Blue Sky Homeschool Description
The Blue Sky school was founded in 2015 by a group of parents who all live together in community, as part of the Balanced View movement, in Bristol, UK. Currently the school just provides for our own children, who are 4 in number ranging from ages 3-6. However, the more we settle into knowing what exactly it is we are doing with this school, the more we are excited about expansion, so it is maybe not just for ‘us’ but, possibly, also for you….! Here first of all are some buzz words and movements that we have been inspired in part by in our research: play (forever!), self-directed learning, project-based learning, unschooling, democratic schooling. And these are some of the people that have introduced us to these words and movements: Peter Gray (‘Free to Learn’), Sal Khan (‘The One World Schoolhouse’), K.B. Jinan, Sugata Mitra (TED talks), Sir Ken Robinson (TED talks)
Right, now for the more interesting part, we are none of the above! Top of our own lists for what we want for the kids to learn in our school are:
Respectful relating - deeply respectful - for each other, for their teachers and parents and most of all for themselves. Pervasive atmosphere of enjoyment & relaxation, in learning and in all life. A culture of gratitude, openness and mutual empowerment (as opposed to competition)
Essential 21st Century Skills: collaboration & teamwork, creativity & imagination, critical thinking & problem-solving
Identifying their own unique strengths, gifts and talents, whatever they are (synonymous with what they love doing) and supporting them to explore and develop these without limit
Self-leadership (eg not an adult-led)
None of this would have been possible without the support and education in the nature of mind that is freely available to all at http://www.balancedview.org Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to Candice O’Denver for this incredible lifestyle shared and for this magical circumstance for all our children.
