In Other Woods

Twenty-two years ago, on a beautiful autumn day, I followed six young children as they marched in celebratory style, holding candles and flowers, to our newly constructed barn classroom on the two acres of woodland glade that were our school. It was a turning point in my contributions to a growing education village, and I felt both nervous and excited. Having been an assistant, I was now assigned a group of children of my own. The responsibility felt immense.

Forty-four years ago, I was a child myself and instead of holding flowers, I held fear in my sweaty palms as I lined up for class. I obediently waited to be told what to do, then to be tested and subsequently diminished by my school-induced self-deprecating thoughts as I was forced to compare myself to others; learning was daunting.

We are a society that is destroying the earth, perpetuating poverty, and dividing people through patriotic thinking, oppression, corrupt relationships, and war. Is there another way of living on this planet? How is education contributing to this current state of affairs and what role can it hold for the future of humanity?

As I followed those joyful children with flowers in their hands, I asked myself, “How can I do things differently? Can I, along with my colleagues, the parents, and the numerous volunteers and individuals who pass through our inclusive place of learning, meet the children without imposing our conditioned ways? What approach would nurture young minds to remain alive and alert, and free of the destructive devices of fear, comparison, and evaluation, endemic to most educational settings?”

In Other Woods is the story of an offbeat primary school, which I began writing when my service to this place came to an end after over twenty years of committed involvement. What started as a reflective piece of personal work and a desire to capture some noteworthy stories, evolved into a deeper exploration of the intentions and life of a small school, that exposes what I have come to regard as essential and widely relevant concerns in education.

I make no claims to have found a solution to our troubled educational world, and this is not a book promoting specific methods. Rather, it opens a window into the raw reality and challenges of a daring and delicate educational endeavour, highlighting the connection between our relationship with each other and the critical state of the world.

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What people are saying about the book

The story of an inspirational small school - This is a wonderful, inspirational, and exceptionally well-written book. Mary-Ann beautifully balances personal anecdotes with thoughtful discussions on alternative approaches to education that foster children’s natural curiosity and development. She questions the status quo and thinks carefully and deeply about every aspect of children’s learning. With honesty and reflection, Mary-Ann shares both the joys and challenges of her work, making this a must-read for anyone interested in progressive education. (Rosalyn Spencer, Education consultant, author)
I love this book! A refreshingly honest, first-person account of life in a self-directed learning community. Mary-Ann’s writing embodies all the qualities we might wish to cultivate among children and young people - thoughtful, steeped in compassionate curiosity - and, of course, self-directed! Highly recommended for anyone interested in exploring radical alternatives to the mainstream and a much-needed deep shift in our culture. (James Mannion, speaker, teacher trainer, author, podcaster)
In Other Woods: The Story of a Small School by Mary-Ann Ridgway. This is basically a biography of a school, why it was established, how it developed and the outcomes for the children and young people who are educated there - as well as their families and the teachers. It is dedicated to a philosophy that promotes agency in learning and an educational approach that enacts all the ASPIRE principles. It is jam-packed with ideas, heart-warming stories and suggestions for dealing with inevitable challenges. Readers will find a wealth to discover between the pages of this book about a holistic education that respects the uniqueness of every pupil while teaching them to care for others - and the precious natural world they live in. (Sue Roffey, Speaker, author)
Mary-Ann’s book is a jewel - it’s easy to read, it’s almost like sitting with a friend over a cup of tea and having a wholesome conversation about her journey at Inwoods while sharing her views as an educator and parent and overall a very eloquent person with an admirable take on life, education, learning and relationships. It’s profound, it’s honest, I love how she backs up every ‘discussion’ or highlighted principle with an example. The notions highlighted and shared by Mary-Ann go beyond learning for children and education for young minds, they can be applied to workplaces, to adult relationships, to adult learning; they highlight what’s lacking in our society and what could make it so much better. (A.Vlad)

Mary-Ann! I’ve finished the book! I’m floating, flying! It’s an inspiration! It’s well-written and utterly compelling, energising as a book on education jolly well should be! What a read! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for writing this. You’ve done us all a service. (V.York)
In reading “In Other Woods”, I feel grateful for Mary-Ann’s fruitful effort to share a precious, painstakingly honed wisdom. The book is dense with pointers to important aspects of real-life education and a wealth of anecdotes that make her points alive. It is serious and rigorous in its content, yet told as a story and with a gentle humor here and there that makes it an engaging read. It restores education to its right stand - one it is being robbed of: not an expert’s academic domain in the first place, but a natural work of love in the care of all of us jointly. The aspects touched on in this book ought to be a foundation to further pedagogy and didactics. It also offers unassumingly a prompt and a key to break the vicious circle of a destructive society and a destructive schooling system mutually feeding one another. Anyone confronted with that reality on the ground, as a parent, teacher, administrator, or simple citizen, can find in these pages much food for reflection and an encouragement to act. (L. Castellari)
This book provides an intimate account of education as reflective action. It touches who we are, what we are to each other and how we are to live in and with this world. (G.Krishnamurthy)