The Learning Circle Reviews 24

In December, my neurodivergent daughter began her journey with TLC after enduring three difficult months in a traditional secondary school. We couldn't be more thrilled with our choice, as TLC has truly been the perfect fit for us. We are enamored with the philosophy, methodology, and supportive community it offers. My daughter is flourishing now, with her confidence and self-esteem increasing every day. She finds joy in learning and gains immense value from this experience. She appreciates the democratic atmosphere and feels completely free of judgment and stress. Well done, TLC—our gratitude is immense!

Our kids are loving the new way of learning, it´s fun and interesting and child led.

I have two daughters, twins age 15. Both girls started to have problems following transition to mainstream secondary.
They remained in their local secondary until I removed them at the end of Y10. Neither of them was receiving an education because they couldn’t attend. Their attendance had been dropping more and more until they just couldn’t do anymore. Both girls are diagnosed autistic and ADHD and that meant that they couldn’t cope with the in person setting. They got to a point where they burnt out, and their mental health was extremely poor. I made the decision to trial the Learning Circle in April 2025, and it was following a term of seeing the difference that we made the decision to remove them from the mainstream setting to study at the Learning Circle instead.
I now have two daughters who have attended every lesson since joining The Learning Circle. They are engaged in their learning; I have received extremely positive feedback from their teachers about how well they are doing and how engaged they are. The girls are learning for their GCSEs and feel so much more equipped to sit the exams at the end of the course. Their mental health has improved significantly and that has allowed them to learn.
Individual needs are met really well. Their sensory needs are the first thing to note. They do their lessons in their bedrooms, they now feel safe. There are no distractions such as noises from other students, smells, uncomfortable uniform, oppressive lighting. It is just calm and there are no surprises or sudden changes. They are starting to rebuild trust in the adults teaching them which is very different to how mainstream was. The Learning Circle’s ethos of democracy is key. The children set their pace and there is no fear of consequence which was a huge barrier to attending their previous school.
GCSEs are so different to mainstream. They are not being chastised about grades, they set their goals and learning, and their intrinsic motivation is really coming to life. They don’t appear stressed about the work. Doing mock papers has been a choice, and because of that choice, they have done them because they have autonomy.
If mainstream school isn’t working for your child, please look at The Learning Circle. It has changed our lives.

Fantastic experience

Amazing people teaching the children. Absolutely lovely, engaging staff who really care

My daughter really enjoys the lessons and mentioned how kind the students and teachers are. She is engaging with the lessons which has been a struggle for her. I love that the groups are kept small and personal and also that you study with the same group every week, I think that helps to develop a sense of belonging. Also Matthew have been very supportive and helpful from the moment we contacted them.

My ND daughter joined TLC in December following 3 months of misery in mainstream secondary. We couldn't be happier, TLC is the best option for us, We love the approach, the ethos and the whole community. My daughter is now thriving, her confidence grows daily as does her self esteem. She loves learning and is benefitting so much from the whole process, she loves the democratic approach, doesn't feel judged and no stress whatsoever! Great job TLC - thank you!

Such a positive experience. My son was struggling to attend mainstream school, his confidence and self esteem were low and he was highly anxious. He loves The Learning Circle! He says he can't believe it's school because it's fun! As a parent I'm so happy that he's found a love of learning, that he's slowly growing in confidence and I'm so grateful for the amazing teachers. Nothing is too much trouble, communication is exceptional and the community is genuinely democratic and collaborative. I did wonder whether TLC was going to be as good as the website, videos and open day makes out and the answer is yes!

My teenage son is autistic and struggles both academically and socially. The learning Circle is very inclusive and there is opportunities across their curriculum to find a range of topics and subjects that has allowed my son to achieve. My son is not a fan of English but book club has been great - to hear them all discussing and laughing about the books they were reading has just been amazing. The way the children have a voice and are very much involved in the decision process is refreshing.

The teachers are fantastic and very supportive, there is plenty of time the children can just speak to a teacher in the day to share a thought or just have a chat and then scheduled times for them to have a 1 to 1. As a parent I could reach out to the teachers if needed and the learning platform was well thought out.

Being at the Learning Circle has given my son confidence and developed his maths skills which has allowed him now to move on to a 14 to 16 course at our local college.

My daughter has been a regular once a week with The Learning Circle since the first year it was funded and it has been a highlight of her week right from the beginning. The teachers are truly AMAZING, knowledgeable, creative, caring, resourceful, patient. The management really does make an effort to keep the standards of the provision including weekly community meetings, summer camps and other trips that help the community to keep vibrant. As the wind changes my daughter won't be coming back this year, she's sad to leave but also nourished and confident that learning is possible in a fun and caring environment. No child should be offered less than what The Learning Circle offers, and we are fortunate she's been part of such a wondrous learning adventure. With special thanks to Jo and Angie, her science teachers, truly spectacular professionals and human beings.

Since our first call, we felt it was the right choice for our daughter while we were travelling. All the teachers are fabulous, friendly and approachable. Our girl felt welcomed and included at all times. Thank you all for this great experience!

Both my sons benefitted from being part of The Learning Circle community at a time when we wanted to keep them engaging in education but their mainstream school was not meeting either of their needs. They found the democratic ethos refreshing, the teachers caring and engaging, and the learning often much more fun than they were used to. As a parent, I found the regular communication, parents evenings and personal updates very helpful and reassuring. It’s a lovely place for children to learn and we’re grateful to all the staff for their support and enthusiasm.

My daughter attended the Learning Circle (TLC) for 3 days a week, during the past 2 school years (year 5 & 6), before she started 'normal' highschool this September, where she performs well beyond her age level.

TLC gave her excellent education, in a welcoming, warm and caring environment. My child enjoyed her lessons at school, felt very safe and cared for, and showed great interest in all teachers, classmates, and learning material.

We felt sad to leave TLC, and appreciate it even more, now that we have to deal with a non-democratic school, which is much less flexible, less creative, and allows no input from pupils, unlike TLC.

TLC gave us the reassurance during our years of homeschooling, that our daughter was happy and safe, and learning a lot in a very hands-on way, as a fully integrated class member.

We won't hesitate to return to TLC (which will start IGCSE next year) if we need to return to online schooling again.

I highly recommend the school!

The Learning Circle was an amazing environment for my two boys. They had a mix of mainstream school and home education before we started at The Learning Circle, and they both really enjoyed the democratic environment at TLC. The teachers were so engaging and enthusiastic about the topics, which really inspired them. A maths teacher sparked a deep interest in maths in my older son, something I would never have predicted! The small classes and attentive teachers make all the difference - even though the learning is online the kids feel more included and more engaged than they ever would in a traditional classroom with 30 students. We were so grateful to find The Learning Circle, and definitely recommend it.

We loved the Learning Circle, it was an inclusive, warm and engaging learning space online. It truly presented the best of a democratic system to my son who found the most wonderful teachers and mentors. The teachers understood him and his qualities and brought the best out of his talents which he has carried through to where he is today. We wouldn’t have got to where we are today without the Learning Circle. So many thanks 😊

A fantastic learning environment with amazing teachers who are warm, inclusive and give everyone a voice. Topics are chosen by the children and lessons are insightful and creative. The likes of maths and languages are taught really well and cater exceptionally for children at different levels of lesrning

Our son (14) has been with The Learning Circle community for the past 2 years. He's made some great friendships with the students and teachers alike, which has been golden on his home education journey. He really enjoys the lessons, the teachers make the subjects interesting and fun. It has been invaluable and we would certainly recommend.

A fantastic school- incredible, passionate, talented and caring teachers. The sense of community is very real, despite meeting almost entirely online, and being physically far away from each other. The school is truly democratic, with regards to children and their families as well- its not just about the name or the fact that there are "democratic meetings" - the school team really listens to children (and their adults) in an incredible, non-judgmental way, always trying to work out the best solution. I can only wish every school looks like The Learning Circle :) In the meantime, it is a truly treasured school for its students

Thoughtful, progressive, human scale education. We are new to the group but already can see great evidence of the respectful, enthusiastic teachers and autonomy afforded to the students. It is a joy to witness and a rare thing in education, placing emotional intelligence at its core. Our son has settled incredibly quickly and is growing in confidence. Communication is excellent and I have whole heartedly recommended TLC to many friends who are also seeking a more progressive learning environment. Also excellent for dyslexics as it is so small and student-led, and embraces different ways of expressing ideas.

Life changing experience for our son. He loves TLC, he misses his classes during school holidays, he feels so supported by his teachers, valued as never before, classes are very well organized, communication with students and family excellent, the whole experience went beyond our expectations. A nice atmosphere where students are happy to be.