Currambena School

The school was established in 1969, when the then Woodley Preparatory School was purchased by the founders.^[1] It was one of a number of alternative schools that pioneered the application in Australia of the ideas of progressive educationalist A. S. Neill.^[3]

The school commenced with 116 students in January 1970: 72 in the preschool and 44 in the primary. The school expanded to include a second adjacent building in 1971.^[1] In 2003 the school had 71 students;^[4] in 2004 this had grown to 88 students^[5] in 2006 the school had 93 students.^[2] The Commonwealth government uses a measure of socio-economic status of independent schools to help determine their funding; Currambena has scored highly on this scale (meaning its students live in high socio-economic status locations).^[4]

As an alternative school, Currambena experienced external pressures from increasing standardisation of curricula,^[6] and from reforms to student assessment.^[5] Representatives of the school were prominent in criticising developments in education policy such as the introduction of national standardised tests.^[2][7]

The school is administered by a council comprising six parents and three teachers; it has no school principal.^[8] The board is democratic and responsible for curriculum, facilities and employment decisions.^[2] The original articles of association stipulated a maximum class size of 25; this was subsequently reduced to 22,^[9] with classes split into three age groups.^[10]

The school emphasises creativity and flexibility in responding to the needs of individual children.^[2][9][11]

• David Heilpern, author and magistrate^[12]