Sudbury Valley School is a place where people decide for themselves how to spend their days.

Here, students of all ages determine what they will do, as well as when, how, and where they will do it. This freedom is at the heart of the school; it belongs to the students as their right, not to be violated.

The fundamental premises of the school are simple: that all people are curious by nature; that the most efficient, long-lasting, and profound learning takes place when started and pursued by the learner; that all people are creative if they are allowed to develop their unique talents; that age-mixing among students promotes growth in all members of the group; and that freedom is essential to the development of personal responsibility.

In practice this means that students initiate all their own activities and create their own environments. The physical plant, the staff, and the equipment are there for the students to use as the need arises.

The school provides a setting in which students are independent, are trusted, and are treated as responsible people; and a community in which students are exposed to the complexities of life in the framework of a participatory democracy.

We say Pursue Your Passion, and we deeply believe in the wisdom of each person to do so.

At The Circle School, students have the time, the freedom, and resources to pursue their passions. In the process they learn:

perseverance
communication skills
resourcefulness
flexibility
concentration
self-discipline
accomplishment
to expect to enjoy life

All while working/playing on what makes their hearts sing... things like:

backpacking...
writing poetry...
cooking...
solving brainteasers...
restoring antique cars...
making friends...
building a dam...
sculpting...
learning Greek and Latin...
playing Dungeons and Dragons and other role-playing games...
reading...
playing cards...
programming computers...
painting...
composing music...
reassembling a dog skeleton...
playing basketball...
rehearsing plays...
building forts.

What would you do if you had the time, the freedom, and the encouragement to pursue your passion?

In a nutshell, the Sudbury philosophy believes in:

• Freedom with responsibility. Students are free to spend their time however they please, so long as they do not impinge on the right of other students to do the same.
• Self-motivation, self-regulation, self-evaluation. Students initiate all their own activities; they are never told what they should do (or how), nor are they given any formal evaluation. It is up to them to figure out for themselves what they want and need, and to request assistance in this quest if they wish.
• Democracy. In order to direct their own education, students' opportunity to shape the decisions made at their school must be real and meaningful.
• Trust. A student's freedom is undermined unless the adults associated with the school, staff and parents, believe in it and support it by their actions. This can be difficult, but it is also very necessary.

These core beliefs rest on a number of assumptions, among them:

• We are all born with an intense drive to understand and master our environment.
• Learning happens all the time, in whatever we do.
• No one can decide for another what they should learn (or when, or how), or what constitutes a good use of their time.
• The only way a young person can learn to be responsible is by being given real responsibility from the youngest age.