maths), and at age 18 (A-levels in a wide range of subjects). 

Work

Teenagers need to be involved in real work - work that is genuinely needed, and sometimes paid for. The young people are actively involved in running the school's commercial kitchen. Teams prepare food for the school community, serving 200 meals a day. The young people learn to maintain and renovate our 1750 sqm building, grow and sell produce from our 1 acre walled garden (Soil Association certified organic), manage our 10 acre woodland and run a small Air BnB. They learn about working together in a team, bringing their best to a situation, and managing the different strengths that each personality brings. 

Community living

The young people say that living together is a defining part of their time here. The sense of ownership and belonging is palpable. They are involved in decisions relating to most aspects of their daily life including budget management. Each week small teams meet to discuss the work of the week gone by and the week ahead, communicating needs to the wider community. 

Amidst the work and study, the teens also have time to just be. They have a deep need for silence and solitude as well as the company of others, and both these are possible on the land, where clocks run at a slower pace. The world seems to slow down, and the quiet voices within them get a chance to be heard.