‘Ask the Expert’ Q&A with Hayley Peacock and James Ashcroft from Atelier 21 Future School
A Webinar for Start-Up Schools and Learning Communities
9 Jan, 7.30pm GMT
If you've ever been inspired to set up your own school, to create something outside of the conventional education system, this is the first in our 2025 webinar series that gives you a chance to meet experts who have been there and done it!
Come and meet Hayley Peacock and James Ashcroft from Atelier 21 Future School, which is an independent school for pupils aged 4-16 in West Sussex, England. This Reggio Emilia-inspired school integrates mainstream education with a research centre and democratic practice. Key aspects of the school's approach include:
Student Agency and Voice:
Empowering pupils to have a say in how the school operates through school ambassadors and proposal systems;
Peer Mediation Programs:
Encouraging pupils to resolve conflicts amongst themselves, fostering a culture of empathy, understanding and independence;
Project-Based Learning:
Incorporating cross-curricular projects driven by pupils' interests, enhancing engagement and relevance in learning.
This pioneering model has now been adopted in a large London state school and a new Atelier 21 Future School has opened in Poland.
About Our Experts
Hayley Peacock
Atelier 21 founder, Hayley Peacock is a positive disruptor in the field of education. Her mission is to "change a million children’s lives"!
Prior to setting up Atelier 21, she founded Little Barn Owls Early Years Centres, which is an award-winning group of early years centres, recognised for their innovative approaches to early childhood education.
Hayley is also an international speaker. Last year she spoke at the World Education Summit on 'What's the point of school?', and previously she has spoken in Malaysia, China, Canada and across the UK, sharing her insights on educational transformation and leadership.
Hayley is also a recent finalist for the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Purpose – South East category, reflecting her significant contributions to educational innovation and leadership.
James Ashcroft
James Ashcroft is passionate about wellbeing and metacognition in schools, and joined Atelier 21 in April 2024 as their Executive Head.
In collaboration with Rethinking Assessment and Big Education, James is shaking up assessment at Atelier 21, leading on the development of their 'Digital Learner Profiles'.
Prior to joining Atelier 21, James was Deputy Head at Sevenoaks Prep School for six years, and for eight years he has been inspecting schools for the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI).
...and this cute dog in the photo is Sally, a certified Mental Health Dog for the school!
Event Format, Recording and Ticket Price
This event takes place online via Zoom at 7.30-9.30pm GMT on Thursday 9th January. There will be a short introduction about guests and then you are invited to ask any questions that you might have.
If you have questions but can't make the date, you are still welcome to register for the event. Simply send your questions through to us at [email protected] and they will get asked in the session on your behalf. The recording will be sent to all registered participants as soon as possible after the live event.
This webinar is £20 for non-members, and FREE for members.
Become a Member and Attend for Free!
Join Us!
Would you like to join the Education Start-Ups membership community? Our membership offers:
Monthly expert webinars (like this one);
Monthly group coaching for peer support and collaborative problem solving;
Online platform for sharing resources/ideas and supporting each other between sessions.
Some extra bonuses too!
We are currently running an EARLYBIRD OFFER (only £19 per month) for new members, which runs until 31st December 2024. You can find out more at EducationStartUps.org/community.
Note to Members
If you are a member, you do not need to register for this event. You will automatically receive the Zoom link in your online community portal.
About Us
This webinar series is brought to you by Jo Symes at Progressive Education and Alex O’Neill from Limitless. We are education activists who have a shared passion for raising awareness of alternatives to mainstream school.
For the past couple of years Alex and Jo have been creating events and resources for start-ups, in response to the growing number of children and young people leaving mainstream education, and the urgency that parents/carers/educators feel to build new learning environments where young people can thrive.
Introducing Alex O’Neill
Alex is the driving force behind Limitless, an organisation dedicated to igniting social change with a special emphasis on revolutionising the education sector.
Through the Limitless podcast, she shares expert insights and neuroscience tips to empower changemakers to tackle the world's most pressing issues.
Alex is committed to uniting individuals who are driven to advance education and supporting them in overcoming obstacles that stand in their way.
Introducing Jo Symes
Jo is the founder of the social enterprise, Progressive Education. Her website is an inspiration hub for exploring alternatives to conventional schooling and campaigns to bring about change. She is building a global directory of jobs, events and progressive schools and learning communities.
It began with the launch of the Progressive Education Group on Facebook in 2019, which is an international community of over 10k parents/carers, educators, academics, researchers, psychologists, education innovators, changemakers and young people.
