After pioneering innovation in education over 5 years, Sligo Sudbury School is expanding. Planning permission has been granted to extend and develop our school buildings and site. Our huge growth over the past 5 years from 15 to 90 students has led to the urgent need for this development so that we can accommodate more students, improve facilities and become a centre of excellence for Self Directed Democratic Education, where policy makers, educators, and learners can experience the vast potential of this sustainable and future-fit model of education. 

Our school has attracted families and self-directed students from around Ireland and Europe and has served as a learning hub for student teachers, university interns, educators and school founders. Our current building and site has served us well over the past five years but with growing demand and increasing student numbers, we need more space. We also need to develop our facilities and site so that we can continue to provide for a wide variety of students’ interests. Our pioneering school is providing a much needed service in our area, putting Sligo on the map and raising awareness nationally for Self-Directed Education as a viable and future fit model of Education for all.

All donations to the New School Build will go directly to fund the construction and fit-out of the new school buildings and landscaping of the school grounds. We are building a modern, state of the art school that is energy efficient and sustainable. The building has been designed with flexible learning spaces and public spaces which can be repurposed to allow for the dynamic nature of self-directed education and to maximise efficiency. Access to the outdoors is emphasised with integrated outdoor and indoor learning spaces, and a number of woodland and wilderness play spaces, sports and recreation spaces, sports hall, pitches, and running track, as well as food growing areas.

New classrooms and workshop areas include dedicated spaces for science, technology, art, engineering, mechanics, metalwork, woodwork and mathematics. A new academic library, media centre, gaming and technology spaces, and dedicated music and recording studios will be integrated with an auditorium and black box, and common areas for collaboration, socialising, and performance.