Members of the community are free to do as they please, so long as their actions do not cause any harm to others, according to Neill's principle "Freedom, not Licence."
In 1920, A. S. Neill started to search for premises in which to found a new school which he could run according to his educational principle of giving freedom to the children and staff through democratic governance.
It had to move again temporarily to Ffestiniog, Wales, during the Second World War so that the site could be used as a British Army training camp.
He wrote to David Barton, a former pupil at the time in the communist party, saying: You must know that Summerhill couldn't possibly exist under communism as it shapes today ... see our kids salute any flag or portrait? ...
[6] A common challenge was to implement Neill's dictum of "freedom, not licence": "A free school is not a place where you can run roughshod over other people.
Already in the 1950s, a government inspection found the school's finances were shaky, the number of students too high, and the quality of teaching poor among the junior faculty.
It later emerged that this was because Ofsted had placed Summerhill on a secret list of 61 independent schools marked as TBW (to be watched).
[11] The case went before a special educational tribunal in March 2000, at which the school was represented by noted human rights lawyers Geoffrey Robertson QC and Mark Stephens.
The pupils attending the hearing on that day took over the courtroom and held a school meeting to debate whether to accept the settlement.
The DfE advisers have included Prof. Paul Hirst and Prof. Geoff Whitty, Director of the Institute of Education and now on Ofsted's governing body.
[13] The 2007 inspection, conducted within the framework set out by the court settlement, was generally positive, even in areas previously criticised by the 1999 report.
The evidence quoted a member of the Select Committee expressing shock at the lack of processes for Ofsted to learn by its mistakes.
[16] The A. S. Neill Summerhill Trust was launched in 2004 by Prof. Tim Brighouse, Tom Conti, Bill Nighy, Mark Stephens and Geoffrey Robertson QC to raise funds for bursaries for pupils from poorer families and to promote democratic education around the world.
In creating its laws and dealing out sanctions, the school meeting generally applies A. S. Neill's maxim "Freedom not Licence" (he wrote a book of the same name), the principle that you can do as you please so long as it doesn't cause harm to others.
Children commonly play with wooden toys (usually swords or guns) they have made themselves, and much of the furniture and décor in the school has been likewise constructed by students.
He wrote that Summerhill students who decided to prepare for university entrance exams were able to finish the material faster than pupils of traditional schools.
[25] The Summerhill classroom was popularly assumed to reflect Neill's anti-authoritarian beliefs, but in fact classes were traditional in practice.
The school has always had a creative drama delivery, based on spontaneous acting and development of plays through collaboration between actors, directors and writers.
With small-group teaching and negotiated timetables, the curriculum is presented in multi-sensory, individual-focused lessons, with flexibility to respond to the student's needs.
For instance, no one else may ride a San child's bicycle, and only Shack and Carriage children are allowed to build camp fires.
The duties of a houseparent include doing their charges' laundry, treating minor injuries and ailments, taking them to the doctor's surgery or hospital for more serious complaints and general emotional support.
Depending on the age group, they might also tell them bedtime stories, keep their valuables secure, escort them into town to spend their pocket money, or speak on their behalf in the meetings.
Ages 6–8 (approx) The San building is an outbuilding, near the primary classrooms; its name derives from the fact that it was originally built as a sanatorium.
[citation needed] Once it has been established that a person has broken the rules, the meeting must propose and then vote to decide a fine.
[21]: 146 Bailey criticised Neill's avoidance of responsibility for his pupils' academic performance, and his view that charismatic instruction was a form of persuasion that weakened child autonomy.
[21]: 130, 134 Mikey Cuddihy, a graduate of Summerhill, wrote that in the 1960s: "It was common for students to get married in mock weddings, and they were allowed to sleep together ... More worryingly, sexual relations between students and teachers were also common ... Neill's 35-year-old stepson Myles, who taught pottery ... went out with some of the more senior pupils (because) he has a special dispensation.
"[33] In his book Summerhill (1960), Neill shows an influence of Wilhelm Reich's theories, e.g., promoting adolescent sexual activity, and claiming that a negative attitude towards masturbation causes juvenile delinquency.
[34] Ira Levin's novel Rosemary's Baby (1967) has the main character reading a copy of Neill's book Summerhill and discussing it with her friends.
The fictional documentary entitled The Drumlake Experiment featured an interview with the school's headmaster, Donaldus Matthews, played by David Cann.
[37] In 1991, Zoe Readhead made an extended appearance on the Channel 4 discussion programme After Dark alongside, among others, the 13-year-old James Harries.