Human Scale Education


The charity Human Scale Education was founded in 1986 in order to promote and support small, learning environments. Its motto 'Education as if people really matter' is from E.F. Schumacher's book Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered.

Schumacher advocated small scale working units as a means to personal fulfilment, environmental sustainability and productivity.

Human Scale Principles

Lewes New School shares the following principles, which are:
  • Small scale learning communities enable children and young people to be known and valued as individuals.
  • Each learner's particular needs are met and all aspects of development - creative, emotional, moral, spiritual as well as intellectual and physical - are encouraged.
  • The learning process is active, participative and relates to the child's own experience.
  • The learning community is underpinned by environmentally sustainable values and practices.
  • Parents and the local community are seen as vital partners in the life of the school or learning community. 

  • Schools are democratic communities in which all those involved share in decision making