Pupil Interviews

These interviews were conducted when pupils were leaving the school. They were in direct response to the school inspectors demands that Summerhill should ‘prove’ that non-compulsory classes are not a disadvantage and that the pupil’s gain other qualities not on the curriculum. Given a free hand we would have asked less academic questions and more about personality and feelings.

The names have been changed.

Jack, a sixteen year old boy (UK)
1) How old were you when you left Summerhill?
Sixteen.

2) What age did you come to Summerhill?
Eight.

3) Did you take any exams at Summerhill? If so what they?
Yes, English and Maths, Science single award.

4) What are you planning to do next?
Continue studying at College. Get more GCSEs, then travel for a year, then do more academic work.

5) Do you have a long term direction you see your life going in, e.g. becoming a vet, acrobat, fashion show hostess etc. or is it undecided?
I will just take what comes.

6) Has Summerhill helped you to get interviews, jobs, positions on courses and if so how?
No, not really, but everybody was interested.

7) What effect do you think non-compulsory lessons had on you?
It made me more open about learning because I did not have to, but wanted to,

8) Do you think that non-compulsory lessons were an advantage or a disadvantage?
I think they were advantageous because when you did go to lessons you paid attention.

9) What do you think Summerhill has contributed to who you are now?
I am more capable of more practical things; I don't always rely on people so I suppose that is independence. I am more confident and used to making decisions for myself and others.

10) What was the most valuable thing for you about going to Summerhill, and how do you think it will affect you?
Freedom.

11) Is there any way that Summerhill and the community of Summerhill have let you down?
Not particularly, no. There are always lots of little things but that is going to happen wherever you go.

12) What has been other people's reaction to you going to Summerhill?
Curiosity, amazement.

13) What will you miss about Summerhill?
Everything.

14) How have you changed since coming to Summerhill?
I have become more independent and more self-motivated.

15) Are you looking forward to your future?
Yes.

16) Do you feel in control of your life?
At the moment yeah, but things will get harder I suppose.

17) In your new environment there may be rules that you may not like, how will you deal with that?
First it will be difficult but I would get used to it - it is not that hard to change.

18) If you had your time at Summerhill again, would you do anything differently?
No.

Susan, a sixteen year old girl (UK)
1) How old were you when you left Summerhill?
Sixteen.

2) What age did you come to Summerhill?
Eight.

3) Did you take exams at Summerhill? If so, what were they?
Yes, Drama, Rural Science, CDT, English CORE, English extended, combined science double award, biology.

4) What are you planning to do next?
Drama at College in London.

5) Do you have a long-term direction you see your life going in, e.g. becoming a Vet, acrobat, fashion show hostess etc, or is it undecided?
A famous actress.

6) Has going to Summerhill helped you to get interviews, jobs, positions on courses, and if so, how?
No.

7) What effect do you think non-compulsory lessons had on you?
All the kids who have come out of state schools on my course can’t read, I am one of the only fluent readers among them.

9) Do you think that non-compulsory lessons were an advantage or a disadvantage?
If we had compulsory lessons I would never have discovered that I want to be an actress, because I could choose to go to Drama. Going to lessons you enjoy really trains your brain to actually think for yourself and figure things out and have common sense. I don’t feel at all disadvantaged, in fact I feel advantaged because I know how to think for myself and work things out for myself.

9) What do you think Summerhill has contributed to who you are now?
Summerhill allowed me to be myself and approved of it rather than objecting.

10) What was the most valuable thing for you about going to Summerhill, and how do you think it is going to affect you?
There are lots things such as patience with other people, sorting things out for myself, finding things to do for myself, responsibility to myself and others.

11) Is there any way that Summerhill and the community of Summerhill has let you down?
Not really, it is cold in the winter in my room.

12) What have been other people’s reaction to you going to Summerhill?
"Are you allowed to smoke? Are you allowed to drink? Are you allowed to have sex All the time?" and things like that.

13) What will you miss about Summerhill?
Everything, the back door, being fined every morning (for getting up late), just everything.

14) How have you changed since coming to Summerhill?
I think if I had stayed at a normal school I would have ended up really hating adults. Already as it is I have a bit of a problem with adults sometimes - I think it would have been worse.

15) Are you looking forward to your future?
Yes, immensely!

16) Do you feel in control of your life?
Yes.

17) In your new environment there may be rules that you may not like, how will you deal with that?
I think I'll just grin and bear it. If they are completely ludicrously unfair then I may have a word with someone about it.

18) If you had your time at Summerhill again, would you do anything differently?
I would have brought Jane up the minute she started bullying me instead of when she left.

Mary, a sixteen year old girl (UK)
1) How old were you when you left Summerhill?
Sixteen.

2) What age did you come to Summerhill?
Seven.

3) Did you take exams at Summerhill? If so, what were they?
Yes, CDT, Drama, Rural Science, English lang., English lit, German, Science single award, French, Biology, Physics, Maths.

4) What are you planning to do next?
Going to College to study A level Maths, English literature and Theatre studies.

5) Do you have a long-term direction you see your life going in, e.g. becoming a vet’, acrobat, fashion show hostess etc, or is it undecided?
I want to do something musical, at the moment I would like to be an opera singer but don't know if I will be good enough.

6) Has going to Summerhill helped you to get interviews, jobs, positions on courses, and if so, how?
Not really.

7) What effect do you think non-compulsory lessons had on you?
-I enjoy learning.
-I am not prejudiced against teachers.
-I am more mature in my attitude towards learning.

10) Do you think that non-compulsory lessons were an advantage or a disadvantage?
Advantages:
- When people want to learn, they will do so much more easily.
- Compulsory lessons help form a barrier between teacher and taught.
- Compulsory lessons make you dislike your subject.
- Compulsory lessons make you prejudiced against teachers.

Disadvantages:
- When someone starts non-compulsory lessons after leaving a state school they often won’t come to lessons for a term or so. This is only a problem if they are close to taking exams.

NB. Non-compulsory lessons would be more effective without exams. Exams give you a time limit in which to learn, which puts pressure upon you and destroys your love of learning.

9) What do you think Summerhill has contributed to who you are now?
I have become a lot more confident, I was really shy when I came. For the last term I have sort begun to realise that I am equal to anybody here.

10) What was the most valuable thing for you about going to Summerhill, and how do you think it is going to affect you?
Again that I feel equal to anyone. I won’t be afraid to ask for what I want, and I won’t feel that I can't do some things because they are only for important people to do.

11) Is there any way that Summerhill and the community of Summerhill has let you down?
Certainly there is nothing important I have asked for that I have not been able to get.

12) What have been other people’s reaction to you going to Summerhill?
Lots of people do not know about it and treat it like an ordinary school. People I do tell are quite surprised and ask all the usual questions! I have not had any adverse reaction.

13) What will you miss about Summerhill?
I suppose the way it is very informal and very friendly. Everybody knows everybody else and they will all help you if you need it. Here you are an individual and not a number.

14) How have you changed since coming to Summerhill?
All the things I mentioned before in question 7. A bit less gullible than I was!

15) Are you looking forward to your future?
Yes, definitely. What I want to do for a job is basically what I do for a hobby.

16) Do you feel in control of your life?
Yes I do.

17) In your new environment there may be rules that you may not like, how will you deal with that?
I'll be able to obey rules that I understand and agree with the basic principle of, but if there are any rules that I don't like I will probably try and change them.

18) If you had your time at Summerhill again, would you do anything differently?
This term I have really lived at Summerhill - I have been chairman and all those things. I would like to have done them all the way through.

Shizu, a seventeen year old girl (Japan)
1) How old were you when you left Summerhill?
Seventeen.

2) What age did you come to Summerhill?
Ten.

3) Did you take exams at Summerhill? If so, what were they?
Yes, Art, Maths, CDT, Drama, Rural Science, English, and Science.

4) What are you planning to do next?
Continue studying. Taking A level: Graphic Art, Fine Art, and Maths at College in London.

5) Do you have a long-term direction you see your life going in, e.g. becoming a Vet, acrobat, fashion show hostess etc, or is it undecided?
An architect, fashion designer, anything to do with art.

6) Has going to Summerhill helped you to get interviews, jobs, positions on courses, and if so, how?
Maybe in fine art because the teacher knew about Summerhill and she sounded interested to get someone from Summerhill.

7) What effect do you think non-compulsory lessons had on you?
It was good for me to be able to decide. It is better because when you don’t feel like it, you don’t really want to listen to the teacher. If I wanted to there was always an opportunity to be taught. It is good to be like that because it will be like that at college or university and also, if it was compulsory lessons you would get hassle if you did not go, but with non-compulsory lessons it is up to you.

8) Do you think that non-compulsory lessons were an advantage or a disadvantage?
Advantage. I was at Summerhill with non-compulsory lessons and I have no problems, it had no bad effect on what I am doing now.

9) What do you think Summerhill has contributed to who you are now?
I think Summerhill has contributed something to me but I cannot say a particular thing. Loads of positive things. Things that you would probably learn much later but I have learned them young. I am already the person I am going to be.

10) What was the most valuable thing for you about going to Summerhill, and how do you think it is going to affect you?
Making things maybe because you are not set up to do a particular thing, like in the woodwork you can make what you want to. You realise you can do whatever you want. If you wanted to play tennis instead of going to lessons then you can. You can organise things for yourself. You don't get that chance in state schools. I learned to make decisions.

11) Is there any way that Summerhill and the community of Summerhill has let you down?
I don't think so. Sometimes maybe it is annoying that you cannot get enough people interested in something you want to do that needs a lot of people to make it work.

12) What have been other people’s reactions to you going to Summerhill?
Surprise, interest. They don't really say anything special about it to me. Some people seem interested.

13) What will you miss about Summerhill?
Everything. Big things like Meetings to small stuff like the smell, people, draughts in my room, a mouse on the floor, everything!

14) How have you changed since coming to Summerhill?
I think in positive ways I have changed.

15) Are you looking forward to your future?
Yes I am.

16) Do you feel in control of your life?
I think so, yes.

17) In your new environment there may be rules that you may not like, how will you deal with that?
If there was a law that was in the way of what I am doing and I could break it without getting into trouble then I would. If the law was pointless I would ignore it. If the law was really in my way and I was on the right side (so that I make sense) I would try to change it somehow.

18) If you had your time at Summerhill again, would you do anything differently?
No, I think I would do the same thing.

Stefan, a sixteen year old boy (Germany)
1) How old were you when you left Summerhill?
16

2) What age did you come to Summerhill?
11

3) Did you take exams at Summerhill? If so, what were they?
Yes, English second language, extended English, PET, KET, FCE, Maths, Science double award, French, German.

4) What are you planning to do next?
General academic studies in Germany.

5) Do you have a long-term direction you see your life going in, e.g. becoming a Vet, acrobat, fashion show hostess etc, or is it undecided?
Not really. Maybe an electrician, or mechanic in a garage.

6) What effect do you think non-compulsory lessons had on you?
It was good and I did not fall behind.

7) Do you think that non-compulsory lessons were an advantage or a disadvantage?
An advantage – if I wanted to do something else I could do it.

8) Has going to Summerhill helped you to get interviews, jobs, positions on courses, and if so, how?
It did a bit because now I am not so shy.

9)What do you think Summerhill has contributed to who you are now?
I think self-government has helped me because now I think of things that help lots of people in the meetings. Being a Beddies officer and things have helped to give me experience of life. Having a shop has been good too.

10) What was the most valuable thing for you about going to Summerhill, and how do you think it is going to affect you?
I can speak English now, general things. How to ride a unicycle, how to shoot a shotgun, woodwork, I like different music now. I learned how to ride a motorbike. I can speak to lots of people, TV cameras etc. Like I said, being a Beddies officer and things will help me deal with people in the future.

11) Is there any way that Summerhill and the community of Summerhill has let you down?
No, because I know that I need my GCSE and that is why I go to lessons. Sometimes I don't go because I know what we are going to do and I know it already. Maths did something different every day so I went every day!

12) What have been friends and other people’s reaction to you going to Summerhill?
Other kids are jealous.

13) What will you miss about Summerhill?
Everything apart from some people!

14) How have you changed since coming to Summerhill?
I grew up.

15) Are you looking forward to your future?
Not really.

16) Do you feel in control of your life?
Now yes, in my new school, no.

17) In you new environment there may be rules that you may no like, how will you deal with that?
Try to deal with it like we do here.

18) If you had your time at Summerhill again, would you do anything differently?
Started asking William earlier to teach us to shoot! We asked three years ago and we should have asked FIVE years ago! I would not have swung off the Big Beech with my foot in the little rope, it broke. I would not have harassed everybody so much when I was in the House.

Carla, a sixteen year old girl (UK)
1) How old were you when you left Summerhill?
Sixteen.

2) What age did you come to Summerhill?
Nine.

3) Did you take exams at Summerhill? If so, what were they?
Yes, Drama, English, Maths, CDT, Combined Science, Biology, English CORE.

4) What are you planning to do next?
BTEC, performing arts.

5) Do you have a long-term direction you see your life going in, e.g. becoming a Vet, acrobat, fashion show hostess etc, or is it undecided?
Actress.

6) Has going to Summerhill helped you to get interviews, jobs, positions on courses, and if so, how?
Yes, because they were very impressed with me and my enthusiasm and gave me an unconditional offer of a place. I did not take my mum and all the other candidates seemed to have taken the whole family (including the cat)!

7) What effect do you think non-compulsory lessons had on you?
It made me only go if I was interested. I did not waste my time by going because I thought I should.

8) Do you think that non-compulsory lessons were an advantage or a disadvantage?
An advantage with a big A because the pressure in compulsory lessons is ridiculous. If somebody is telling you that you have to go and that getting exams is the most important thing in the world then it is a lie.

9) What do you think Summerhill has contributed to who you are now?
I have strong opinions and I think Summerhill has contributed to that. I know what I think about issues. I also know that what I think counts. Even if I make the wrong decision I know that my life is not over! I have confidence in my ability to make choices. The friendships I have made are meaningful and will last forever. I know that I don't need to have 10 GCSEs to be a "worthy" person. They are not that important.

10) What was the most valuable thing for you about going to Summerhill, and how do you think it is going to affect you?
I feel that the company of Summerhillians is the only meaningful company, as though other people somehow do not come up to our high standards. I have good friends outside Summerhill but generally speaking you can't be yourself with them. You have to pretend to be interested in the sort things they are, which I am generally not. Because of Summerhill I tolerate them even though I feel in a way better than them. Summerhill has taught me tolerance. This applies to adults as well.

11) Is there any way that Summerhill and the community of Summerhill has let you down?
No, of course not.

12) What have been other people’s reaction to you going to Summerhill?
Friends think it is cool. Relatives are supportive. Adults I meet are standoffish with me. They seem to take offence at my personality, and act suspicious of me. They try and catch me out with stupid questions to trip me up and blame Summerhill.

13) What will you miss about Summerhill?
Everything, not being here, and everybody, and oh my god! And not really being part of it. Having to move away and let other people take my place. Worrying that I won’t be remembered. I will miss being significant. I am at the top of the school now and I will be at the bottom at College. Not being able to speak in the Meeting when I come back.

14) How have you changed since coming to Summerhill?
I am not so academically orientated. I am a lot more mature than other people my age, emotionally and mentally.

15) Are you looking forward to your future?
Not my immediate future, say ten years on or so.

16) Do you feel in control of your life?
Yes, definitely.

17) In your new environment there may be rules that you may not like, how will you deal with that?
I'll obey them because that is what you do. If they were really obscure I would question their meaning.

18) If you had your time at Summerhill again, would you do anything differently?
I wouldn't let my time in the Shack be spent with my boyfriend - I would spend it with my friends. I would have got up the courage to talk in the Meeting earlier.
Wednesday 15th July 1998

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