Claire Walker has been the Head of Lumiar UK since 2018, growing and evolving the school into the amazing community it is today. Read her Substack here.
Below is an interview with Claire.
Tell us Lumiar’s ‘origin story’
Lumiar was created by a group of parents who were frustrated that mainstream education was so prescriptive and rigid. They wanted their children to be excited by learning, not to trap them in a classroom all day and have them drilled on fronted adverbials. So, in 2017, they created an education project on Stowford Manor Farm dedicated to progressive learning – in other words one that values experience over formal learning.
There were just a handful kids to begin with, but word spread, and in the 23/24 academic year we had 45 students.
It was formally turned into a school in September 2019 and we have now had five years as a fully-fledged independent school. We have a great reputation for fun, child-led learning and happy, engaged kids.
And what about YOUR origin story?
After working in a series of state schools in Bath and Bristol for 13 years, I got really frustrated by mainstream education. I didn’t like the focus on testing, or the narrow, prescribed curriculum which left no room to follow the students' interests. There was no real time to explore creative thinking, or the richer concept of human creativity, and I longed to work in an environment where children were free to learn, where young people felt engaged and empowered, where curiosity was celebrated and where asking difficult questions was encouraged. In 2017, I found exactly what I was looking for in Lumiar, while studying for an MA, and joined the team here in 2018.
What is different about Lumiar?
There are lots of things you will recognise from any school: we teach maths and literacy; we do PE, art and music lessons; we have playtime. But, when you visit, you’ll notice some things feel strikingly different. We spend time figuring out what our children want to know about – what their passions and interests are – and then base our projects around those. That’s why we have run projects on comedy, graffiti, and chocolate!
We are much less interested in stuffing their heads with facts and much more excited about tapping into their innate curiosity and desire to explore. We want them to BE writers, artists and scientists – not just to learn about them.
We teach the children to communicate effectively, encourage them to debate issues and question things. Helping our children learn to use their voice is really important to us: every child is encouraged to share their opinions and is involved in decision-making around the projects they will be working on, or what’s happening at the school. We meet each week, in a meeting wholly led by the children, where issues are raised and discussed, and decisions are collectively made. This allows the students to participate in decision making as equals, which means they know that their voice matters and counts now – not just in the future. We notice this approach really builds their self-esteem and self-knowledge. If you don’t ask a child for his or her opinion, how will they ever learn to form one?
We are reimagining education by creating an exciting, inspiring, and forward-thinking school for the children. We focus on developing their learning muscles, rather than learning by rote. We are preparing them to take their place in a world as innovators, free-thinkers, and entrepreneurs!
This all sounds like great fun but how do you know the children are making academic progress?
We aim to build each child’s belief in their capacity to do what they need to do to reach their specific goals. That means building their confidence, helping them to see the world positively, and teaching them to overcome hurdles quickly.
It’s really important that children are happy at school. A stressed or unhappy child simply can’t properly engage with the teaching so getting them emotionally balanced is our first priority. I don’t believe in assessing children – it just makes them anxious and insecure – so we don’t do annual exams or SATS. Instead, we work with each child to help them work out what they want to know next – every child’s journey is unique because every child is unique.
We don’t want any child to worry about how they are doing or comparing themselves with their friends. However, the teaching team are perfectly aware of where each child is tracking against national averages, what their reading age is, and whether they have any additional needs such as dyslexia.
We have also introduced the Cambridge Evaluation Methodology so that we can demonstrate to the outside world that our gentler, child-led approach gets good results.
What is it like being based on a farm?
We welcome kids who enjoy being outside and aren’t afraid of getting muddy!
Lumiar UK is in an old barn set within a cluster of historic 15th century medieval buildings on Stowford Manor Farm in Wingfield, just outside Bradford On Avon. It is a working farm with a campsite and a number of workshops and studios on site including an art school, a glassworks, a stonemason and many other small businesses. Our beautiful site means the students get to work with the animals one morning a week and have access to the woods and river. We give the children lots of opportunities to learn and play outdoors, and even have our own field for them to run around in at breaktimes.
Where did the Lumiar education model come from?
The Lumiar education model was devised in Brazil 15 years ago by a group of pioneering educators. Their intention was to transform how and what children learn to empower them to create the future, rather than just keep up with it. It is recognised by UNESCO, Stanford University and Microsoft as one of the 12 most innovative education systems in the world. It was created by Ricardo Semler who is worth listening to on the topic – do watch his 2014 Ted talk.
You talk about valuing experience over formal learning but what does that mean in practice?
At Lumiar, the role of the teacher is divided into Tutors (class teachers) and Masters (visiting project experts). The Tutor provides the day-to-day support and really knows each child, and their strengths and challenges. They support their social and emotional development and keep track of each child’s academic progress. They are also responsible for identifying the interests and abilities of their students and then supporting them to devise projects that help them to practice their skills and grow new ones. Masters are subject matter experts who come into the school to share knowledge on a particular area. Often, Masters are not “teachers” in a formal sense, but individuals from business and industry, or people who can share their interests, knowledge, passions or life experiences with the students. As examples, over the last academic year, our students have been visited by a troop of Shakespearean actors, a comedian, an author, an accountant, an engineer and a whole host of other real-world experts.
Are there particular types of learners who thrive in the Lumiar environment or is it for everybody?
We are not just for students who struggle in mainstream schools. Lumiar exists to challenge the current way of educating and all children thrive, grow and are challenged in our setting. We have some students who have been with us since reception and others who have joined us from mainstream, private, other alternative settings and some who were previously homeschooled. All students enjoy the more personalised learning experience that we can offer. We have a relaxed feel with no uniforms and the children can choose how and where they learn – not always having to sit at desks. We enjoy daily rhythms and routines, but our days are fairly flexible and don't always look the same.
Are there any misconceptions about Lumiar that want to dispel?
Although we love to learn in nature we are all about teaching 21st century skills to equip our students with skills for life. We place more value on transferable skills and competences than the mainstream system but we do also value knowledge. We do teach maths and literacy but in a more engaging and real way, linking them to projects and workshops.
WHAT I’M READING
Below is a list of books and articles that Claire particularly enjoyed, admired, or was inspired by.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by The Stephen Covey
Being effective is absolutely fundamental if you want to get things done which is why we’ve embraced Covey’s ideas and talk about them all the time with our learners. Each week we reflect on one of the seven habits and think about how it applies to the project that we’re working on together. Being proactive, synergizing, thinking win-win… that’s how Lumiar learners get things done!
Be More Pirate by Sam Conniff Allende
Pirates didn't just break the rules, they rewrote them; they didn't just reject society, they reinvented it. And we like the sound of that! This is a book that really resonates with our goal of taking on systems that don’t work like they should and making them better. We think Lumiar UK is the pirate of the education sector. As one review said of the book, it offers “a model for how to break the system and create radical change”.
Free To Learn by Peter Gray
As the book’s subtitle shows, Gray believes that Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life. And we agree.
Educating Ruby by Guy Claxton
A brilliant book that shows that schools can get the right results in the right way, so that the Rubys of tomorrow will emerge from their time at school able to talk with honest pleasure and reflective optimism about their schooling.
Creating Tomorrow's Schools Today by Richard Gerver
A book that asks the really important questions about how the mainstream education system is currently organised: Is it working? What future are we preparing our children for? What future do we NEED to prepare our children for? And are we at risk of failing a generation?
GRIT by Angela Duckworth
Duckworth explains that the real guarantor of success may not be inborn talent but a special blend of resilience and single-mindedness. We believe that grit can be learned and cultivated and actively teach it: we really value the ability to fail forward, to pick yourself up and have another crack at something when it doesn’t work the first time.
Mindset by Carol Dweck
Dweck explains why it's not just our abilities and talent that bring us success – but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. We aim to cultivate a growth mindset and build our learner’s self-esteem by praising effort, rather than intelligence.
Legacy by James Kerr
One for sporting fans: a look at what makes the New Zealand All Blacks so successful, told in a way that resonates with anyone looking to make their mark on the world.
Future Wise by David N. Perkins
Perkins’ book thinks about how we need to educate our children to ensure they can thrive in a changing world. There is no one answer to the question ‘what's worth teaching’, but Perkins unpicks how to construct a curriculum that prepares students for whatever situations they might face in the future.
Changing Our Minds by Naomi Fisher
Lumiar UK is all about self-directed education: the children decide what topics they learn about. Fisher’s book explains how being in control of their own learning helps children flourish in their own time and on their own terms.
