Page "Summerhill School" Paragraph 17

Although Neill was more concerned with the social development of children than their academic development, Summerhill nevertheless has some important differences in its approach to teaching.

There is no concept of a " year " or " form " at Summerhill.

Instead, children are placed according to their ability in a given subject.

It is not uncommon for a single class to have pupils of widely varying ages, or for pupils as young as 13 or 14 to take GCSE examinations.

This structure reflects a belief that children should progress at their own pace, rather than having to meet a set standard by a certain age.