East Kent Sudbury School

East Kent Sudbury
Rippledown House, Ringwould, Deal, Kent England
Information
Type	Home education learning community
Established	January 2019 (2019-01)
Founder	Kezia Cantwell-Wright
Website	eastkentsudburyschool.org.uk

East Kent Sudbury is a part-time, self-directed, fee paying democratic setting for home-educated children aged 5-18 located in Deal, Kent in the United Kingdom. ^{[1] [2]} Students direct their own learning in an environment that promotes ideas of freedom and a right to determine their own futures. The community is democratically run with each member having one vote exercised at a weekly meeting. The community operates on Sudbury school principles, and opened in January 2019 ^[3] but has attracted controversy. ^[4]

Initially called East Kent Sudbury School, it is now just styled as East Kent Sudbury, describing itself as "a part-time learning community". ^{[5] [6]}

History

The opening of the school was gradual; in January 2019 initially renting a former nursery space in the Cliftonville Community Centre, Margate. ^[7] It offered a sliding scale fee structure with an aim to be inclusive. ^[4] In 2020 EKS moved to Buckland House, in Dover before it's current location.

Since 2022, the school is now situated at Rippledown House in Ringwould on a site developed for outdoor learning and donated by Fred Cleary. was a residential centre for school children from Kent and London set in extensive grounds. It is now owned and maintained by The Bay Trust. ^[8]

It's opening courted controversy in the local community, given the fee paying nature it risked being seen as elitist, particularly given it's initial opening in Cliftonville, a longstanding poorer community that had seen an influx of Londoners move there. ^{[9] [4] [10]}

Philosophy

Co-Founder, Kezia Cantwell-Wright, who is an alumnus of A.S Neill's Summerhill was already home educating her children and sought a school with similar principles. Finding none in the area or indeed the UK she, alongside Kate Coleman and others founded the setting as the UK's first Sudbury model school.^{[ citation needed ]}

The setting provides a forest school, art and music rooms, a library and places for woodwork and quiet study, ^[11]

In 2020 EKS was based in Buckland House, Dover, Kent

See also

List of Sudbury schools

References

1. Dusseau, Anna (10 September 2020). The Case for Home Schooling: Free range home education handbook. Hawthorn Press. ISBN   978-1-912480-41-8.
2. Fisher, Naomi (4 February 2021). Changing Our Minds: How children can take control of their own learning. Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN   978-1-4721-4550-5.
3. "Our Model". A Self-Directed, Democratic Setting For Students Aged 5-18. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
4. Aitch, Iain (11 December 2018). "Bohemian private school in area of child poverty divides residents". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
5. "FAQs – East Kent Sudbury" . Retrieved 19 August 2025.
6. Hannam, Derry. "Another way is possible - but we have to be opportunists!". Connect (236): 21.
7. Nesling, Jodie (27 February 2019). "East Kent Sudbury School defends use of Cliftonville Community Centre". The Isle of Thanet News. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
8. "THE BAY TRUST overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
9. Eklof, Kajsa (12 December 2018). "Margate's Sudbury school divides local opinion | Edexec" . Retrieved 19 August 2025.
10. "In Dreamland: Can gentrification save Margate?". CityMonitor. 18 July 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
11. "Our Location – East Kent Sudbury" . Retrieved 19 August 2025.

External links

• https://www.eastkentsudbury.org.uk/

51°11′11″N1°22′42″E / 51.18637982359268°N 1.378258243207043°E / 51.18637982359268; 1.378258243207043